faithfully and honestly in support of my interests."

"Money, sir," pursued the other, without appearing to look to the right
or to the left, "I have for you. Would you venture to guess to what
amount?"

"Well, under the circumstances you speak of, less, I dare say, than I
expect."

"I have been able to get, within the last six months, exactly fifty-nine
pounds thirteen and sevenpence!"

If the ebb which we have described before of the blood from the doctor's
double chin was a gradual one, we can assure the reader that, in this
case, it was rapid in proportion to the terror and dismay conveyed by
this authentic, but astounding piece of intelligence. The whole face
became pale, his eyes at once lost their lustre, and were, as he fixed
them in astonishment upon the proctor, completely without speculation;
his voice became tremulous, and, as he pulled out his handkerchief to
wipe away the unexpected perspiration which the proctor's words had
brought out upon his forehead, his hands trembled as if he had been
suddenly seized with palsy. In truth, Purcel, who had a kind of
good-natured regard for the little man, felt a sensation of compassion
for him, on witnessing the extraordinary distress under which he
labored.

"I am sorry for this," said he, "for I really know not what is to be
done, and, what is equally distressing, our prospects are not at all
likely to improve."

"You don't mean to say, Purcel, that circumstances are as bad as you
report them--as bad--as desperate, I should say--and as ruinous?"

"I fear," said Purcel, "they go beyond the gloomiest and most desponding
views you could take of them. The conspiracy, for such we must term it,
is, in point of fact, deepening down to the very foundations, if I may
use the expression, of society. Every day it is becoming more dangerous
and alarming; but how it is to be checked or mitigated, or how we are to
stand out of its way and avoid its consequences, heaven only knows, for
I don't."

"But, Purcel, my dear friend, what am I and my domestic establishment
to do? Good God! there is nothing but ruin before us! You know I always
lived up to my income--indeed, at best, it was too limited for the
demands of my family, and our habits of life. And now, to have the very
prop--the only one on which I leant--suddenly snapt from under me--it is
frightful. But you are to blame, Purcel; you are much to blame. Why did
you not apprise me of this ruinous state of things before