But the clerk did not rise superior to temptations which came in his way.
Jasper continued to trade on the close-cutting, overreaching, and unscrupulous system; and under such a teacher his clerk proved an apt learner.
"He cuts right and left," said he to himself, "and why may not I cut left and right when a good opportunity offers ?" Soon he began to "cut left and right," as he termed it, and it was not remarkable that, in his cutting operations, his employer occasionally suffered.

The upshot was, after holding his situation a year, that several false entries, in his hand-writing, were discovered in the books of Mr.Jasper.To what extent he robbed his employer, the latter never accurately knew; but he was worse off by at least three or four thousand dollars through his peculations.
Again the question of taking Claire once more into his employment came up in the mind of Jasper.

After viewing it on every side, the decision was adverse.

He felt that too great a risk was involved.

And so he employed one in whom he could confide with less certainty.
Several years had now passed since the merchant began to feel the shock of adverse winds.