estily.

"Give me only a loaf for it, or but one pound of potatoes," said the
soldier: "'tis more than my wife and four children have had among them
for two days. Half-rations for one, among six of us, is too hard to
live."

"A pound of potatoes," said the Jew, "is worth four reals and a
half--eighteenpence; your wife's gown is worth--nothing!"

"Then take this," said the man, beginning frantically to pull off his
uniform coat; "anything is better than starving."

The Jew laughed. "What!" said he, "you think I don't know better than to
buy a soldier's necessaries, eh? Ah, ah! no such a fool, I think, my
friend. What your captain say?--eh?"

The man struck his hand violently on the table. "Then give me--or lend
me," said he, "some food, much or little, and I'll work for you every
hour I'm off duty till you're satisfied. I will, Mr Lazaro, so help me
God!"

"I got plenty of men to work for me," said Lazaro; "don't want any more.
Come again, when you've got something to sell, my friend."

The man rolled up the gown without speaking, then lifted it over his
head, and dashed it into the furthest corner of the store. He was
hurrying from the place, when, as if unwilling to throw away his last
chance, he turned back, gathered it up, and, thrusting it under his arm,
quitted the store with lingering steps, as if he even yet hoped to be
called back. No such summons reached him, however; but, immediately
after he was gone, Esther rose and stole softly down the stairs. She
overtook him at the street-door opening from the court before mentioned,
and laid her hand on his arm. The man turned and glared on her.
"What!--he'll buy it, will he?" said he.

"Hush!" said Esther--"keep it for your poor wife. Look; I have no
money, but take these," and she placed in his hand two earrings hastily
detached from her ears.

The man stood looking at her for a space, as if stupified, without
closing his hand on the trinkets that lay on the palm; then, suddenly
rousing himself, he swore, with tears in his eyes, that for this service
he would do for her anything on earth she should require from him; but
she only begged him to go away at once, and say nothing, lest her father
should overhear the transaction, who would certainly be angry with her
for it.

Bags and his wife had stopt in a corner of the court to pack up their
property in a commodious form for conveyance, and had witnessed this
scene in silence. As soon as the soldier had, in