at day on the delight he would have in "kicking that
ill-conditioned cur," if only he could afford to kick him. But his
wife was his own, and she must be taught to endure his will, and must
be made to know that though she was not to be kicked, yet she was to
be tormented and ill-used. And it might be possible that he should so
cow her spirit as to bring her to act as he should direct. Still, as
he walked alone along the sea-shore, he knew that it would be better
for him to control his temper.

On that evening he did write to Mr. Wharton,--as follows,--and he
dated his letter from Little Tankard Yard, so that Mr. Wharton might
suppose that that was really his own place of business, and that he
was there, at his work:--

MY DEAR SIR,

You have asked for a schedule of my affairs, and I have
found it quite impossible to give it. As it was with
the merchants whom Shakespeare and the other dramatists
described,--so it is with me. My caravels are out at sea,
and will not always come home in time. My property at
this moment consists of certain shares of cargoes of jute,
Kauri gum, guano, and sulphur, worth altogether at the
present moment something over L26,000, of which Mr. Parker
possesses the half;--but then of this property only a
portion is paid for,--perhaps something more than a half.
For the other half our bills are in the market. But in
February next these articles will probably be sold for
considerably more than L30,000. If I had L5000 placed to
my credit now, I should be worth about L15,000 by the end
of next February. I am engaged in sundry other smaller
ventures, all returning profits;--but in such a condition
of things it is impossible that I should make a schedule.

I am undoubtedly in the condition of a man trading beyond
his capital. I have been tempted by fair offers, and
what I think I may call something beyond an average
understanding of such matters, to go into ventures beyond
my means. I have stretched my arm out too far. In such a
position it is not perhaps unnatural that I should ask a
wealthy father-in-law to assist me. It is certainly not
unnatural that I should wish him to do so.

I do not think that I am a mercenary man. When I married
your daughter I raised no question as to her fortune.
Being embarked in trade I no doubt thought that her
means,--whatever they might be,--would be joined to my
own