“Have you no friends who could assist you?”
Morrel smiled mournfully.
“In business, sir,” said he, “one has no friends, only correspondents.”
“It is true,” murmured the Englishman; “then you have but one hope.”
“But one.”
“The last?”
“The last.”
“So that if this fail—”
“I am ruined—completely ruined!”
“As I was on my way here, a vessel was coming into port.”
“I know it, sir; a young man, who still adheres to my fallen fortunes, passes a part of his time in a belvedere at the top of the house, in hopes of being the first to announce good news to me; he has informed me of the arrival of this ship.”
“And it is not yours?”
“No, she is a Bordeaux vessel, La Gironde ; she comes from India also; but she is not mine.”
“Perhaps she has spoken to the Pharaon , and brings you some tidings of her?”