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(22) his private fortune made him appear unexceptionable in reſpect of money, and ſoon convinced the old gentleman of the advantages of his way of carrying on buſineſs. He found leſs difficulty to get the lady’s conſent than her father’s, and all was harmony and good underſtanding between them.

When things were in this ſtate, the lady’s fortune was enquired more in earneſt into, on Claudian’s part, and his, on her father’s. No miſtake appeared about hers; but, alas! the looking into his affairs on this occaſion, was the firſt notice the intended bride-groom had of his approching ruin. His books were indeed full of long debts, and the current account of caſh in trade was ſomething conſiderable, but his fortune was almoſt all drawn out of his banker’s hands, and though he had much more owing to him than from him, yet his debts to his traders were not ſmall.

The old gentleman, in conſequence of all this, now refuſed his daughter; the diſtreſs on her part, as well as Claudian’s, was very ſincere and affecting, and they parted with the ſincereſt agonies on both ſides, nor could the intreates of the old people prevent the young lady from engaging herſelf by a moſt ſolemn vow, never to marry any other perſon.

Claudian now began to new model his afafairs, to collect his money and call in his debts; but his ſervants went off in the nigh