In the confinement that ensued gloomy ideas floated before me.

I did not like to be hanged; so I reasoned against my errors, and repented.

I recovered slowly, returned to town, and repaired to my cousin the bookseller.

To say truth, I had played him a little trick: collected some debts of his by a mistake,--very natural in the confusion incident on my distresses.
However, he was extremely unkind about it; and the mistake, natural as it was, had cost me his acquaintance.
"I went now to him with the penitential aspect of the prodigal son; and, faith, he would have not made a bad representation of the fatted calf about to be killed on my return,--so corpulent looked he, and so dejected! 'Graceless reprobate!' he began, 'your poor father is dead!' I was exceedingly shocked; but--never fear, Paul, I am not about to be pathetic.

My father had divided his fortune among all his children; my share was L500.