His boisterous, negligent, contemptuous manners awed, irritated,
embarrassed me. To say any thing which implied censure of his morals or
his prudence would be only raising a storm wrhich my womanish spirit could
not withstand. In answer to his expostulations, I only repeated,
"Impossible! I cannot."

Finding me inflexible, he once more gave way to indignation:--"What a
damned oaf! to be thus creeping and cringing to an idiot--a child--an ape!
Nothing but necessity, cruel necessity, would have put me on this task."
Then turning to me, he said, in a tone half supplicating, half
threatening, "Let me ask you once more: will you sign this check? Do not
answer hastily; for much, very much, depends on it. By all that is sacred,
I will return it to you to-morrow. Do it, and save me and your father from
infamy; from ruin; from a prison; from death. _He_ may have cowardice
enough to live and endure his infamy, but _I_ have spirit enough to
die and escape it."

This was uttered with an impetuosity that startled me. The words ruin,
prison, death, rung in my ears, and, almost out of breath, I exclaimed,
"What do you mean? my father go to prison? my father ruined? What do you
mean?"

"I mean what I say. Your signing this check may save me from
irretrievable ruin. This trifling supply, which I can nowhere else
procure, if it comes to-night, may place us out of danger. If delayed till
to-morrow morning, there will be no remedy. I shall receive an adequate
sum to-morrow afternoon, and with that I will replace this."

"My father ruined! In danger of a jail! Good Heaven! Let me fly to him.
Let me know from himself the full extent of the evil." I left my seat with