he, Arthur Clennam, of that Firm, had of his own sole act, and even
expressly against his partner's caution, embarked its resources in the
swindles that had lately perished, was the only real atonement within
his power; was a better atonement to the particular man than it would be
to many men; and was therefore the atonement he had first to make. With
this view, his intention was to print a declaration to the foregoing
effect, which he had already drawn up; and, besides circulating it
among all who had dealings with the House, to advertise it in the public
papers. Concurrently with this measure (the description of which cost Mr
Rugg innumerable wry faces and great uneasiness in his limbs), he would
address a letter to all the creditors, exonerating his partner in a
solemn manner, informing them of the stoppage of the House until their
pleasure could be known and his partner communicated with, and humbly
submitting himself to their direction. If, through their consideration
for his partner's innocence, the affairs could ever be got into such
train as that the business could be profitably resumed, and its present
downfall overcome, then his own share in it should revert to his
partner, as the only reparation he could make to him in money value for
the distress and loss he had unhappily brought upon him, and he himself,
at as mall a salary as he could live upon, would ask to be allowed to
serve the business as a faithful clerk.

Though Mr Rugg saw plainly there was no preventing this from being done,
still the wryness of his face and the uneasiness of his limbs so sorely
required the propitiation of a Protest, that he made one.

'I offer no objection, sir,' said he, 'I argue no point with you. I will
carry out your views, sir; but, under protest.' Mr Rugg then stated,
not without prolixity, the heads of his protest. These were, in effect,
because the whole town, or he might say the whole country, was in the
first madness of the late discovery, and the resentment against the
victims would be very strong: those who had not been deluded being
certain to wax exceedingly wroth with them for not having been as wise
as they were: and those who had been deluded being certain to find
excuses and reasons for themselves, of which they were equally certain
to see that other sufferers were wholly devoid: not to mention the great
probability of every individual sufferer persuading himself, to his
violent indignation, that but for the e