In the first place, he enjoyed excellent credit; in the second, he was not disposed to be scrupulous.

He had been cheated several times; and nothing undermines feeble rectitude more than that.

Such a man as Wardlaw is apt to establish a sort of account current with humanity.
"Several fellow-creatures have cheated me.

Well, I must get as much back, by hook or by crook, from several fellow-creatures." After much hard thought he conceived his double master-stroke.

And it was to execute this he went out to Australia.
We have seen that he persuaded Helen Rolleston to come to England and be married; but, as to the other part of his project, that is a matter for the reader to watch, as it develops itself.
His first act of business, on reaching England, was to insure the freights of the _Proserpine_ and the _Shannon._ He sent Michael Penfold to Lloyds', with the requisite vouchers, including the receipts of the gold merchants.