But that involves a great deal." "What ?" "The breaking up of my business, and loss of money and opportunities that I can hardly hope ever to regain." "Why loss of money ?" "I shall have to wind up hurriedly, and it will be impossible to collect more than a small part of my outstanding claims.

I shall have to go away under a cloud, and it will not be prudent to return.

Most of these claims will therefore become losses.

The amount of capital I shall be able to take will not be sufficient to do more than provide for a small beginning in some distant place and under an assumed name.

On the other hand, if I remain and fight the thing through, as I have no doubt I can, I shall keep my business and my place in society here--hurt, it may be, in my good name, but still with the main chance all right.