“Yes, sir—I will swear to that,” returned the tailor with alacrity.
“You will swear. Well—will you swear that you have not been insolvent five times?”
“Yes, sir—I will swear to that too.”
“You will swear to that, too. Now mind what you’re about, Mr. Fopperton: take care what you say,” cried Mr. Cadgerbreef, in a tone of awful menace. “Will you swear that you have not been insolvent three times?”
“No, sir—I—I can’t swear to that,” answered the tailor, looking very miserable.
“You can’t swear to that. Now, can you deny it?” “No, sir—I cannot,” said Mr. Fopperton.
“You cannot,” repeated Mr. Cadgerbreef, casting a glance at Captain O’Blunderbuss, which seemed to say, “I have him now!”—then, again addressing himself to the opposing creditor, he exclaimed in a domineering, browbeating manner, “Take care what you are about, Mr. Fopperton;—and now tell me whether you have not been bankrupt, as well as insolvent, several times.”
“No—only once bankrupt,” cried Mr. Fopperton, impatiently.
“Well—once bankrupt—and enough too, when coupled with three insolvencies!” said the learned gentleman, in a tone which very significantly implied his belief that the opposing creditor was the greatest scoundrel in the universe. “And pray how much have you ever paid in the shape of dividend, sir?”
“I really can’t say at this moment: I——”