text:  He knew nothing of the affairs of his house; he was not in a condition to answer the most trivial business question; he had heard that his firm was on the eve of bankruptcy (and judging from the part he had taken in its affairs he could easily believe it;) he felt that his partners had thrown the odium of the present application upon him not having courage to take it upon themselves; and he had an indistinct apprehension that this very act of borrowing money would lead to transportation or the gallows should the business go to rack and ruin as he could see it shortly would