"By that means we shall accumulate heavy costs, which will have to be settled before a new bill can be filed." "Ah! Yes; I see." "I hardly think we shall get an argument on the demurrer before six or nine months." "So long? I wish it could be earlier." "There is too much at stake to hurry the matter." "True. I must leave all to your better judgment." The lawyer and his client parted, each thinking that he understood the other fully; but both were a little mistaken in this. CHAPTER X. PERFECTLY LEGAL. FILLED, by the positive assurances of his lawyer, with the hope of success, Malcolm, in a few months, became so much occupied with his suit that he neglected his business, which, at best, gave his family but a poor support. A large fortune was almost within his reach, and he could think of nothing but the near prospect of grasping it. What were the coppers, the fips, and the levies that came in so slowly over his counter, compared with property worth, at the lowest estimate, a hundred thousand dollars? No wonder that he felt contempt for his petty business, and neglected it. Some time before the lawyers were ready to have the case called up for trial, Malcolm was beginning to feel sorely the effects of his want of attention to business. Several small notes had to lie over, thereby hurting his credit, and preventing him from keeping up a selling stock of goods. Conscious that he was committing an error in suffering his mind to be so diverted from his business, Malcolm strove hard with himself to correct the error, but without effect. His eyes could not rest upon his own dry stubble field, for looking at the golden grain waving in fields beyond. At length creditors began to be urgent for their money; business grew worse and worse, and there was a prospect of a crisis in his affairs before any decision would be had upon his suit. "Mr. Dunbar, I wish this matter hurried to, an issue," he said to his lawyer about six months after the suit had been commenced. "If it is not, I shall be forced to accept Harrison's offer of twenty-five thousand dollars. I have more than half regretted fifty times since that I hadn't closed with it." "Are your circumstances so pressing?" inquired Dunbar. "Indeed they are. There are three or four suits against me. I have the writs in my pocket. It is no use to defend them, for I have no defence to make. The claims are just. If I do not get relief soon, what little I have will go into the hands of the sheriff." "That is bad," returned Dunbar, in a voice of sympathy. "But don't give up so easily I can save your effects for you." "How?" "What are your goods and furniture worth?" "A couple of thousand dollars, I suppose. My stock has got very low. The fact is, I have thought so much about this suit against Harrison, as to neglect my business. For these embarrassments I have only myself to blame. I was a fool, but couldn't help it."