Despair and Disgust 



i, no ser—eso es el Caso^ (a pause) ;— there is an impediment 

 to my finishing the soliloquy, for, now I come to thmk of it, 

 I never could remember more than the first line. I must 

 drown myself, evidently, without repeating the soliloquy. 

 He goes to the bank, and meets the Biscayan. 



"What do you mean, sir, by spying upon my movements . 



" If you come to that, what do you mean by watchmg 



me ? " „ 



«I am not watching you— I have business here. 



" So have I." . 



" How can that be ; I am about to drown myself m the 



river r 



"So am I!" , 



" Singular coincidence ! Why are you going to drown 



yourself ? " 



« I am a ruined man. I have lost everything— my name 

 as a man of commercial honour will be stigmatised ! " 



« What an absurd reason ! Why, I should think there 

 must be something very exciting and novel in the feeling of 



being ruined ? " ^^ 



" Do not jest with me, sir ! I am desperate. 



" I am not jesting. Come, to show you I am in earnest, 

 let us go and drown ourselves in company." 



" But why do you drown yourself ? 



" I find life an insufferable bore. I have tried everything 

 except drowning and being ruined. I think it might 

 interest me though, to hear your history before I die. Let 



me hear it !" ^ j o<- 



" It is very cold here for conversation. Come and sup at 

 my house, and we will relate our histories, for I cannot con- 

 sent to drown myself in your company until I am convinced 

 you have just cause for so desperate an action." 

 I " To be or not to be," &c. 

 306 



