those who can with golden bracelets. Were
it not for the violence, I should say that ballad has a philosophic
tendency. I thank you for making me acquainted with the book, and I
thank the Jew Mousha for making me acquainted with you."

"That Mousha was a strange customer," said the youth, collecting himself.

"He _was_ a strange customer," said the elder individual, breathing forth
a gentle cloud. "I love to exercise hospitality to wandering strangers,
especially foreigners; and when he came to this place, pretending to
teach German and Hebrew, I asked him to dinner. After the first dinner,
he asked me to lend him five pounds; I _did_ lend him five pounds. After
the fifth dinner, he asked me to lend him fifty pounds; I did _not_ lend
him the fifty pounds."

"He was as ignorant of German as of Hebrew," said the youth; "on which
account he was soon glad, I suppose, to transfer his pupil to some one
else."

"He told me," said the elder individual, "that he intended to leave a
town where he did not find sufficient encouragement; and, at the same
time, expressed regret at being obliged to abandon a certain
extraordinary pupil, for whom he had a particular regard. Now I, who
have taught many people German from the love which I bear to it, and the
desire which I feel that it should be generally diffused, instantly said,
that I should be happy to take his pupil off his hands, and afford him
what instruction I could in German, for, as to Hebrew, I have never taken
much interest in it. Such was the origin of our acquaintance. You have
been an apt scholar. Of late, however, I have seen little of you--what
is the reason?"

The youth made no answer.

"You think, probably, that you have learned all I can teach you? Well,
perhaps you are right."

"Not so, not so," said the young man, eagerly; "before I knew you I knew
nothing, and am still very ignorant; but of late my father's health has
been very much broken, and he requires attention; his spirits also have
become low, which, to tell you the truth, he attributes to my misconduct.
He says that I have imbibed all kinds of strange notions and doctrines,
which will, in all probability, prove my ruin, both here and hereafter;
which--which--"

"Ah! I understand," said the elder, with another calm whiff. "I have
always had a kind of respect for your father, for there is something
remarkable in his appearance, something heroic, and I would fain have
cultivated his acqu