es?" said I. "I shall release them
in a couple of days, without fail--eh?"

"No! they're steel, aren't they?"

"Yes."

"No; can't do it."

"Ah, no, I suppose you can't. Well, it was really at best only a joke.
Well, I have a blanket with me for which, properly speaking, I have no
longer any use, and it struck me that you might take it off my hands."

"I have--more's the pity--a whole store full of bed-clothes," he
replied; and when I had opened it he just cast one glance over it and
said, "No, excuse me, but I haven't any use for that either."

"I wanted to show you the worse side first," said I; "it's much better
on the other side."

"Ay, ay; it's no good. I won't own it; and you wouldn't raise a penny
on it anywhere."

"No, it's clear it isn't worth anything," I said; "but I thought it
might go with another old blanket at an auction."

"Well, no; it's no use."

"Three pence?" said I.

"No; I won't have it at all, man! I wouldn't have it in the house!" I
took it under my arm and went home.

I acted as if nothing had passed, spread it over the bed again,
smoothed it well out, as was my custom, and tried to wipe away every
trace of my late action. I could not possibly have been in my right
mind at the moment when I came to the conclusion to commit this
rascally trick. The more I thought over it the more unreasonable it
seemed to me. It must have been an attack of weakness; some relaxation
in my inner self that had surprised me when off my guard. Neither had I
fallen straight into the trap. I had half felt that I was going the
wrong road, and I expressly offered my glasses first, and I rejoiced
greatly that I had not had the opportunity of carrying into effect this
fault which would have sullied the last hours I had to live.

I wandered out into the city again. I let myself sink upon one of the
seats by Our Saviour's Church; dozed with my head on my breast,
apathetic after my last excitement, sick and famished with hunger. And
time went by.

I should have to sit out this hour, too. It was a little lighter
outside than in the house, and it seemed to me that my chest did not
pain quite so badly out in the open air. I should get home, too, soon
enough--and I dozed, and thought, and suffered fearfully.

I had found a little pebble; I wiped it clean on my coat sleeve and put
it into my mouth so that I might have something to mumble. Otherwise I
did not stir, and didn't even wink an eyelid. People came and w