A LOAN OF £10. 
down goes the coffee cup with a crash and smash. 
The noise and disturbance even disturbed the occupant 
of the couch, who raised himself half up, and very in- 
dignantly declared, if this noise was to continue, he 
could not sleep. IHie reply, rather abruptly, of the de- 
parting host, would be, “ Don’t put your filthy clothes 
on the table any more.” At breakfast time little or 
notbing would be said, both gentlemen feeling that they 
were on the brink of a quarrel, and it merely required 
an opening of the conversation to bring it on. In fact, 
if both gentlemen would tell the truth, they vvished 
to quarrel, but neither would be the first to bring it 
on. The host could not : he had not the heart to 
commit a breach of hospitality, and vent bis ill-temper 
upon a guest, especially a poor fellow who was “ hard 
up,” it was a gr* at shame, no doubt, but he wou'd 
wait, and speak kindly to him, when he was in tem- 
per. The visitor, on bis part, considered himself very 
badly used, he would not have been treated in this 
way, if be had not been ‘‘on the staff.” It was 
evident, he would never have had his dirty clothes 
tumbled over his heafl, unless his host had considered 
him a dirty fellow, and that his clothes and himself 
were lilting company ! But then, on a calm reflection, 
how could he quarrel with his friend, who had been 
so kind to him. It was impossible : he would go away, 
take the boy’s advice, and go to Kandy, if could only 
raise a flve pound note. In the course of the evening, 
he mentioned to his host his wish, to .see if anything 
was to 1)6 got by Ausiting K andy — or even Colombo, 
and, would he lend him ten pounds ? The host, had 
for some time been pretty well aware that it would 
come to ill s at last, and was not at all surprised, in 
lact, he Avas rather glad the request was on/t/ for ten 
pounds ill veil if it was never paid, he would be a 
gainer eAmntually, by lending it, for the money, or 
the value of it : would soon go in the food he con- 
sumed : ge itlemen on the staff have such appetites. 
Besides, so long as he was his debtor for the money, 
there was not much chance of his eA^er coming back 
again ; for it is a well known peculiarity of debtors, 
hoAveA^er much, at the time they receive a little 
obligatron, they may profess a lifelong gratitude, and 
nob know their creditor. Can it be, that they haA^e such 
a kindly regard for his feelings as to do injury to their 
own, in keeping out of his sight ? His feelings, Avhich 
might be hurt by the sight of the man who owed 
him ten pounds. What a kind and considerate debtor ! 
He will waive all bis former friendship, all his 
old good fellowship, utterly sacrifice it at the shrine 
of fiiendsbip : he owes him ten pounds and will keep 
out of his sight. 
