rrow for a shilling, and a pair of collars and a
black satin cravat to come I home in, Joseph."

"Gaffer," said Joseph, "it's a bargain."

Reuben's message was Ezra Gold's musical library, and the volumes having
been carefully built up in a roomy wheelbarrow, Joseph set out with them
at a leisurely pace towards his patron's home. Reuben on first entering
his uncle's house had laid the green baize bag upon the table. When the
books were all arranged, and Joseph had started away with them, Reuben
re-entered.

"I've brought the old lady back again, uncle," he said.

"You've eased her down, I hope, lad," said the old man, untying the bag
and drawing forth the violin. "That's right. As for bringing her back
again, you remember what used to be the sayin' when you was a child,
'Give a thing and take a thing, that's the devil's plaything.' I meant
thee to keep her, lad. It's a sin an' a shame as such a voice should be
silent."

"Uncle," said Reuben, stammering somewhat, "I scarcely like to take her.
It seems like--like trespassing on your goodness."

"I won't demean th' old lady," returned Ezra. "Her comes o' the right
breed to have all the virtues of her kind. Her's a Stradivarius, Reuben,
and my grandfather gi'en fifty guineas for her in the year seventeen
hundred an' sixty-one. A king might mek a present of her to a king. And
that's why in the natural selfishness of a man's heart I kep' her all
these 'ears hangin' dumb and idle on the wall here. I take some shame to
myself as I acted so, for you might ha' had her half a dozen years ago,
and ha' done her no less than as much justice as I could iver ha' done
her myself at the best days of my life. Her's yourn, my lad, and I only
mek one bargain. If you should marry and have children of your own, and
one of 'em should be a player, he can have her, but if not, I ask you
to will her to somebody as'll know her value, and handle her as her
deserves."

Reuben was embarrassed by the gift.

"To tell the truth, uncle," he said, "I should take her the more readily
if I'd coveted her less."

"Bring her out into the gardin, lad," returned his uncle. "Let's hear
the 'Last Rose' again."

Reuben followed the old man's lead. His uncle's house-keeper carried
chairs to the grass-plot, and there the old man and the young one sat
down together in the summer air, and Reuben, drawing a little pitch-pipe
from his pocket, sounded its note, adjusted the violin, and played. Ezra
set his el