t I should go into business with him. Nobody asked him -- it
was his own doing; it was his declared purpose and wish,
unsolicited by me or my father or by anybody, to set me
forward in his own line and put me in the way of making my
fortune! -- as he said."

Winthrop knew it, and had never liked it. He did not tell
Rufus so now; he gave him nothing but the attention of his
calm face; into which Rufus looked while he talked, as if it
were the safe, due, and appointed treasury in which to bestow
all his grievances and passionate sense of them.

"Well! -- you know he offered, a year ago or more, that by way
of making a beginning, I should take off his hands some cotton
which he had lying in storage, and ship it to Liverpool on my
own account; and as I had no money, I was to pay him by
drawing bills in his favour upon the consignees."

"I remember very well," said Winthrop.

"Well sir! -- the cotton reached Liverpool and was found good
for nothing!"

"Literally?"

"Literally, sir! -- wasn't worth near the amount of my bills,
which of course were returned -- and Haye has sued me for the
rest!"

Rufus's face looked as if a spark from it might easily have
burnt up the whole consignment of cotton, if it had happened
to be in the neighbourhood.

"How was the cotton? -- damaged?"

"Damaged? -- of course! -- kept in vaults here till it was
spoiled; and he knew it!"

"For what amount has he sued you?" said Winthrop when Rufus
had fed his fire silently for a couple of minutes.

"For more than I can pay -- or will! --"

"How much does that stand for, in present circumstances?"

"How much? A matter of several hundreds!"

"How many?"

"So many, as I should leave myself penniless to pay, and then
not pay. You know I lost money down there."

"I know," said his brother.

Winifred brought her eyes round to Winthrop; and Winthrop
looked grave; and Rufus, as before, fiery; and there was a
silence this time of more than two minutes.

"My dependence is on you, Governor," Rufus said at last.

"I wish I could help you, Will."

"How can I get out of this scrape?"

"You have no defence in law."

"But there must be a defence somewhere!" said Rufus drawing
himself up, with the whole spirit of the common law apparently
within him, energizing the movement.

"The only hope of relief would be in the equity courts."

"How there?" said Rufus.

Winthrop hesitated.

"A plea of fraud -- alleging that Mr. Haye has overre