CHAPTER XV
THE PAWNBROKER'S SHOP
Stuffed behind the counter, and on the shelves of the pawnbroker's shop,were articles in almost endless variety. All was fish that came to hisnet. He was willing to advance on anything that had a marketable value,and which promised to yield him, I was about to say, a fair profit.But a fair profit was far from satisfying the old man. He demanded anextortionate profit from those whom ill-fortune drove to his door forrelief.
Eliakim Henderson, for that was his name, was a small man, with a baldhead, scattering yellow whiskers, and foxlike eyes. Spiderlike he waitedfor the flies who flew of their own accord into his clutches, and tookcare not to let them go until he had levied a large tribute. When Paulentered the shop, there were three customers ahead of him. One wasa young woman, whose pale face and sunken cheeks showed that shewas waging an unequal conflict with disease. She was a seamstress byoccupation, and had to work fifteen hours a day to earn the little thatwas barely sufficient to keep body and soul together. Confined in herclose little room on the fourth floor, she scarcely dared to snatch timeto look out of the window into the street beneath, lest she shouldnot be able to complete her allotted task. A two days' sickness hadcompelled her to have recourse to Eliakim Henderson. She had under herarm a small bundle covered with an old copy of the Sun.
"What have you got there?" asked the old man, roughly. "Show it quick,for there's others waiting."
Meekly she unfolded a small shawl, somewhat faded from long use.
"What will you give me on that?" she asked, timidly.
"It isn't worth much."
"It cost five dollars."
"Then you got cheated. It never was worth half the money. What do youwant on it?"
The seamstress intended to ask a dollar and a half, but after thisdepreciation she did not venture to name so high a figure.
"A dollar and a quarter," she said.
"A dollar and a quarter!" repeated the old man, shrilly. "Take it homewith you. I don't want it."
"What will you give?" asked the poor girl, faintly.
"Fifty cents. Not a penny more."
"Fifty cents!" she repeated, in dismay, and was about to refold it. Butthe thought of her rent in arrears changed her half-formed intention.
"I'll take it, sir."
The money and ticket were handed her, and she went back to her miserableattic-room, coughing as she went.
"Now, ma'am," said Eliakim.
His new customer was an Irish woman, by no means consumptive inappearance, red of face and portly of figure.
"And what'll ye be givin' me for this?" she asked, displaying a pair ofpantaloons.
"Are they yours, ma'am?" asked Eliakim, with a chuckle.
"It's not Bridget McCarty that wears the breeches," said that lady."It's me husband's, and a dacent, respectable man he is, barrin' thedrink, which turns his head. What'll ye give for 'em?"
"Name your price," said Eliakim, whose principle it was to insist uponhis customers making the first offer.
"Twelve shillin's," said Bridget.
"Twelve shillings!" exclaimed Eliakim, holding up both hands. "That'sall they cost when they were new."
"They cost every cint of five dollars," said Bridget. "They was made atone of the most fashionable shops in the city. Oh, they was an illigantpair when they was new."
"How many years ago was that?" asked the pawnbroker.
"Only six months, and they ain't been worn more'n a month."
"I'll give you fifty cents."
"Fifty cints!" repeated Mrs. McCarty, turning to the other customers,as if to call their attention to an offer so out of proportion to thevaluable article she held in her hand. "Only fifty cints for theseilligant breeches! Oh, it's you that's a hard man, that lives on thepoor and the nady."
"You needn't take it. I should lose money on it, if you didn't redeemit."
"He says he'd lose money on it," said Mrs. McCarty. "And suppose he did,isn't he a-rollin' in gold?"
"I'm poor," said Eliakim; "almost as poor as you, because I'm tooliberal to my customers."
"Hear till him!" said Mrs. McCarty. "He says he's liberal and onlyoffers fifty cints for these illigant breeches."
"Will you take them or leave them?" demanded the pawnbroker,impatiently.
"You may give me the money," said Bridget; "and it's I that wonder howyou can slape in your bed, when you are so hard on poor folks."
Mrs. McCarty departed with her money, and Eliakim fixed his sharp eyeson the next customer. It was a tall man, shabbily dressed, with a thin,melancholy-looking face, and the expression of one who had struggledwith the world, and failed in the struggle.
"How much for this?" he asked, pointing to the violin, and speaking in aslow, deliberate tone, as if he did not feel at home in the language.
"What do you want for it?"
"Ten dollar," he answered.
"Ten dollars! You're crazy!" was the contemptuous comment of thepawnbroker.
"He is a very good violin," said the man. "If you would like to hearhim," and he made a movement as if to play upon it.
"Never mind!" said Eliakim. "I haven't any time to hear it. If it werenew it would be worth something; but it's old, and----"
"But you do not understand," interrupted the customer, eagerly. "It isworth much more than new. Do you see, it is by a famous maker? I wouldnot sell him, but I am poor, and my Bettina needs bread. It hurts mevery 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 redeemit."
"Two dollar!" repeated the Italian. "Ocielo! it is nothing. But Bettinais at home without bread, poor little one! Will you not give threedollar?"
"Not a cent more."
"I will take it."
"There's your money and ticket."
And with these the poor Italian departed, giving one last lingeringglance at his precious violin, as Eliakim took it roughly and depositedit upon a shelf behind him. But he thought of his little daughter athome, and the means of relief which he held in his hand, and a smileof joy lightened his melancholy features. The future might be dark andunpromising, 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 ashe recognized the diamond, for his experience was such that hecould form a tolerably correct estimate of its value. But hequickly 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 havethe 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 dealmore."
The pawnbroker eyed Paul sharply. Did the boy know that it was a diamondring? What chance was there of deceiving him as to its value? The oldman, whose business made him a good judge, decided that the ring was notworth less than two hundred and fifty dollars, and if he could get itinto 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 muchin need of money as the majority of his customers. He would rather paytwenty dollars than lose the bargain, though it went against the grainto pay so much money. But after pronouncing the stone an imitation, howcould he rise much above the offe
r he had already made? He resolved toapproach 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 advanceconvinced him that it was, after all, a real stone. He determined to gettwenty 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 partwith the ring for eight dollars, and I don't mean to. Twenty dollars ismy lowest price."
"I'll give you ten," said the old man, whose eagerness increased withPaul'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 ringwas much more valuable than he had at first supposed.
But the old pawnbroker was fascinated by the sparkling bauble. Hecould not make up his mind to give it up. By fair means or foul he mustpossess it. He advanced his bid to twelve, fourteen, fifteen dollars,but Paul shook his head resolutely. He had made up his mind to carryit to Ball & Black's, or some other first-class jewelers, and ascertainwhether it was a real diamond or not, and if so to obtain an estimate ofits value.
"I've changed my mind," he said. "I'll keep the ring. Just give it backto me."