"How can the City affect you and me, Harold?"

"It is dishonor. I cannot ask you to share it."

"Dishonor! The loss of some miserable gold and silver coins!"

"Oh, Clara, if it were only that! We could be far happier together in

a little cottage in the country than with all the riches of the City.

Poverty could not cut me to the heart, as I have been cut this morning.

Why, it is but twenty minutes since I had the letter, Clara, and it

seems to me to be some old, old thing which happened far away in my past

life, some horrid black cloud which shut out all the freshness and the

peace from it."

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"But what is it, then? What do you fear worse than poverty?"

"To have debts that I cannot meet. To be hammered upon 'Change and

declared a bankrupt. To know that others have a just claim upon me

and to feel that I dare not meet their eyes. Is not that worse than

poverty?"

"Yes, Harold, a thousand fold worse! But all this may be got over. Is

there nothing more?"

"My partner has fled and left me responsible for heavy debts, and in

such a position that I may be required by the law to produce some at

least of this missing money. It has been confided to him to invest, and

he has embezzled it. I, as his partner, am liable for it. I have brought

misery on all whom I love--my father, my mother. But you at least shall

not be under the shadow. You are free, Clara. There is no tie between

us."

"It takes two to make such a tie, Harold," said she, smiling and putting

her hand inside his arm. "It takes two to make it, dear, and also two to

break it. Is that the way they do business in the City, sir, that a man

can always at his own sweet will tear up his engagement?"

"You hold me to it, Clara?"

"No creditor so remorseless as I, Harold. Never, never shall you get

from that bond."

"But I am ruined. My whole life is blasted."

"And so you wish to ruin me, and blast my life also. No indeed, sir, you

shall not get away so lightly. But seriously now, Harold, you would hurt

me if it were not so absurd. Do you think that a woman's love is like

this sunshade which I carry in my hand, a thing only fitted for the

sunshine, and of no use when the winds blow and the clouds gather?"

"I would not drag you down, Clara."

"Should I not be dragged down indeed if I left your side at such a time?

It is only now that I can be of use to you, help you, sustain you. You

have always been so strong, so above me. You are strong still, but then

two will be stronger. Besides, sir, you have no idea what a woman of

business I am. Papa says so, and he knows."




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