and yet he had not come. Perhaps, it was suggested to me, the holders of the note had withdrawn it at the last moment. Cheering thought! 

 Just then I saw a lad enter the store and speak to one of the clerks, who pointed back to where I sat. The boy was not over fourteen, and had, I noticed as he approached, a modest, rather shrinking look. 

 "Mr. Jones?" he said, when he had come near to me. 

 "Yes," I replied, indifferently, scarcely wondering what he wanted. 

 "Will you pay this note?" he said, opening a piece of paper that I had not observed in his hand, and presenting it to me. 

 My head was in a whirl for an instant, but was as quickly clear again. 

 "No, my lad," I replied, in a composed voice, "I shall not pay it." 

 "You will not pay it?" he repeated, as if he had not heard me distinctly. 

 "No," said I. 

 The lad bowed politely, slipped the dishonoured note into his pocket, and retired. 

 I drew a long breath, leaned back in my chair with a sense of relief, and murmured—"Not such a dreadful affair, after all. So, I am protested! The operation is over, and I hardly felt the pain. And now what next?" 

 As I said this, the man whose Siberian face had almost congealed me entered my store, and came hurriedly back to where I still remained sitting. His face was far less wintry. The fact was, I owed the firm fifteen thousand dollars, which was no joke; and they were nearly as much alarmed, when they found that my note was actually under protest, as I was before the fact. 

 "Is it possible, Mr. Jones," he said, his voice as husky and tremulous as mine was when I called upon him an hour or two before, "that you have suffered your note to lie over!" 

 "Did I not inform you that such would be the case?" I replied, with assumed sternness of voice and manner. The boot was on the other leg, and I was not slow in recognising the fact. 

 "But what do you intend to do, Mr. Jones? What is the state of your affairs?" 

 Prev. P 16/128 next