"Humph! I consider a willingness to pay me my own, a very poor
substitute for the money."

There was an insulting rudeness in the way Grasper uttered this last
sentence, that made the honest blood boil in the veins of his
unfortunate debtor. He was tempted to utter a keen rebuke in reply,
but restrained himself, and simply made answer:

"Good intentions, I know, are not money. Still, they should be
considered as some extenuation in a debtor, and at least exempt him
from unnecessarily harsh treatment. No man can tell how it may be
with him in the course of a few years, and that, if nothing else,
should make every one as lenient towards the unfortunate as
possible."

"If you mean to insinuate by that," replied Grasper, in a quick
voice, "that I am likely to be in your situation in a few years, I
must beg leave to say that I consider your remarks as little better
than an insult. It's enough, let me tell you, for you to owe me and
not pay me, without coming into my store to insult me. If you have
nothing better to say, I see no use in our talking any longer." And
Grasper made a motion to turn from his debtor. But the case of
Layton was too urgent to let him act as his indignant feelings
prompted.

"I meant no offence, I assure you, Mr. Grasper," he said,
earnestly,--"I only urged one among many reasons that I could urge,
why you should spare a man in my situation."