pe's grand manner melted away. She wept. She
seized and pressed my hand. She cast up her eyes, full of tears, and
went through the part of a repentant victim with great fervor. She would
do any thing; any thing in the world to save the poor man. Indeed, she
had intended to appropriate part of the two hundred pound bill to that
purpose. She forgot her first statement, that she wanted the money to go
out of town. Without interrupting, I let her go on and degrade herself
by a simulated passion of repentance, regret, and thankfulness to me,
under which she hid her fear and her mortification at being detected. I
at length put an end to a scene of admirable acting, by recommending her
to go abroad immediately, to place herself out of reach of any sudden
discovery; and then lay her case fully before her friends, who would, no
doubt, feel bound to come forward with the full amount of the forged
bills. "But," she exclaimed, with an entreating air, "I have no money; I
cannot go without money!" To that observation I did not respond;
although I am sure she expected that I should, check-book in hand, offer
her a loan. I do not say so without reason; for, the very next week,
this honorable young lady came again; and, with sublime assurance and a
number of very charming, winning speeches (which might have had their
effect upon a younger man), asked me to lend her one hundred pounds, in
order that she might take the advice I had so obligingly given her, and
retire into private life for a certain time in the country. I do meet
with a great many impudent people in the course of my calling--I am not
very deficient in assurance myself--but this actually took away my
breath.

"Really, madam," I answered, "you pay a very ill compliment to my gray
hairs; and would fain make me a very ill return for the service I have
done you, when you ask me to lend a hundred pounds to a young lady who
owns to having forged to the extent of one thousand two hundred pounds,
and to owing eight hundred pounds besides. I wished to save a personage
of your years and position from a disgraceful career; but I am too good
a trustee for my children to lend money to any body in such a dangerous
position as yourself."

"Oh!" she answered, quite unabashed, without a trace of the fearful,
tender pleading of the previous week's interview--quite as if I had been
an accomplice, "I can give you excellent security."

"That alters the case; I can lend any amount on good secu