He tried, time after time, to summon courage for his entry, and, as he afterwards expressed it, a ball rose in his throat—­just as he got one foot upon the step—­large enough to choke him.  Impudent and reckless us he had been all his life, he was now more timid and nervous than an hysterical girl.  Oh, what should he do!  First, he thought of going to a neighbouring hotel, and writing at once to Allcraft; swearing that he was very ill, that he couldn’t move, and was utterly unable to perform his duties.  If he went to bed, and sent for a doctor, surely Allcraft would believe him; and in pity would come up and do the business.  He dwelt upon this contrivance, until it seemed too complicated for success.  Would it not be more advisable to write to the London house itself, and explain the object of his coming up?  But if he could write, why couldn’t he call?  They would certainly ask that question, and perhaps refuse the loan.  Oh, what was he to do!  He could hit upon no plan, and he couldn’t muster confidence to turn in.  The porter of the firm mercifully interposed to rescue Mr Brammel from his dilemma.  That functionary had watched the stranger shuffling to and fro in great anxiety and doubt, and at length he deemed it proper to enquire whether the gentleman was looking for the doorway of the house of Messrs ——­ and ——­, or not.  Augustus, frightened, answered yes at random, and in another instant found himself in what he called “THE SWEATING ROOM of the awfullest house of business he had ever seen in all his life.”  It was a large square apartment, very lofty and very naked-looking.  There was an iron chest, and two shelves filled with giant books; and there was nothing else in the room but a stillness, and a mouldiness of smell, that hung upon his spirits like pounds of lead, dragging them down, and freezing them.  Yet, cold as were his spirits, the perspiration that oozed from the pores of his skin was profuse and steady during the quarter of an hour that elapsed whilst he waited for the arrival of the worthy principal.  During those memorable fifteen minutes—­the most unpleasant of his life—­Augustus, for two seconds together, could neither sit, stand nor walk with comfort.  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.  All these considerations went far to stultify the otherwise weak and feeble Mr Brammel; when, in addition, he endeavoured to arrange in his mind the terms on which he would request the favour