were given over to dirt, cobwebs, gloom, and desolation. Peter might readily have let the rooms which he did not require for his own use, but so profound was his distr

r investing his gold in the luxuries of life, or even in what were generally considered its absolute necessaries, we have already

his cloak the fresh loaf which he had just procured from the baker

plied it to the door. It turned in the lock with a creaki

fly these,-a cherry table which was minus one leg, whose place had been supplied by a broom handle fitted in its place; three hard wooden chairs of unknown antiquity; an old wash-stand; a rusty stove which Peter had picked up cheap at an auction, after findi

solate home

ich he had picked up in the street early in the morning, and soon there was a little show of fire, over which the miser spread his hands greedily as if to

ummer? Then we shouldn't need any except to cook by. It seems a sin to throw away good, bright, precious gold on what is going to be[19] burnt up and float away in smoke. One might almost as well throw it into the river at once. Ugh! only to think o

h,

r was obliged, against his will,

loaf of bread. With an old jack-knife he carefully cut the loaf into two equal parts. One of these he put back into the closet. From the same place he also brought

2

per,-had tasted anything so delicious. No alderman ever smacked his lips over the

re so well every day. If it hadn't been for that unlucky piece of gold,

half loaf which he allo

tisfied hunger; "but I must save that for breakfast. It

ne half of this, too, for breakfast, though it proved so acceptable to his palate that he came near yielding to the temptation of eating the whole. Bu

nable him to dispense with a fire, the cost of which he considered so ruinous. He had bu

anson started in affright. Such a thing ha

e's mistaken the house. I'll blow out the can

the visitor, but in vain. After a brief interval there cam

to feel a li

] "He can't have anything to do with me. Nobo

upted by a volley of knocks, eac

ture of terror and perplexity. "It's some desperate ruffian, I know

to discover something of his troublesome visitor. Th

r some time or other. I began to think you were a

sked Peter, in a

ave a fellow to hammer away all night at your

2

Peter. "You've made a mista

u always keep 'em waiting as long as you

t at all like the visitor's manners, "that y

house, I'd l

it is," said the old man, a li

I think it is? Tell

uncomplimentary to Peter, but perhaps, from motives of po

loss for a reply, "but there's a mist

he outsider, "but every rule has its excep

2

istaken t

ance of making a mistake.

asily; "but it cannot be for any good end.

do about it?" asked his wo

te to see yo

orted the other. "

Peter, becoming momentarily mor

n! Come, now, that's all a joke

I'm very poor, and can't afford to keep

either here nor there. I have got some important

to-m

2

ght. So just come down and let me

come along, but it never does when it's wanted. Go away, good man,

t go away. I must

groaning with fear, went down, and reluctantly dra