saw I was considered to be in a prosperous way, and I really fancied myself so. If called on for the reason why, I should have waived the subject, for I could not give any.

I took, however, some precautions, although Harley had repeatedly intimated I could rely on him for any thing. I seized an opportunity to explain to him that my embarking in these various affairs quite prevented attention to any regular business. His reply was every way satisfactory. He fully comprehended it, he said, and supposed from what he had already told me, that I distinctly understood he was aware my business would be sacrificed, and he intended to relieve my mind on that head by authorizing me to draw on him, pending negotiations, for what was necessary for the support of myself and family. If the reader could have witnessed the kind manner and appreciative tone of Harley while making this communication, he would not wonder at the effect it produced on me. Nothing could have been more generous, and such confidence did this man inspire by his extraordinary address, that the failure of any one of his plans seemed impossible-that is the word, impossible. I now felt at ease with respect to the future. My days at home were happy again. I was no longer absent-minded or distrait. Oh! how I did enjoy that period of repose from anxiety and apprehension.

Ir was not till February of the new year (1849) that Harley was quite ready to sail for Europe. His determination to have all his documents in unexceptionable shape before presenting them to the capitalists over the water, led to the delay. But at length every paper was in order. Exemplifications of public documents, certified copies from public records, elaborately-drawn powers of attorney duly executed and acknowledged, and properly authenticated both by the English and French consuls ("for," said Harley, "I may decide to operate in Paris as well as London”), filled a large, substantial, iron-bound box, to us the true philosopher's stone, the real elixir for transmuting into gold.

Prior to Harley's departure, I refunded him the money which he had left in my charge and which I knew he relied on for immediate expenses. He would take no interest, although I had received not only interest, but several commissions, from its employment. He even apologized for touching the money at all. "You know," he observed, "it will never do for me to go out to London in any other character than that of a man of wealth. A poor devil is John Bull's special abhorrence. Notwithstanding his severe hits in America, he still believes it is the place to realize fortunes. And on account of his own prudent habits, he can't

understand why if we live like nabobs, we should not be as rich as nabobs. So I shall take my wife with me to London; hire a handsome furnished house; open spacious offices in the city: set up my brougham with a spruce tiger in livery, and drive into town at precisely the same moment of time every morning, and leave just as precisely every afternoon. This will show several things; that I am a very independent fellow; that I am very punctual as well as punctilious, and therefore a thorough man of business. You shall see," he added after a pause, in which it seemed as if he were contemplating himself descending from his carriage in the neighborhood of the bank, and marching with an easy, much-at-home air into his office, "you shall see, my friend," he repeated, nodding complacently, "and that very soon.

وو

Harley actually left the country to carry out his various plans, including the play of rich man by setting up an establishment, brougham and all, with less than a thousand dollars at command, and with no resources beyond what could be derived from the contents of the aforementioned large iron-bound box.

I know the regular business-man will sneer at the ventures of my good friend. For he regards such people as pests in the community, because they live so much at their ease, and act so charmingly the part of capitalists without having a dollar of capital. And yet this same regular man of business looks at the man of speculation with a species of envy akin to that with which your severely virtuous woman regards the free-and-easy manners of some stylish lady who, her reputation having become a little questiona

ble, independently places herself just outside the limits of

severe propriety.

Knowing just what I did about Harley, would you not suppose I trembled for the result of certain drafts I was to draw on him to defray immediate expenses? Yet the subject gave me no uneasiness whatever. Indeed, so fully did I believe in his ability to accomplish his objects, that I forbore to ask him for about two hundred dollars, which I had already expended out of the five hundred laid aside, because I perceived how important the money would be to him at the start.

Harley was particular to put our understanding in writing before he left. By it I was to receive one-fourth part of the net profits to be derived from the various schemes he had undertaken or should undertake in connection with his present trip to Europe. Perhaps it may occur to the reader to inquire how I was to be of use to Harley, at least to such an extent that he should be ready to let me into so considerable a share of the results of his enterprises. I was myself at first a little at loss on the subject, but in getting to be thoroughly informed of all his plans, I saw how important it was for him to have a reliable coadjutor on this side. Besides, I still retained some valuable correspondents there, and I could materially aid Harley in establishing himself.

It was precisely at noon, Wednesday, that the Cunard steamer "Hibernia" left her dock, with Harley and his wife among the passengers. Mrs. Harley was especially delighted at the idea of "going to Europe." For she had not ac

companied her husband on his previous trip. My whole family went with me to the steamer to see our friends off; we had become very well acquainted during the winter. The children were much delighted at every thing they beheld, and Alice played the matron astonishingly well. As I bid Harley adieu, it seemed as if I had been well acquainted with him all my life. His cordial, whole-souled "God bless you!" struck into my heart. We watched the steamer for some time as she worked slowly down into the bay, Harley waving his handkerchief at intervals, all of us returning his signals. At last he was no longer to be seen, and with a parting glance at the ship, we took our way homeward.

I expected to feel lonely after his departure. Indeed, the next morning I found myself quite below par in spirits. On reaching my office, however, some of our friends who were interested in one or the other of the enterprises Harley had in charge, came in, and the day was spent discussing various points relating to them. In the course of the week one or two gentlemen, hearing I was concerned in such negotiations, came to introduce new projects to me, so that my time was quite occupied with examining these and others which now fell in my way.

I have stated that I gradually increased my daily expenditures. Strange, you will say, since I had thus far made nothing at all out of any of these schemes, but on the contrary, had already spent two hundred dollars of what I called my principal. But the future was to be my paymaster, and I trusted to it implicitly. I adopted, therefore, Harley's advice to occasionally invite to dinner some of the persons who were interested in the most valuable enter