Chapter XXIV - Page 2

happened, that I heard the firm of which Dewey is a partner spoken of. Among other remarks, was this: 'They are thought to be very much extended.'"

"What is the meaning of that?" asked Mrs. Wallingford.

"It is understood in business circles," replied her husband, "to mean, that a house is doing too much business for the amount of capital employed, and that it has issued, in consequence, a large amount of paper. Any very heavy losses to a firm in this condition might prove disastrous."

"Too much extended?" said I, thoughtfully, some new impressions forming themselves in my mind.

"Yes, that was the opinion held by the individual I refer to; and he was not one to speak carelessly on so grave a matter."

"If the house of Floyd, Lawson, Lee, & Co. should go down," I remarked, "there will be sad work in S----."

"There will, without any doubt," replied Mr. Wallingford.

"The executors to the Allen estate might find themselves in a most unfortunate position," said I.

"Such a position as I would not be in, for all the world. Any thing but dishonor!"

"How dishonor?" asked Constance.

"The whole estate would be, I fear, involved."

"They gave security," said I.

"But the sureties are not worth a tenth part of the sum for which they stand responsible. The court acted with a singular want of discretion in appointing them."

"You don't mean to have us infer that Judge Bigelow and Squire Floyd have used the funds of this estate for their own purposes, to any great extent?"

"I would not care to say this out of doors, Doctor, but that is just my opinion of the matter as it now stands. Dewey is guardian to the heir, and would favor, rather than oppose, such a use of the funds."

"It might be just so much in favor of the heir," remarked Mrs. Wallingford, "if two-thirds of the property had disappeared by the time he reached his majority; for, from all that I have heard of him, he is not likely to become a man fitted to use large wealth either to his own or any body else's advantage. He was low born and low bred, in the worst sense of the words; and I fear that no education will change his original quality, or greatly modify his early bias. So while the wasting of his substance is a great wrong in the abstract, it may be a real blessing to him. Events in this life work out strangely to our human eyes, yet there is a Providence in them that ever educes good from evil."

"If we could always believe that," said I, "how tranquilly might we pass through life! How clearly would our eyes see through the darkest clouds, and rest upon the silver lining!"

"Is it not so? Does not God's providence