"Yes, gets rich on 'it, which he might not do if he discounted the paper
you propose. No offence."

"Oh, no offence among friends! You have taken him bills which he has
discounted?"

"Yes,--good paper."

"Any paper signed by good names is good paper. We can sign good names if
we know their handwritings."

Dolly started, and turned white. Knave he was,--cheat at cards, blackleg
on the turf,--but forgery! that crime was new to him. The very notion of
it brought on a return of fever; and while Jasper was increasing his
malady by arguing with his apprehensions, luckily for Poole, Uncle Sam
came in. Uncle Sam, a sagacious old tradesman, no sooner clapped eyes on
the brilliant Losely than he conceived for him a distrustful repugnance,
similar to that with which an experienced gander may regard a fox in
colloquy with its gosling. He had already learned enough of his godson's
ways and chosen society to be assured that Samuel Dolly had indulged in
very anti-commercial tastes, and been sadly contaminated by very anti-
commercial friends. He felt persuaded that Dolly's sole chance of
redemption was in working on his mind while his body was still suffering,
so that Poole might, on recovery, break with all former associations.
On seeing Jasper in the dress of an exquisite, with the thrws of a prize-
fighter, Uncle Sam saw the stalwart incarnation of all the sins which a
godfather had vowed that a godson should renounce. Accordingly, he made
himself so disagreeable that Losely, in great disgust, took a hasty
departure. And Uncle Sam, as he helped the nurse to plunge Dolly into