paul the peddler-第17部分

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



〃But　you　do　not　understand；〃　interrupted　the　customer；　eagerly。　

〃It　is　worth　much　more　than　new。　　Do　you　see；　it　is　by　a　famous

maker？　　I　would　not　sell　him；　but　I　am　poor；　and　my　Bettina　needs

bread。　　It　hurts　me　very　much　to　let　him　go。　　I　will　buy　him　back

as　soon　as　I　can。〃



〃I　will　give　you　two　dollars；　but　I　shall　lose　on　it；　unless　you

redeem　it。〃



〃Two　dollar！〃　　repeated　the　Italian。　　〃Ocielo！　it　is　nothing。　

But　Bettina　is　at　home　without　bread；　poor　little　one！　　Will　you

not　give　three　dollar？〃



〃Not　a　cent　more。〃



〃I　will　take　it。〃



〃There's　your　money　and　ticket。〃



And　with　these　the　poor　Italian　departed；　giving　one　last

lingering　glance　at　his　precious　violin；　as　Eliakim　took　it

roughly　and　deposited　it　upon　a　shelf　behind　him。　　But　he　thought

of　his　little　daughter　at　home；　and　the　means　of　relief　which　he

held　in　his　hand；　and　a　smile　of　joy　lightened　his　melancholy

features。　　The　future　might　be　dark　and　unpromising；　but　for

three　days；　at　any　rate；　she　should　not　want　bread。



Paul's　turn　came　next。



〃What　have　you　got？〃　asked　the　pawnbroker。



Paul　showed　the　ring。



Eliakim　took　it；　and　his　small；　beadlike　eyes　sparkled

avariciously　as　he　recognized　the　diamond；　for　his　experience　was

such　that　he　could　form　a　tolerably　correct　estimate　of　its

value。　　But　he　quickly　suppressed　all　outward　manifestations　of

interest；　and　said；　indifferently；　〃What　do　you　want　for　it？〃



〃I　want　twenty　dollars；〃　said　Paul；　boldly。



〃Twenty　dollars！〃　　returned　the　pawnbroker。　　〃That's　a　joke。〃



〃No；　it　isn't；〃　said　Paul。　　〃I　want　twenty　dollars；　and　you　can't

have　the　ring　for　less。〃



〃If　you　said　twenty　shillings；　I　might　give　it　to　you；〃　said

Eliakim；　〃but　you　must　think　I　am　a　fool　to　give　twenty　dollars。〃



〃That's　cheap　for　a　diamond　ring；〃　said　Paul。　　〃It's　worth　a　good

deal　more。〃



The　pawnbroker　eyed　Paul　sharply。　　Did　the　boy　know　that　it　was　a

diamond　ring？　　What　chance　was　there　of　deceiving　him　as　to　its

value？　　The　old　man；　whose　business　made　him　a　good　judge；

decided　that　the　ring　was　not　worth　less　than　two　hundred　and

fifty　dollars；　and　if　he　could　get　it　into　his　possession　for　a

trifle；　it　would　be　a　paying　operation。



〃You're　mistaken；　boy；〃　he　said。　　〃It's　not　a　diamond。〃



〃What　is　it？〃



〃A　very　good　imitation。〃



〃How　much　is　it　worth？〃



〃I'll　give　you　three　dollars。〃



〃That　won't　do。　　I　want　to　raise　twenty　dollars；　and　if　I　can't

get　that；　I'll　keep　the　ring。〃



The　pawnbroker　saw　that　he　had　made　a　mistake。　　Paul　was　not　as

much　in　need　of　money　as　the　majority　of　his　customers。　　He　would

rather　pay　twenty　dollars　than　lose　the　bargain；　though　it　went

against　the　grain　to　pay　so　much　money。　　But　after　pronouncing

the　stone　an　imitation；　how　could　he　rise　much　above　the　offer　he

had　already　made？　　He　resolved　to　approach　it　gradually。　

Surveying　it　more　closely；　he　said：



〃It　is　an　excellent　imitation。　　I　will　give　you　five　dollars。〃



Paul　was　not　without　natural　shrewdness；　and　this　sudden　advance

convinced　him　that　it　was；　after　all；　a　real　stone。　　He

determined　to　get　twenty　dollars　or　carry　the　ring　home。



〃Five　dollars　won't　do　me　any　good；〃　he　said。　　〃Give　me　back　the

ring。〃



〃Five　dollars　is　a　good　deal　of　money；〃　said　Eliakim。



〃I'd　rather　have　the　ring。〃



〃What　is　your　lowest　price？〃



〃Twenty　dollars。〃



〃I'll　give　you　eight。〃



〃Just　now　you　said　it　was　worth　only　three；〃　said　Paul；　sharply。



〃It　is　very　fine　gold。　　It　is　better　than　I　thought。　　Here　is　the

money。〃



〃You're　a　little　too　fast；〃　said　Paul；　coolly。　　〃I　haven't　agreed

to　part　with　the　ring　for　eight　dollars；　and　I　don't　mean　to。　

Twenty　dollars　is　my　lowest　price。〃



〃I'll　give　you　ten；〃　said　the　old　man；　whose　eagerness　increased

with　Paul's　indifference。



〃No；　you　won't。　　Give　me　back　the　ring。〃



〃I　might　give　eleven；　but　I　should　lose　money。〃



〃I　don't　want　you　to　lose　money；　and　I've　concluded　to　keep　the

ring；〃　said　Paul；　rightly　inferring　from　the　old　man's　eagerness

that　the　ring　was　much　more　valuable　than　he　had　at　first

supposed。



But　the　old　pawnbroker　was　fascinated　by　the　sparkling　bauble。　

He　could　not　make　up　his　mind　to　give　it　up。　　By　fair　means　or

foul　he　must　possess　it。　　He　advanced　his　bid　to　twelve；

fourteen；　fifteen　dollars；　but　Paul　shook　his　head　resolutely。　

He　had　made　up　his　mind　to　carry　it　to　Ball　&　Black's；　or　some

other　first…class　jewelers；　and　ascertain　whether　it　was　a　real

diamond　or　not；　and　if　so　to　obtain　an　estimate　of　its　value。



〃I've　changed　my　mind；〃　he　said。　　〃I'll　keep　the　ring。　　Just　give

it　back　to　me。〃







CHAPTER　XVI



THE　JEWELER'S　PRICE



But　to　give　it　back　was　not　Eliakim's　intention。　　Should　he　buy

it　at　twenty　dollars；　he　would　make　at　least　two　hundred；　and

such　bargains　were　not　to　be　had　every　day。　　He　decided　to　give

Paul　his　price。



〃I　will　give　you　twenty　dollars；〃　he　said；　〃but　it　is　more　than

the　ring　is　worth。〃



〃I　have　concluded　not　to　take　twenty　dollars；〃　said　Paul。　　〃You

may　give　it　back。〃



〃You　agreed　to　take　twenty　dollars；〃　said　Eliakim；　angrily。



〃That　was　when　I　first　came　in。　　You　said　you　wouldn't　give　it。〃



〃I　have　changed　my　mind。〃



〃So　have　I；〃　said　Paul。　　〃You　had　a　chance　to　get　it；　but　now

it's　too　late。〃



Eliakim　was　deeply　disappointed。　　Generally　he　had　his　own　way

with　his　customers；　who；　being　in　urgent　need　of　money；　were

obliged　to　accept　such　terms　as　he　chose　to　offer。　　But　now　the

tables　were　turned；　and　Paul　proved　more　than　a　match　for　him。　

He　resolved　to　attempt　intimidation。



〃Boy；　where　did　you　get　this　ring？〃　he　asked；　in　a　significant

tone。



〃Honestly；〃　said　Paul。　　〃That's　all　you　need　to　know。〃



〃I　don't　believe　it；〃　said　the　old　man；　harshly。　　〃I　believe　you

stole　it。〃



〃You　may　believe　what　you　like；　but　you　must　give　it　back　to　me；〃

said　Paul；　coolly。



〃I've　a　great　mind　to　call　a　policeman；〃　said　Eliakim。



〃If　you　did；〃　said　Paul；　〃I'd　tell　him　that　you　were　anxious　to

get　the　ring；　though　you　believed　it　to　be　stolen。　　Perhaps　he

might　have　something　to　say　to　you。〃



Eliakim　perceived　the　force　of　Paul's　argument；　for　in　law　the

receiver　of　stolen　goods　is　as　bad　as　the　thief；　and　there　had

been　occasions　when　the　pawnbroker　had　narrowly　escaped

punishment　for　thus　indirectly　conniving　at　theft。



〃If　you　say　you　got　it　honestly；　I'll　buy　it　of　you；〃　he　said；

changing　his　tune。　　〃What　will　you　take？〃



〃I　don't　care　about　selling　to…day；〃　answered　Paul。



〃I'll　give　you　twenty…five　dollars。〃



〃I　can't　sell　without　consulting　my　mother。　　It　belongs　to　her。〃



Reluctantly　Eliakim　gave　back　the　ring；　finding　his　wiles　of　no

effect。



〃Bring　your　mother　round　to…morrow；〃　he　said。　　〃I'll　give　you　a

better　price　than　you　will　get　anywhere　else。〃



〃All　right；〃　said　Paul。　　〃I'll　tell　her　what　you　say。〃



The　old　pawnbroker　followed　Paul　with　wistful　glances；　vainly

wishing　that　he　had　not　at　first　depreciated　the　ring　to　such　an

extent；　that　his　subsequent　advances　had　evidently　excited　his

customer's　suspicion　that　it　was　more　valuable　than　be　supposed。　

He　felt　that　he　had　lost　it　through　not　understanding　the

character　of　the　boy　with　whom　he　had　to　deal。



〃Well；　Paul；　what　news　of　the　ring？〃　asked　Mrs。　Hoffman；　as　he

re…entered　the　room。



〃I　was　offered　twenty…five　dollars　for　it；〃　said　Paul。



〃Did　you　sell　it？〃



〃No；　mother。〃



〃Why　not？〃　asked　Jimmy。　　〃Twenty…five　dollars　is　a　lot　of

money。〃



〃I　know　it；〃　said　Paul；　〃but　the　ring　is　worth　a　great　deal

more。〃



〃What　makes　you　think　so；　Paul？〃



〃Because　the　offer　was　made　by　a　pawnbroker；　who　never　pays

quarter　what　an　article　is　worth。　　I　am　sure　the　ring　is　worth　a

hundred　dollars。〃



〃Yes；　I　am　sure　it　is　worth　all　that。〃



〃A　hundred　dollars！〃　　repeated　Jimmy；　awestruck　at　the　magnitude

of　the　sum。



〃What　shall　we　do　about　it；　Paul？〃　asked　his　mother。　　〃A　hundred

dollars　will　do　us　more　good　than　the　ring。〃



〃I　know　that；　mother。　　What　I　propose　is；　to　carry　it　to　Ball　&

Black's；　or　Tiffany's；　and　sell　it　for　whatever　they　say　it　is

worth。　　They　are　first…class　houses；　and　we　can　depend　upon　fair

treatment。〃



〃Your　advice　is　good；　Paul。　　I　think　we　will　follow　it。　　When

will　you　go？〃



〃I　will　go　at　once。　　I　have　nothing　else　to　do；　and　I　would　like

to　find　out　as　soon　as　I　can　how　much　it　will　bring。　　Old

Henderson　wanted　me　to　think；　at　first；　that　it　was　only

imitation；　and　offered　me　twenty　shillings　on　it。　　He's　an　old

cheat。　　When　he　found　that　I　wasn't　to　be　humbugged；　he　raised

his　offer　by　degrees　to　twenty…five　dollars。　　That　was　what　made

me　suspect　its　value。〃



〃If　you　get　a　hundred