eering and take to another
mode of making money."

"Have you done with your last piece of work at the West?"

"No -- I'm going back there to finish it. O, I'm going back
there -- I've only come here now to sign some papers and make
some arrangements; I shall come finally, I suppose, about May,
or April. I've been corresponding with Haye lately."

"About what?"

"About this! What should I correspond with him about? By the
way, what an infernal piece of folly this marriage is!"

"Not mixed up with your business, is it?"

"No, of course; how should it? but I am tremendously
surprised. Aren't you?"

"People of my temperament never are, you know."

"People of your temperament -- have a corner for their
thoughts," said Rufus. "Well, there's one chance gone for you,
Governor."

"Which it does not appear that I ever had."

"No indeed, that's very true. Well, about my business. -- Haye
has advocated my leaving the country and coming here. And he
knows what he is about, Winthrop; he is a capital man of
business. He says he can put me in a way of doing well for
myself in a very short time here, and he recommended my
coming."

"What's his object?" said Winthrop.

"What's his object?"

"Yes."

"How should I know! He wants to serve me, I suppose; and I
believe he has kindliness enough for me, to be not unwilling
to get me in the same place of business with himself."

"What will he do for you?"

"This, to begin with. He has a quantity of cotton lying in his
stores, which he offers to make over to me, upon a certain
valuation. And I shall ship it to Liverpool, as he
recommends."

"Have you got your money from the North Lyttleton company?"

"No, nor from anybody else; -- not yet; but it's coming."

"Is this purchase of cotton to be executed immediately?"

"Immediately. That's what I have come down for."

"How are you to pay Mr. Haye?"

"By bills upon the consignees."

"Does the purchase swallow up all your means?"

"None of them," said Rufus impatiently. "I tell you, it is to
be consummated by drawing bills in Haye's favour upon the
consignees -- Fleet, Norton & Co."

"Suppose the consignment don't pay?"

"It _will_ pay, of course! Don't you suppose Haye knows what he
is about?"

"Yes; but that don't satisfy me, unless I know it too."

"_I_ do," said Rufus. "He takes an interest in me for my
father's sake; and I think I may say without vanity, for my
own; and he is willing to do me a kindness, w