see an old rusty nail, with bits of stone and slips of wood."

"My friend," answered the palmer, "not all the money that is in this
country could pay a just price for these wares of mine. This nail," he
continued, pulling off his hat and turning up his sightless orbs, "is
one of those wherewith man's salvation was secured. I had it, together
with this piece of the true rood, from the five-and-twentieth descendant
of Joseph of Arimathea, who still lives in Jerusalem alive and well,
though latterly much afflicted by boils. Aye, you may well cross
yourselves, and I beg that you will not breathe upon it or touch it with
your fingers."

"And the wood and stone, holy father?" asked Alleyne, with bated breath,
as he stared awe-struck at his precious relics.

"This cantle of wood is from the true cross, this other from Noah his
ark, and the third is from the door-post of the temple of the wise King
Solomon. This stone was thrown at the sainted Stephen, and the other two
are from the Tower of Babel. Here, too, is part of Aaron's rod, and a
lock of hair from Elisha the prophet."

"But, father," quoth Alleyne, "the holy Elisha was bald, which brought
down upon him the revilements of the wicked children."

"It is very true that he had not much hair," said the palmer quickly,
"and it is this which makes this relic so exceeding precious. Take now
your choice of these, my worthy gentlemen, and pay such a price as
your consciences will suffer you to offer; for I am not a chapman nor
a huckster, and I would never part with them, did I not know that I am
very near to my reward."

"Aylward," said Alleyne excitedly, "This is such a chance as few folk
have twice in one life. The nail I must have, and I will give it to the
abbey of Beaulieu, so that all the folk in England may go thither to
wonder and to pray."

"And I will have the stone from the temple," cried Hordle John. "What
would not my old mother give to have it hung over her bed?"

"And I will have Aaron's rod," quoth Aylward. "I have but five florins
in the world, and here are four of them."

"Here are three more," said John.

"And here are five more," added Alleyne. "Holy father, I hand you twelve
florins, which is all that we can give, though we well know how poor a
pay it is for the wondrous things which you sell us."

"Down, pride, down!" cried the pilgrim, still beating upon his chest.
"Can I not bend myself then to take this sorry sum which is offered me
for tha