Had he only carried his wisdom a little farther and repaid the whole of the bank's advance, all might yet have been well.

But he only repaid five hundred pounds, leaving five hundred pounds still owing.

The bank having regularly received the interest, and believing the old gentleman upright--as he was--was not at all anxious to have the money back, as it was earning fair interest.

So the five hundred remained on loan, and, as it seemed, for no very definite purpose.
Whether the old gentleman liked to feel that he had so much money at command (a weakness of human nature common enough), or whether he thought he could increase the produce of his farm by putting it in the soil, it is not possible to say.

He certainly put the five hundred out of sight somewhere, for when his son succeeded him it was nowhere to be found.
After repaying the small loans to his father's old friends, upon looking round the son saw cattle, corn, hay, and furniture, but no five hundred pounds in ready money.