oy asked me to write my name on
a slip of paper, and took it into his peculiar office. Then appeared Mr.
Riggs, the junior partner, looking haggard and anxious, poor man. He is
somewhat low of stature, and slightly deformed, and I fancied that he
felt the disgrace and trouble more on that account. But he greeted me
in a friendly way, though rather awkwardly, and asked me to sit down a
little while in his own apartment, where he left me. I sat a good while,
reading an old number of Blackwood's Magazine, a pile of which I found
on the desk, together with some well-worn ledgers and papers, that
looked as if they had been pulled out of drawers and pigeon-holes and
dusty corners, and were not there in the regular course of business.
By-and-by Mr. Riggs reappeared, and, telling me that I must lunch with
them, conducted me up-stairs, and through entries and passages where I
had been more than once before, but could not have found my way again
through those extensive premises; and everywhere the packages of silk
were piled up and ranged on shelves, in paper boxes, and otherwise--a
rich stock, but which had brought ruin with it. At last we came to that
pleasant drawing-room, hung with a picture or two, where I remember
enjoying the hospitality of the firm, with their clerks all at the
table, and thinking that this was a genuine scene of the old life
of London City, when the master used to feed his 'prentices at a
patriarchal board. After all, the room still looked cheerful enough; and
there was a good fire, and the table was laid for four. In two or three
minutes Bennoch came in--not with that broad, warm, lustrous presence
that used to gladden me in our past encounters--not with all that
presence, at least--though still he was not less than a very genial
man, partially be-dimmed. He looked paler, it seemed to me, thinner,
and rather smaller, but nevertheless he smiled at greeting me, more
brightly, I suspect, than I smiled back at him, for in truth I was very
sorry. Mr. Twentyman, the middle partner, now came in, and appeared as
much or more depressed than his fellows in misfortune, and to bear it
with a greater degree of English incommunicativeness and reserve. But
he, too, met me hospitably, and I and these three poor ruined men sat
down to dinner--a good dinner enough, by-the-bye, and such as ruined men
need not be ashamed to eat, since they must needs eat something. It was
roast beef, and a boiled apple-pudding, and--which I