"When are you to pay?"
"Half the 15th of this month, half the 15th of next."
"Just so; and now here are thirty-two thousand five hundred francs payable shortly. The bills are all signed by you, and assigned to our house by the holders."
"I recognize them," said Morrel, whose face was suffused as he thought that, for the first time in his life, he would be unable to honor his own signature. "Is this all?"
"No, I have for the end of the month these bills which have been assigned to us by the house of Pascal, and the house of Wild and Turner, of Marseilles, amounting to nearly fifty-five thousand francs; in all, two hundred and eighty-seven thousand five hundred francs."
It is impossible to describe what Morrel suffered during this enumeration.
"Two hundred and eighty-seven thousand five hundred francs," repeated he.
"Yes, sir," replied the Englishman. "I will not," continued he, after a moment's silence, "conceal from you, that whilst your probity and exactitude up to this moment are universally acknowledged, yet the report is current in Marseilles that you are not able to meet your engagements."
At this almost brutal speech Morrel turned deathly pale.
"Sir," said he, "up to this time — and it is now more than four-and-twenty years since I received the direction of this house from my father, who had himself conducted it for five-and-thirty years — never has any thing bearing the signature of Morrel and Son been dishonored."
"I know that," replied the Englishman. "But as one man of honor to another, tell me fairly, shall you pay these with the same punctuality?"
Morrel shuddered, and looked at the man, who spoke with more assurance than he had hitherto shown.
"To questions frankly put," said he, "a straightforward answer should be given. Yes, I shall pay, if, as I hope, my vessel arrives safely; for its arrival will again procure me the credit which the numerous accidents of which I have been the victim have deprived me; but if the Pharaon should be lost, and this last resource be gone ———"
The poor man's eyes filled with tears.
"Well," said the other, "if this last resource fail you?"
"Well," returned Morrel, "it is a cruel thing to be forced to say, but, already used to misfortune, I must habituate myself to shame. I fear I shall be forced to suspend my payments."
"Have you no friends who could assist you?"
Morrel smiled mournfully.
