'I am the CONFIDENTIAL CLERK of Joel Burns, sent here by him to ferret out and punish your rascalities. Stay,' continued Hiram--perceiving Joslin was about to break forth in some violent demonstrations. 'Sit down, sir, and hear me through quietly. It is your best course. It is your ONLY course. Now listen. You have undertaken to cheat my employer. You have rendered false accounts of sales, using your own clerks for sham purchasers, and employing stool-pigeon auctioneers. You have attempted to swindle him generally. I have the whole story here. _You are in my power_.' 'By----! that's more than I'll stand,' shouted Joslin, 'from any d----d Connecticut Yankee.' 'Stop,' said Hiram, authoritatively. 'A word more, and you are ruined past all redemption. Read that,' and he handed him the _Clarion_, placing his finger on a particular paragraph. Joslin took the paper. His hand trembled, but he managed to read as follows: 'Some extraordinary disclosures have reached us, involving a wholesale paper house in Nassau street in large swindling transactions. We forbear to give the name of the party implicated, but understand that the police to-morrow will be in possession of the facts.' 'Here,' said Hiram, showing a bundle of papers, 'are the documents. Outside there on the curbstone stands an officer. I mean to make short work of it. Will you behave rationally or not?' Joslin sat down. 'What do you want?' he said at length. 'I want nothing but what is HONEST, sir--_that_ I mean to have,' said Hiram, in a mild, but very firm tone. 'Here is the account as it ought to be rendered. Look it over, and put your name to it.' 'Really, this will take time--a good deal of time,' said Joslin, recovering from his stupor. 'I must consult my bookkeeper.' 'You will consult nobody, and you will settle this account before I leave the room.' Joslin took the document. He trembled from head to foot. He saw himself completely circumvented. Hiram proceeded to show him just how the account ought to stand. Very coolly and very accurately he went through the whole. 'I suppose you are right,' said Joslin, moodily, and he affixed his signature to the paper, and began to think he was getting off easy. 'Now, do you want anything more of me?' 'Yes,' said Hiram, 'considerably more. You own one half of the paper mill with Mr. Burns. You must sell out to him. Here is an agreement to sell, drawn ready for your signature.' 'D----d if I will do it for all Burnsville! You've settled with me, and you can't stir a peg farther. Outwitted yourself this time!' said Joslin, triumphantly. 'Not quite so fast. _You_ have settled with Mr. Burns by signing that paper, which gives the lie to your other accounts, and is so much evidence for me before a police court; but Mr. Burns has _not_ settled with you, and _won't_ settle with you till you bind yourself, by signing this document, to sell out to him, on reasonable terms.' Joslin was again struck dumb.