Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com 11
in reference to the latter I say nothing) entirely to himself.
That his last act, completed but a few months since, was to
induce Mr. W. to execute a relinquishment of his share in
the partnership, and even a bill of sale on the very furni-
ture of his house, in consideration of a certain annuity, to
be well and truly paid by - HEEP - on the four common
quarter-days in each and every year. That these meshes; be-
ginning with alarming and falsified accounts of the estate
of which Mr. W. is the receiver, at a period when Mr. W. had
launched into imprudent and ill-judged speculations, and
may not have had the money, for which he was morally and
legally responsible, in hand; going on with pretended bor-
rowings of money at enormous interest, really coming from
- HEEP - and by - HEEP - fraudulently obtained or with-
held from Mr. W. himself, on pretence of such speculations
or otherwise; perpetuated by a miscellaneous catalogue of
unscrupulous chicaneries - gradually thickened, until the
unhappy Mr. W. could see no world beyond. Bankrupt, as
he believed, alike in circumstances, in all other hope, and in
honour, his sole reliance was upon the monster in the garb
of man,‘‘ - Mr. Micawber made a good deal of this, as a new
turn of expression, - ‘“who, by making himself necessary to
him, had achieved his destruction. All this I undertake to
show. Probably much more!‘‘
I whispered a few words to Agnes, who was weeping, half
joyfully, half sorrowfully, at my side; and there was a move-
ment among us, as if Mr. Micawber had finished. He said,
with exceeding gravity, ‘Pardon me,’ and proceeded, with
a mixture of the lowest spirits and the most intense enjoy-
