had of his own sole act, and even expressly against his
partner's caution, embarked its resources in the swindles that had lately
perished, was the only real atonement within his power; was a better atonement
to the particular man than it would be to many men; and was therefore the
atonement he had first to make. With this view, his intention was to print a
declaration to the foregoing effect, which he had already drawn up; and, besides
circulating it among all who had dealings with the House, to advertise it in the
public papers. Concurrently with this measure (the description of which cost Mr.
Rugg innumerable wry faces and great uneasiness in his limbs), he would address
a letter to all the creditors, exonerating his partner in a solemn manner,
informing them of the stoppage of the House until their pleasure could be known
and his partner communicated with, and humbly submitting himself to their
direction. If, through their consideration for his partner's innocence, the
affairs could ever be got into such train as that the business could be
profitably resumed, and its present downfall overcome, then his own share in it
should revert to his partner, as the only reparation he could make to him in
money value for the distress and loss he had unhappily brought upon him, and he
himself, at as small a salary as he could live upon, would ask to be allowed to
serve the business as a faithful clerk.
    Though Mr. Rugg saw plainly there was no preventing this from being done,
still the wryness of his face and the uneasiness of his limbs so sorely required
the propitiation of a Protest, that he made one. »I offer no objection, sir,«
said he, »I argue no point with you. I will carry out your views, sir; but,
under protest.« Mr. Rugg then stated, not without prolixity, the heads of his
protest. These were in effect, Because the whole town, or he might say the whole
country, was in the first madness of the late discovery, and the resentment
against the victims would be very strong: those who had not been deluded being
certain to wax exceeding wroth with them for not having been as wise as they
were: and those who had been deluded being certain to find excuses and reasons
for themselves, of which they were equally certain to see that other sufferers
were wholly devoid; not to mention the great probability of every individual
sufferer persuading himself, to his violent indignation, that but for the
example of all the other sufferers he never would have put himself