"The truth is, I have overdrawn my bankers by five hundred pounds, and
they have, as they say, ventured to remind me of it. I wish they were not
venturesome quite so often; for they reminded me of the same fact about a
fortnight ago."
"What do you do with your money, Mr. Greystock?" asked Mrs. Carbuncle
laughing.
"Muddle it away, paying my bills with it, according to the very, very old
story. The fact is I live in that detestable no man's land, between
respectability and insolvency, which has none of the pleasure of either. I
am fair game for every creditor, as I am supposed to pay my way, and yet I
never can pay my way."
"Just like my poor dear father," said Lizzie.
"Not exactly, Lizzie. He managed much better, and never paid anybody. If I
could only land on terra firma, one side or the other, I shouldn't much
care which. As it is, I have all the recklessness, but none of the
carelessness, of a hopelessly insolvent man. And it is so hard with us.
Attorneys owe us large sums of money, and we can't dun them very well. I
have a lot of money due to me from rich men, who don't pay me simply
because they don't think that it matters.
Pages:
926
927
928
929
930
931
932
933
934
935
936
937
938
939
940
941
942
943
944
945
946
947
948
949
950