rich, in a very short space of time. They grew up like mushrooms in
a night. But they were gone as quickly. I can point you to at least
twenty elegant mansions, built by such men in their heyday of
prosperity, that soon passed into other hands. And I can name to you
half a dozen and more, who, when reverses came, were subjected to
trials for alleged fraudulent practices, resorted to in extremity as
a means of sustaining their tottering credit and escaping the ruin
that threatened to engulf them. One of these, in particular, was a
young man whom I raised, and who had always acted with the most
scrupulous honesty while in my store. But he was ardent, ambitious,
and anxious to get rich. His father started him in business with ten
thousand dollars capital. In a little while, he was trading high,
and pushing his business to the utmost of its capacity. At the end
of a couple of years, his father had to advance him ten thousand
dollars more to keep him from failing. During the next five years,
he expanded with wonderful rapidity, built himself a splendid house,
and took his place at the court end of the town, as one of our
wealthy citizens. It was said of him that he had made a hundred
thousand dollars. But the downfall came at last, as come I knew it
must. He toppled over and fell down headlong. Then it was discovered
that he had been making fictitious notes, purporting to be the bills
payable of country merchants, which his own credit had carried
through a number of the banks, as well as made pass freely to
money-brokers. He had to stand a long and painful trial for forgery,
and came within an ace of being sent to the State's prison. As soon
as the trial closed, he left the city, and I have never heard of him
since."

"But you don't mean to insinuate," said Lawrence, rather sternly,
"that I would be guilty of forgery in any extremity?"