. Should this dear object be born to an
inheritance of debt, of poverty? Never.

He began to act as if he was even now a father. He entreated Rosa not to
trouble or vex herself; he would look into their finances, and set all
straight.

He paid all the bills, and put by a quarter's rent and taxes. Then there
remained of his little capital just ten pounds.

He went to his printers, and had a thousand order-checks printed. These
forms ran thus:--

"Dr. Staines, of 13 Dear Street, Mayfair (blank for date), orders of
(blank here for tradesman and goods ordered), for cash. Received same
time (blank for tradesman's receipt). Notice: Dr. Staines disowns all
orders not printed on this form, and paid for at date of order."

He exhibited these forms, and warned all the tradespeople, before a
witness whom he took round for that purpose.

He paid off Pearman on the spot. Pearman had met Clara, dressed like a
pauper, her soldier having emptied her box to the very dregs, and he now
offered to stay. But it was too late.

Staines told the cook Mrs. Staines was in delicate health, and must not
be troubled with anything. She must come to him for all orders.

"Yes, sir," said she. But she no sooner comprehended the check system
fully than she gave warning. It put a stop to her wholesale pilfering.
Rosa's cooks had made fully a hundred pounds out of her amongst them
since she began to keep accounts.

Under the male housekeeper every article was weighed on delivery, and
this soon revealed that the butcher and the fishmonger had habitually
delivered short weight from the first, besides putting down the same
thing twice. The things were sent back that moment, with a printed form,
stating the nature and extent of the fraud.

The washerwoman, who had been pilfering wholesale so long as Mrs.
Staines and her sloppy-headed maids counted the linen, and then forgot
it, was brought up with a run, by triplicate forms, and by Staines
counting the things before two witnesses, and compelling the washerwoman
to count them as well, and verify or dispute on the spot. The laundress
gave warning--a plain confession that stealing had been part of her
trade.

He kept the house well for three pounds a week, exclusive of coals,
candles, and wine. His wife had had five pounds, and whatever she asked
for dinner-parties, yet found it not half enough upon her method.

He kept no coachman. If he visited a patient, a man in the yard drove
him at a shillin