The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 382: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

eM THE SPONGING - HOUSE 365 ejaculation or of his increased perturbation of manner, “from that clerk I learned the exact state of your account, and I told him enough to induce him to put his employers on their guard toward you. Ah! J knew full well at the time that the bankers wrote you a peremptory letter, desir- ing that your account should be placed on a more satis- factory footing, and I also knew that you applied to several capitalists for an advance of funds. There also was I secretly at work, and I took good care that the evil rumours I spread concerning your financial position should reach their ears. Hence the mortifying refusals which you received, one after the other, and which struck you blow upon blow, every one of which became duly known to me. Nor was I idle in other ways to do you a mischief. I sought excuses for calling upon those well-to-do tradesmen who occasionally did business with you, and I told them where they might obtain pecuniary accommodation on cheaper terms than at your office, so that even your very business rapidly fell off. Then, day by day, as I beheld the catastrophe coming, and ruin advancing upon you with giant strides, I paid frequent visits to the neighbourhood of Clapham, and circulated reports relative to your embarrassed condition. In the City, too, I stirred up all your tradesmen against you, and secretly advised your creditors to press for the prompt settlement of their claims. How well I succeeded in all these engines of destruction which I brought to bear upon you, you best know; and when at last the crisis came, — ay, and I knew full well when it did come, — I was not blind to the fact that you intended to collect together as much money as possible, wherewith to decamp from the country. But in order to lull you into temporary security, so that the final blow might fall all the more terribly, I did my best to get together as much money as I possibly could for you. Then did I observe the joy which you could scarcely conceal, and you thought yourself secure. I watched you, I dogged your movements. Having already come to a secret under- standing with your principal creditor in respect to the course to be adopted, I sent to let him know that the time had come to act, and the sheriff’s officer was speedily in attendance. You know the rest, and in your present position may you appreciate the folly, the utter folly, as well as.the transcend- ing iniquity, of all your former conduct toward me.” CORNICLOOL cS (C(O) am