You see, Owen, he has natural notions of equity becoming a British merchant." "Mr.Francis," said the head-clerk, with his usual formal inclination of the head, and a slight elevation of his right hand, which he had acquired by a habit of sticking his pen behind his ear before he spoke--"Mr.
Francis seems to understand the fundamental principle of all moral accounting, the great ethic rule of three.

Let A do to B, as he would have B do to him; the product will give the rule of conduct required." My father smiled at this reduction of the golden rule to arithmetical form, but instantly proceeded.
"All this signifies nothing, Frank; you have been throwing away your time like a boy, and in future you must learn to live like a man.

I shall put you under Owen's care for a few months, to recover the lost ground." I was about to reply, but Owen looked at me with such a supplicatory and warning gesture, that I was involuntarily silent.
"We will then," continued my father, "resume the subject of mine of the 1st ultimo, to which you sent me an answer which was unadvised and unsatisfactory.

So now, fill your glass, and push the bottle to Owen." Want of courage--of audacity if you will--was never my failing.

I answered firmly, "I was sorry that my letter was unsatisfactory, unadvised it was not; for I had given the proposal his goodness had made me, my instant and anxious attention, and it was with no small pain that I found myself obliged to decline it." My father bent his keen eye for a moment on me, and instantly withdrew it.