pen to us for further
efforts."

"The world will never be open to me again," said Mr. Brown. "And if
I had only have kept the money when I had it--"

"Mr. Brown," said Robinson, taking him by the hand, "you are ill
now, and seen through the sickly hue of weakness and infirmity,
affairs look bad and distressing; but ere long you will regain your
strength."

"No, George, I shall never do that."

On this day the business of the shop still went on, but the proceeds
of such sales as were made were carried to the credit of the
assignees. Mr. Jones was there throughout the day, doing nothing, and
hardly speaking to any one. He would walk slowly from the front of
the shop to the back, and then returning would stand in the doorway,
rubbing his hands one over the other. When any female of specially
smart appearance entered the shop, he would hand to her a chair,
and whisper a few words of oily courtesy; but to those behind the
counter he did not speak a word. In the afternoon Mrs. Jones made her
appearance, and when she had been there a few minutes, was about to
raise the counter door and go behind; but her husband took her almost
roughly by the arm, and muttering something to her, caused her to
leave the shop. "Ah, I knew what such dishonest doings must come to,"
she said, as she went her way. "And, what's more, I know who's to
blame." And yet it was she and her husband who had brought this ruin
on the firm.

"George," said Mr. Brown, that evening, "I have intended for the
best,--I have indeed."

"Nobody blames you, sir."

"You blame me about Maryanne."

"No, by heaven; not now."

"And she blames me about the money; but I've meant it for the
best;--I have indeed."

All this occurred on a Saturday, and on that same evening Robinson
attended at his debating club, for the express purpose of explaining
to the members the state of his own firm. "It shall never be thrown
in my teeth," said he, "that I became a bankrupt and was ashamed to
own it." So he got up and made a speech, in which he stated that
Brown, Jones, and Robinson had failed, but that he could not lay
it to his own charge that he had been guilty of any omission or
commission of which he had reason to be ashamed as a British
merchant. This is mentioned here, in order that a fitting record may
be made of the very high compliment which was paid to him on the
occasion by old Pancabinet.

"Most worthy Grand," said old Pan, and as he spoke he looked first at