WEALTH WITHOUT WINGS. 159

 

Grind; “but the mischef is, your men of nicer ho-
nour are too squeamish for the kind of work in which
we employed him. This is the defect in all such
operations. Men cannot be thoroughly trusted.”’

The merchant sighed. He felt too deeply the
force of Grind’s remark.

“You know,” said he, “this Martin better than I
do. What is his character? Is he a mere blusterer,
whose bark is worse than his bite; or is he vindic-
tive and unscrupulous ?”

‘‘ Both vindictive and unscrupulous. I must warn
you not to provoke his ill-will. He would take de-
light in exposing all he knows about this business,
if he is once fairly turned against you. A fast
friend—he is a bitter enemy.”’

‘But see what a price he demands for his friend-
ship! I have already given him some five thousand
dollars for his services, and now he demands ten
more. Ina year he will be back, and coolly seek
to levy a contribution of twenty thousand dollars.”

“T understood you to say that he only asked for
a loan,” remarks the lawyer.

“A loan! That’s mere mockery. If you placed
ten thousand dollars in his hands, would you ever
expect to see the first copper of it again ?”

Grind shrugged his shoulders.

“Of course you would not. It’s a levy, not a
loan—and so he, in his heart, regards it.”

“ He’s a dangerous man,” said the lawyer, “ and
it’s to be regretted that you ever had any thing to
dowithhim. But, now that your hand is in the lion’s
mouth, the wisest thing is to get it out with as little
detriment as possible.”