He then, in a luckless hour, "when," to use his own words, "he was at leisure at home, like King David on the top of his house," mixed himself up with the concerns of an uncle of his, a brother of his father.
He first became bail for him, and subsequently made himself answerable for the amount of a bill, due by his uncle to a lawyer.

His becoming answerable for the bill nearly proved the utter ruin of our hero.

His uncle failed, and left him to pay it.

The lawyer took out a writ against him.

It would have been well for Tom if he had paid the money at once, but he went on dallying and compromising with the lawyer, till he became terribly involved in his web.