ay find it a little harder in the present case than you imagine.
I never received value for these tokens of indebtedness."

"You must have been a precious fool to have given them then," was
promptly returned, with a curling lip, and in a tone of contempt. "They
represent, I presume, debts of honour?"

"There was precious little honour in the transaction," said Wilkinson,
who, stung by the manner and words of the collector, lost his
self-possessions. "If ever a man was cheated, I was."

"Say that to Mr. Carlton himself; it is out of place with me. As I
remarked a little while ago, my business is to collect the sums called
for by these due-bills. Are you prepared to settle them?"

"No," was the decisive answer.

"Perhaps," said the collector, who had his part to play, and who,
understanding it thoroughly, showed no inclination to go off in a huff;
"you do not clearly understand your position, nor the consequences
likely to follow the answer just given; that is, if you adhere to your
determination not to settle these due-bills."

"You'll make the effort to collect by law, I presume?"

"Of course we will."

"And get nothing. The law will not recognise a debt of this kind."

"How is the law to come at the nature of the debt?"

"I will"--Wilkinson stopped suddenly.

"Will you?" quickly chimed in the collector. "Then you are a bolder, or
rather, more reckless man than I took you for. Your family, friends,
creditors, and mercantile associates will be edified, no doubt, when it
comes to light on the trial, under your own statement, that you have
been losing large sums of money at the gaming table--over two thousand
dollars in a single night."

A strong exclamation came from the lips of Wilkinson, who saw the trap
into which he had fallen, and from which there was, evidently, no safe
mode of escape.

"It is impossible for me to pay two thousand dollars now," said he,
after a long, agitated silence, during which he saw, more clearly than
before, the unhappy position in which he was placed. "It will be ruin
anyhow; and if loss of credit and character are to come, it might as
well come with the most in hand I can retain."

"You are the best judge of that," said the collector, coldly, turning
partly away as he spoke.

"Tell Carlton that I would like to see him."

"He left the city this morning," replied the collector.

"Left the city?"

"Yes, sir; and you will perceive that all of these due-bills have been
endo