A constant church attendant, and economical in his donations to “charities,” he was generally considered to be one of the pillars of his church, and a particular strong man on ’Change, whenever he deigned to visit that extensive gambling salon. From the number of persons who had constantly visited his offices in times past, it was shrewdly imagined he had done a considerable amount of very close “shaving” in bill discounting, and, perhaps, was not over scrupulous, or troubled with many qualms of conscience in financial transactions. This was the individual to whom Phillip applied in his emergency. “Again?” asked Sir Andrew, when he recognized his visitor; “come again, so soon? Why, dear me, Phillip, what can the matter be? Take a seat. Oh, _that’s_ it, eh? want £5,000 for a week! Phew! young man, you talk as if pounds could be picked up in the street. Why, bless you, I haven’t got such a sum by me; besides, you owe me £10,000 already, for which you have given nothing but promissory notes, with interest, on the death of your father, and _that_ event looks as distant as ever, judging by his ruddy countenance and activity on ’Change the other day. Your father is speculating very extensively of late; but no one knows, in these squally times, _how_ speculations may turn out. Things are not what they used to be, Mr. Phillip; every man with two or three hundreds in his pocket, gambles in stock now, and, if things continue as they have been going on for the past six months, I shouldn’t be at all surprised to hear of our banks closing, and to go ‘popping’ off all round us like fire crackers. It can’t be done, sir; I have been unwise in lending you money at all, perhaps, on such precarious terms; and really, if I were to speak the truth, Mr. Phillip, a little less of horse-racing, wine parties, ‘ladies’ in satin, and so forth, would greatly improve you, both morally and physically. But young men _will_ be young men, you know,” added old Sir Andrew, with a peculiar look which gave the lie to all his affected modesty and sanctity. “Why not try the Jews? Your worthy father’s name is good, you know,” added the money-lender, with a grin; “but I suppose you have written his name instead of your own sufficiently often, perhaps, eh? Ha! ha! Well, well, don’t fret and bite your nails. You wish he was in _heaven_, you meant to say. Well, I hope we shall _all_ get there one of these days, but it is very tight times on ’Change, I can assure you. Why, a young man like you should have ingenuity enough, I think, to raise such an amount as _that_, without much trouble! There are _plenty_ of men who would jump at the chance of obliging _you_, Phillip; particularly as you will be very rich one of these days. Ha! ha!”