to give them.
Or let me have the money; it is hard to part with that shawl, for it
was my mother's gift; but I will let it go, rather than see my children
starve. Give me the money, Robert, and don't leave us to perish."

I watched the face of the pawn-broker to see what effect this appeal
would have upon him, but I watched in vain. He was hardened to
distress, and had no sympathy to throw away. "Twelve shillings on these
things," he said, tossing them back to the drunkard, with a look of
perfect indifference.

"Only twelve shillings!" murmured the heart-broken wife, in a tone of
despair. "O Robert, don't let them go for twelve shillings. Let me try
somewhere else."

"Nonsense," answered the brute. "It's as much as they're worth, I
suppose. Here, Mr. Crimp, give us the change."

The money was placed before him, and the bundle consigned to a drawer.
The poor woman reached forth her hand toward the silver, but the
movement was anticipated by her husband. "There Mary," he said, giving
her half a dollar, "there, go home now, and don't make a fuss. I'm
going a little way up the street, and perhaps I'll bring you something
from market, when I come home."

The hopeless look of the poor woman, as she meekly turned to the door,
told plainly enough how little she trusted to this ambiguous promise.
They went on their way, she to her famishing children, and he to
squander the dollar he had retained, at the next den of intemperance.

While this little scene was in progress, another had been added to the
number of spectators. This was a young man, dressed in the height of
the fashion, that is to say, in a be-frogged and be-laced frock coat
with a standing collar, a pair of cossack pantaloons tapering down to
the foot with a notch cut in the front for the instep, and a hat about
twice as large at the crown as at the rim, much resembling in shape an
inverted sugar-loaf, with the smaller end cut away. He had a reckless,
dare-devil, good humored look, and very much the air of what is called
"a young man about town;" that is, one who rides out to Cato's every
afternoon, eats oyster suppers at Windust's every night after the play,
and spends the rest of his time and his money at billiards. I had cast
my eye upon him occasionally during the affair of the shawl, and saw
that he took a deep interest in its termination. The moment the poor
woman was gone, he twitched from his neck a gold chain, at the end of
which was a small gold watc