paul the peddler-第16部分

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should　like　to　pick　up　a　pocketbook　in　the　street；　containing；

say；　twenty　or　twenty…five　dollars。〃



〃That　would　be　very　convenient；〃　said　his　mother；　〃but　I　think　it

will　hardly　do　to　depend　on　such　good　luck　happening　to　you。　　By

the　way；〃　she　said；　suddenly；　〃perhaps　I　can　help　you；　after　all。



Don't　you　remember　that　gold　ring　I　picked　up　in　Central　Park　two

years　ago？〃



〃The　one　you　advertised？〃



〃Yes。　　I　advertised；　or；　rather；　your　father　did；　but　we　never

found　an　owner　for　it。〃



〃I　remember　it　now；　mother。　　Have　you　got　the　ring　still？〃



〃I　will　get　it。〃



Mrs。　Hoffman　went　to　her　trunk；　and；　opening　it；　produced　the

ring　referred　to。　　It　was　a　gold　ring　with　a　single　stone　of

considerable　size。



〃I　don't　know　how　much　it　is　worth；〃　said　Mrs。　Hoffman；　〃but　if

the　ring　is　a　diamond；　as　I　think　it　is；　it　must　be　worth　as　much

as　twenty　dollars。〃



〃Did　you　ever　price　it？〃



〃No；　Paul；　I　have　kept　it；　thinking　that　it　would　be　something　to

fall　back　upon　if　we　should　ever　be　hard　pressed。　　As　long　as　we

were　able　to　get　along　without　suffering；　I　thought　I　would　keep

it。　　Besides；　I　had　another　feeling。　　It　might　belong　to　some

person　who　prized　it　very　much；　and　the　time　might　come　when　we

could　find　the　owner。　　However；　that　is　not　likely　after　so　long

a　time。　　So；　if　you　cannot　raise　the　money　in　any　other　way；　you

may　sell　the　ring。〃



〃I　might　pawn　it　for　thirty　days；　mother。　　By　that　time　I　should

be　able　to　redeem　it　with　the　profits　of　my　business。〃



〃I　don't　think　you　could　get　enough　from　a　pawn…broker。〃



〃I　can　try；　at　any　rate；　but　first　I　will　see　George　Barry；　and

find　out　whether　he　will　take　twenty　dollars　down；　and　the　rest

at　the　end　of　a　month。〃



Paul　wrapped　up　the　ring　in　a　piece　of　paper；　and　deposited　it　in

his　vest　pocket。　　He　waited　till　after　dinner；　and　then　went　at

once　to　the　necktie　stand；　where　he　made　the　proposal　to　George

Barry。



The　young　man　shook　his　head。



〃I'd　like　to　oblige　you；　Paul；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　must　have　the

money。　　I　have　an　offer　of　thirty…two　dollars；　cash；　from　another

party；　and　I　must　take　up　with　it　if　I　can't　do　any　better。　　I'd

rather　sell　out　to　you；　but　you　know　I　have　to　consult　my　own

interest。〃



〃Of　course；　George；　I　can't　complain　of　that。〃



〃I　think　you　will　be　able　to　borrow　the　money　somewhere。〃



〃Most　of　my　friends　are　as　poor　as　myself；〃　said　Paul。　　〃Still；　I

think　I　shall　be　able　to　raise　the　money。　　Only　wait　for　me　two

days。〃



〃Yes；　Paul；　I'll　wait　that　long。　　I'd　like　to　sell　out　to　you；　if

only　because　you　have　helped　me　when　I　was　sick。　　But　for　you　all

that　would　have　been　lost　time。〃



〃Where　there's　a　will　there's　a　way；　George；〃　said　Paul。　　〃I'm

bound　to　buy　your　stand　and　I　will　raise　the　money　somehow。〃



Paul　bought　a　few　papers；　for　he　did　not　like　to　lose　the

afternoon　trade；　and　in　an　hour　had　sold　them　all　off；　realizing

a　profit　of　twenty　cents。　　This　made　his　profits　for　the　day

seventy　cents。



〃That　isn't　as　well　as　I　used　to　do；〃　said　Paul　to　himself；　〃but

perhaps　I　can　make　something　more　by　and　by。　　I　will　go　now　and

see　what　I　can　get　for　the　ring。〃



As　he　had　determined；　he　proceeded　to　a　pawnbroker's　shop　which

he　had　often　passed。　　It　was　on　Chatham　street；　and　was　kept　by

an　old　man；　an　Englishman　by　birth；　who；　though　he　lived　meanly

in　a　room　behind　his　shop；　was　popularly　supposed　to　have

accumulated　a　considerable　fortune。







CHAPTER　XV



THE　PAWNBROKER'S　SHOP



Stuffed　behind　the　counter；　and　on　the　shelves　of　the

pawnbroker's　shop；　were　articles　in　almost　endless　variety。　　All

was　fish　that　came　to　his　net。　　He　was　willing　to　advance　on

anything　that　had　a　marketable　value；　and　which　promised　to　yield

him；　I　was　about　to　say；　a　fair　profit。　　But　a　fair　profit　was

far　from　satisfying　the　old　man。　　He　demanded　an　extortionate

profit　from　those　whom　ill…fortune　drove　to　his　door　for　relief。



Eliakim　Henderson；　for　that　was　his　name；　was　a　small　man；　with　a

bald　head；　scattering　yellow　whiskers；　and　foxlike　eyes。　

Spiderlike　he　waited　for　the　flies　who　flew　of　their　own　accord

into　his　clutches；　and　took　care　not　to　let　them　go　until　he　had

levied　a　large　tribute。　　When　Paul　entered　the　shop；　there　were

three　customers　ahead　of　him。　　One　was　a　young　woman；　whose　pale

face　and　sunken　cheeks　showed　that　she　was　waging　an　unequal

conflict　with　disease。　　She　was　a　seamstress　by　occupation；　and

had　to　work　fifteen　hours　a　day　to　earn　the　little　that　was

barely　sufficient　to　keep　body　and　soul　together。　　Confined　in

her　close　little　room　on　the　fourth　floor；　she　scarcely　dared　to

snatch　time　to　look　out　of　the　window　into　the　street　beneath；

lest　she　should　not　be　able　to　complete　her　allotted　task。　　A　two

days'　sickness　had　compelled　her　to　have　recourse　to　Eliakim

Henderson。　　She　had　under　her　arm　a　small　bundle　covered　with　an

old　copy　of　the　Sun。



〃What　have　you　got　there？〃　asked　the　old　man；　roughly。　　〃Show　it

quick；　for　there's　others　waiting。〃



Meekly　she　unfolded　a　small　shawl；　somewhat　faded　from　long　use。



〃What　will　you　give　me　on　that？〃　she　asked；　timidly。



〃It　isn't　worth　much。〃



〃It　cost　five　dollars。〃



〃Then　you　got　cheated。　　It　never　was　worth　half　the　money。　　What

do　you　want　on　it？〃



The　seamstress　intended　to　ask　a　dollar　and　a　half；　but　after

this　depreciation　she　did　not　venture　to　name　so　high　a　figure。



〃A　dollar　and　a　quarter；〃　she　said。



〃A　dollar　and　a　quarter！〃　　repeated　the　old　man；　shrilly。　　〃Take

it　home　with　you。　　I　don't　want　it。〃



〃What　will　you　give？〃　asked　the　poor　girl；　faintly。



〃Fifty　cents。　　Not　a　penny　more。〃



〃Fifty　cents！〃　　she　repeated；　in　dismay；　and　was　about　to　refold

it。　　But　the　thought　of　her　rent　in　arrears　changed　her

half…formed　intention。



〃I'll　take　it；　sir。〃



The　money　and　ticket　were　handed　her；　and　she　went　back　to　her

miserable　attic…room；　coughing　as　she　went。



〃Now；　ma'am；〃　said　Eliakim。



His　new　customer　was　an　Irish　woman；　by　no　means　consumptive　in

appearance；　red　of　face　and　portly　of　figure。



〃And　what'll　ye　be　givin'　me　for　this？〃　she　asked；　displaying　a

pair　of　pantaloons。



〃Are　they　yours；　ma'am？〃　asked　Eliakim；　with　a　chuckle。



〃It's　not　Bridget　McCarty　that　wears　the　breeches；〃　said　that

lady。　　〃It's　me　husband's；　and　a　dacent；　respectable　man　he　is；

barrin'　the　drink；　which　turns　his　head。　　What'll　ye　give　for

'em？〃



〃Name　your　price；〃　said　Eliakim；　whose　principle　it　was　to　insist

upon　his　customers　making　the　first　offer。



〃Twelve　shillin's；〃　said　Bridget。



〃Twelve　shillings！〃　　exclaimed　Eliakim；　holding　up　both　hands。　

〃That's　all　they　cost　when　they　were　new。〃



〃They　cost　every　cint　of　five　dollars；〃　said　Bridget。　　〃They　was

made　at　one　of　the　most　fashionable　shops　in　the　city。　　Oh；　they

was　an　illigant　pair　when　they　was　new。〃



〃How　many　years　ago　was　that？〃　asked　the　pawnbroker。



〃Only　six　months；　and　they　ain't　been　worn　more'n　a　month。〃



〃I'll　give　you　fifty　cents。〃



〃Fifty　cints！〃　　repeated　Mrs。　McCarty；　turning　to　the　other

customers；　as　if　to　call　their　attention　to　an　offer　so　out　of

proportion　to　the　valuable　article　she　held　in　her　hand。　　〃Only

fifty　cints　for　these　illigant　breeches！　　Oh；　it's　you　that's　a

hard　man；　that　lives　on　the　poor　and　the　nady。〃



〃You　needn't　take　it。　　I　should　lose　money　on　it；　if　you　didn't

redeem　it。〃



〃He　says　he'd　lose　money　on　it；〃　said　Mrs。　McCarty。　　〃And　suppose

he　did；　isn't　he　a…rollin'　in　gold？〃



〃I'm　poor；〃　said　Eliakim；　〃almost　as　poor　as　you；　because　I'm　too

liberal　to　my　customers。〃



〃Hear　till　him！〃　　said　Mrs。　McCarty。　　〃He　says　he's　liberal　and

only　offers　fifty　cints　for　these　illigant　breeches。〃



〃Will　you　take　them　or　leave　them？〃　demanded　the　pawnbroker；

impatiently。



〃You　may　give　me　the　money；〃　said　Bridget；　〃and　it's　I　that

wonder　how　you　can　slape　in　your　bed；　when　you　are　so　hard　on

poor　folks。〃



Mrs。　McCarty　departed　with　her　money；　and　Eliakim　fixed　his　sharp

eyes　on　the　next　customer。　　It　was　a　tall　man；　shabbily　dressed；

with　a　thin；　melancholy…looking　face；　and　the　expression　of　one

who　had　struggled　with　the　world；　and　failed　in　the　struggle。



〃How　much　for　this？〃　he　asked；　pointing　to　the　violin；　and

speaking　in　a　slow；　deliberate　tone；　as　if　he　did　not　feel　at

home　in　the　language。



〃What　do　you　want　for　it？〃



〃Ten　dollar；〃　he　answered。



〃Ten　dollars！　　You're　crazy！〃　　was　the　contemptuous　comment　of

the　pawnbroker。



〃He　is　a　very　good　violin；〃　said　the　man。　　〃If　you　would　like　to

hear　him；〃　and　he　made　a　movement　as　if　to　play　upon　it。



〃Never　mind！〃　said　Eliakim。　　〃I　haven't　any　time　to　hear　it。　　If

it　were　new　it　would　be　worth　something；　but　it's　old；　and〃



〃But　you　do　not　understand；〃　interrupted　the　custome