It was especially about my wife's fortune that Mr.B.showed _his_ cloven foot: for proposing, as usual, that I should purchase shares with it in our Company, I told him that my wife was a minor, and as such her little fortune was vested out of my control altogether.

He flung away in a rage at this; and I soon saw that he did not care for me any more, by Abednego's manner to me.

No more holidays, no more advances of money, had I: on the contrary, the private clerkship at 150_l_.

was abolished, and I found myself on my 250_l_.

a year again.
Well, what then?
it was always a good income, and I did my duty, and laughed at the Director.
About this time, in the beginning of 1824, the Jamaica Ginger Beer Company shut up shop--exploded, as Gus said, with a bang! The Patent Pump shares were down to 15_l_.