dizzy　see…saw　…　heaven…high；　hell…deep　…　on　which　men　sit
  clutching；　or　perhaps　fearing　that　the　sources　of　his　fortune
  might　be　insidiously　traced　to　some　root　in　the　field　of
  petty　cash；　he　stuck　to　his　work；　said　not　a　word　of　his　new
  circumstances；　and　kept　his　account　with　a　bank　in　a
  different　quarter　of　the　town。　　The　concealment；　innocent　as
  it　seems；　was　the　first　step　in　the　second　tragicomedy　of
  John's　existence。
  Meanwhile；　he　had　never　written　home。　　Whether　from
  diffidence　or　shame；　or　a　touch　of　anger；　or　mere
  procrastination；　or　because　（as　we　have　seen）　he　had　no　skill
  in　literary　arts；　or　because　（as　I　am　sometimes　tempted　to
  suppose）　there　is　a　law　in　human　nature　that　prevents　young
  men　…　not　otherwise　beasts　…　from　the　performance　of　this
  simple　act　of　piety　…　months　and　years　had　gone　by；　and　John
  had　never　written。　　The　habit　of　not　writing；　indeed；　was
  already　fixed　before　he　had　begun　to　come　into　his　fortune；
  and　it　was　only　the　difficulty　of　breaking　this　long　silence
  that　withheld　him　from　an　instant　restitution　of　the　money　he
  had　stolen　or　（as　he　preferred　to　call　it）　borrowed。　　In　vain
  he　sat　before　paper；　attending　on　inspiration；　that　heavenly
  nymph；　beyond　suggesting　the　words　'my　dear　father；'　remained
  obstinately　silent；　and　presently　John　would　crumple　up　the
  sheet　and　decide；　as　soon　as　he　had　'a　good　chance；'　to　carry
  the　money　home　in　person。　　And　this　delay；　which　is
  indefensible；　was　his　second　step　into　the　snares　of　fortune。
  Ten　years　had　passed；　and　John　was　drawing　near　to　thirty。
  He　had　kept　the　promise　of　his　boyhood；　and　was　now　of　a
  lusty　frame；　verging　toward　corpulence；　good　features；　good
  eyes；　a　genial　manner；　a　ready　laugh；　a　long　pair　of　sandy
  whiskers；　a　dash　of　an　American　accent；　a　close　familiarity
  with　the　great　American　joke；　and　a　certain　likeness　to　a　R…
  y…l　P…rs…n…ge；　who　shall　remain　nameless　for　me；　made　up　the
  man's　externals　as　he　could　be　viewed　in　society。　　Inwardly；
  in　spite　of　his　gross　body　and　highly　masculine　whiskers；　he
  was　more　like　a　maiden　lady　than　a　man　of　twenty…nine。
  It　chanced　one　day；　as　he　was　strolling　down　Market　Street　on
  the　eve　of　his　fortnight's　holiday；　that　his　eye　was　caught
  by　certain　railway　bills；　and　in　very　idleness　of　mind　he
  calculated　that　he　might　be　home　for　Christmas　if　he　started
  on　the　morrow。　　The　fancy　thrilled　him　with　desire；　and　in
  one　moment　he　decided　he　would　go。
  There　was　much　to　be　done：　his　portmanteau　to　be　packed；　a
  credit　to　be　got　from　the　bank　where　he　was　a　wealthy
  customer；　and　certain　offices　to　be　transacted　for　that　other
  bank　in　which　he　was　an　humble　clerk；　and　it　chanced；　in
  conformity　with　human　nature；　that　out　of　all　this　business
  it　was　the　last　that　came　to　be　neglected。　　Night　found　him；
  not　only　equipped　with　money　of　his　own；　but　once　more　（as　on
  that　former　occasion）　saddled　with　a　considerable　sum　of
  other　people's。
  Now　it　chanced　there　lived　in　the　same　boarding…house　a
  fellow…clerk　of　his；　an　honest　fellow；　with　what　is　called　a
  weakness　for　drink　…　though　it　might；　in　this　case；　have　been
  called　a　strength；　for　the　victim　had　been　drunk　for　weeks
  together　without　the　briefest　intermission。　　To　this
  unfortunate　John　intrusted　a　letter　with　an　inclosure　of
  bonds；　addressed　to　the　bank　manager。　　Even　as　he　did　so　he
  thought　he　perceived　a　certain　haziness　of　eye　and　speech　in
  his　trustee；　but　he　was　too　hopeful　to　be　stayed；　silenced
  the　voice　of　warning　in　his　bosom；　and　with　one　and　the　same
  gesture　committed　the　money　to　the　clerk；　and　himself　into
  the　hands　of　destiny。
  I　dwell；　even　at　the　risk　of　tedium；　on　John's　minutest
  errors；　his　case　being　so　perplexing　to　the　moralist；　but　we
  have　done　with　them　now；　the　roll　is　closed；　the　reader　has
  the　worst　of　our　poor　hero；　and　I　leave　him　to　judge　for
  himself　whether　he　or　John　has　been　the　less　deserving。
  Henceforth　we　have　to　follow　the　spectacle　of　a　man　who　was　a
  mere　whip…top　for　calamity；　on　whose　unmerited　misadventures
  not　even　the　humourist　can　look　without　pity；　and　not　even
  the　philosopher　without　alarm。
  That　same　night　the　clerk　entered　upon　a　bout　of　drunkenness
  so　consistent　as　to　surprise　even　his　intimate　acquaintance。
  He　was　speedily　ejected　from　the　boarding…house；　deposited
  his　portmanteau　with　a　perfect　stranger；　who　did　not　even
  catch　his　name；　wandered　he　knew　not　where；　and　was　at　last
  hove…to；　all　standing；　in　a　hospital　at　Sacramento。　　There；
  under　the　impenetrable　ALIAS　of　the　number　of　his　bed；　the
  crapulous　being　lay　for　some　more　days　unconscious　of　all
  things；　and　of　one　thing　in　particular：　that　the　police　were
  after　him。　　Two　months　had　come　and　gone　before　the
  convalescent　in　the　Sacramento　hospital　was　identified　with
  Kirkman；　the　absconding　San　Francisco　clerk；　even　then；　there
  must　elapse　nearly　a　fortnight　more　till　the　perfect　stranger
  could　be　hunted　up；　the　portmanteau　recovered；　and　John's
  letter　carried　at　length　to　its　destination；　the　seal　still
  unbroken；　the　inclosure　still　intact。
  Meanwhile；　John　had　gone　upon　his　holidays　without　a　word；
  which　was　irregular；　and　there　had　disappeared　with　him　a
  certain　sum　of　money；　which　was　out　of　all　bounds　of
  palliation。　　But　he　was　known　to　be　careless；　and　believed　to
  be　honest；　the　manager　besides　had　a　regard　for　him；　and
  little　was　said；　although　something　was　no　doubt　thought；
  until　the　fortnight　was　finally　at　an　end；　and　the　time　had
  come　for　John　to　reappear。　　Then；　indeed；　the　affair　began　to
  look　black；　and　when　inquiries　were　made；　and　the　penniless
  clerk　was　found　to　have　amassed　thousands　of　dollars；　and
  kept　them　secretly　in　a　rival　establishment；　the　stoutest　of
  his　friends　abandoned　him；　the　books　were　overhauled　for
  traces　of　ancient　and　artful　fraud；　and　though　none　were
  found；　there　still　prevailed　a　general　impression　of　loss。
  The　telegraph　was　set　in　motion；　and　the　correspondent　of　the
  bank　in　Edinburgh；　for　which　place　it　was　understood　that
  John　had　armed　himself　with　extensive　credits；　was　warned　to
  communicate　with　the　police。
  Now　this　correspondent　was　a　friend　of　Mr。　Nicholson's；　he
  was　well　acquainted　with　the　tale　of　John's　calamitous
  disappearance　from　Edinburgh；　and　putting　one　thing　with
  another；　hasted　with　the　first　word　of　this　scandal；　not　to
  the　police；　but　to　his　friend。　　The　old　gentleman　had　long
  regarded　his　son　as　one　dead；　John's　place　had　been　taken；
  the　memory　of　his　faults　had　already　fallen　to　be　one　of
  those　old　aches；　which　awaken　again　indeed　upon　occasion；　but
  which　we　can　always　vanquish　by　an　effort　of　the　will；　and　to
  have　the　long　lost　resuscitated　in　a　fresh　disgrace　was
  doubly　bitter。
  'Macewen；'　said　the　old　man；　'this　must　be　hushed　up；　if
  possible。　　If　I　give　you　a　cheek　for　this　sum；　about　which
  they　are　certain；　could　you　take　it　on　yourself　to　let　the
  matter　rest？'
  'I　will；'　said　Macewen。　　'I　will　take　the　risk　of　it。'
  'You　understand；'　resumed　Mr。　Nicholson；　speaking　precisely；
  but　with　ashen　lips；　'I　do　this　for　my　family；　not　for　that
  unhappy　young　man。　　If　it　should　turn　out　that　these
  suspicions　are　correct；　and　he　has　embezzled　large　sums；　he
  must　lie　on　his　bed　as　he　has　made　it。'　　And　then　looking　up
  at　Macewen　with　a　nod；　and　one　of　his　strange　smiles：　'Good…
  bye；'　said　he；　and　Macewen；　perceiving　the　case　to　be　too
  grave　for　consolation；　took　himself　off；　and　blessed　God　on
  his　way　home　that　he　was　childless。
  CHAPTER　V　…　THE　PRODIGAL'S　RETURN
  BY　a　little　after　noon　on　the　eve　of　Christmas；　John　had　left
  his　portmanteau　in　the　cloak…room；　and　stepped　forth　into
  Princes　Street　with　a　wonderful　expansion　of　the　soul；　such
  as　men　enjoy　on　the　completion　of　long…nourished　schemes。　　He
  was　at　home　again；　incognito　and　rich；　presently　he　could
  enter　his　father's　house　by　means　of　the　pass…key；　which　he
  had　piously　preserved　through　all　his　wanderings；　he　would
  throw　down　the　borrowed　money；　there　would　be　a
  reconciliation；　the　details　of　which　he　frequently　arranged；
  and　he　saw　himself；　during　the　next　month；　made　welcome　in
  many　stately　houses　at　many　frigid　dinner…parties；　taking　his
  share　in　the　conversation　with　the　freedom　of　the　man　and　the
  traveller；　and　laying　down　the　law　upon　finance　with　the
  authority　of　the　successful　investor。　　But　this　programme　was
  not　to　be　begun　before　evening　…　not　till　just　before　dinner；
  indeed；　at　which　meal　the　reassembled　family　were　to　sit
  roseate；　and　the　best　wine；　the　modern　fatted　calf；　should
  flow　for　the　prodigal's　return。
  Meanwhile　he　walked　familiar　streets；　merry　reminiscences
  crowding　round　him；　sad　ones　also；　both　with　the　same
  surprising　pathos。　　The　keen　frosty　air；　the　low；　rosy；
  wintry　sun；　the　castle；　hailing　him　like　an　old　acquaintance；
  the　names　of　friends　on　door…plates；　the　sight　of　friends
  whom　he　seemed