hat you
had all this money to pay, and people cannot well pay debts without
money."

"You are telling that, my dear, to one who knows it by experience. That
is the very reason why I have failed. I have a great many debts, and I
have no money."

"But you have hundreds of lots--give them lots, Henry, and that will
settle all your difficulties. You must remember how all our friends
have envied us our lots."

"Ay, no fear, but they'll get the lots, my dear--unless, indeed," added
the speculator, "I take good care to prevent it. Thank God! I'm not a
DECLARED bankrupt. I can yet make my own assignee."

"Well, then, I wouldn't say a word about it--declare nothing, and let
'em find out that you have failed, in the best manner they can. Why
tell people your distresses, so that they may pity you. I hate pity,
above all things--and especially the pity of my own friends."

"Oh, that will be dreadful!" put in Eudosia. "For Heaven's sake, Pa,
don't let any body pity us."

"Very little fear of that, I fancy," muttered the father; "people who
shoot up like rockets, in two or three years, seldom lay the
foundations of much pity in readiness for their fall."

"Well, I declare, Dosie, this is TOO bad in the old general, after all.
I'm sure it MUST be unconstitutional for a president to remove your
father's deposits. If I were in your place, Mr. Halfacre, I wouldn't
fail just to spite them. You know you always said that a man of energy
can do any thing in this country; and I have heard Mr. Munny say that
he didn't know a man of greater energy than yourself."

The grin with which the ruined speculator turned on his wife was nearly
sardonic.

"Your men of energy are the very fellows TO fail," he said; "however,
they shall find if I have had extraordinary energy in running into
debt, that I have extraordinary energy, too, in getting out of it. Mrs.
Halfacre, we must quit this house this very week, and all this fine
furniture must be brought to the hammer. I mean to preserve my
character, at least."

This was said loftily, and with the most approved accents.

"Surely it isn't necessary to move to do that, my dear! Other people
fail, and keep their houses, and furniture, and carriages, and such
other things. Let us not make ourselves the subjects of unpleasant
remarks."

"I intend that as little as you do yourself. We must quit this house
and bring the furniture under the hammer, or part with all those lots
you so much esteem a