ince when there has been a panic in the Company, a panic which has
been increased by Colonel Newcome's absurd swagger and folly. He says I
am his enemy; enemy indeed! So I am in private life, but what has that
to do with business? In business, begad, there are no friends and no
enemies at all. I leave all my sentiment on the other side of Temple
Bar."

So Thomas Newcome, and Clive the son of Thomas, had wrath in their
hearts against Barnes, their kinsman, and desired to be revenged upon
him, and were eager after his undoing, and longed for an opportunity
when they might meet him and overcome him, and put him to shame.

When men are in this frame of mind, a certain personage is said always
to be at hand to help them and give them occasion for indulging in
their pretty little passion. What is sheer hate seems to the individual
entertaining the sentiment so like indignant virtue, that he often
indulges in the propensity to the full, nay, lauds himself for the
exercise of it. I am sure if Thomas Newcome in his present desire for
retaliation against Barnes, had known the real nature of his sentiments
towards that worthy, his conduct would have been different, and we
should have heard of no such active hostilities as ensued.

CHAPTER LXV. In which Mrs. Clive comes into her Fortune

Speaking of the affairs of B. B. C., Sir Barnes Newcome always took
care to maintain his candid surprise relating to the proceedings of that
Company. He set about evil reports against it! He endeavour to do it
a wrong--absurd! If a friend were to ask him (and it was quite curious
what a number did manage to ask him) whether he thought the Company was
an advantageous investment, of course he would give an answer. He could
not say conscientiously he thought so--never once had said so--in the
time of their connexion, which had been formed solely with a view of
obliging his amiable uncle. It was a quarrelsome Company; a dragoon
Company; a Company of gentlemen accustomed to gunpowder, and fed on
mulligatawny. He, forsooth, be hostile to it! There were some Companies
that required no enemies at all, and would be pretty sure to go to the
deuce their own way.

Thus, and with this amiable candour, spake Barnes, about a commercial
speculation, the merits of which he had a right to canvass as well as
any other citizen. As for Uncle Hobson, his conduct was characterised
by a timidity which one would scarcely have expected from a gentleman
of his flo