PRETENDED FRIENDSHIP. 259 



mark of former friendship and a strong 

 desire to serve him ; and it required a 

 man of little more penetration than he 

 possessed, to assure himself that all 

 this kindness of manner and conde- 

 scension for he held a high position 

 among the merchants and bankers in 

 the City proceeded as much, or more, 

 from the prospect he had of securing 

 his debt, should my father fall in with 

 his advice, and become the purchaser, 

 as it did from the great desire he pro- 

 fessed to have of advancing his for- 

 tunes. 



But this is human nature, after all ; 

 and 10,000?. weighs heavy in the scale 

 against the lighter commodities of pro- 

 bity, honour, friendship, or any other 

 good feeling the philanthropist or true 

 Christian may put in against it. Be 

 this as it may, the more difficult pro- 

 blem to solve is, how a man in my 



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