ly
shook his head, as if he doubted it.

His whole soul was now centred in the performance. When it came to the
trial, in the fourth act, he turned and twisted his body, as if he could
with difficulty abstain from advising Shylock to accept the offer of
Bassanio: 'For the three thousand ducats here is six.'

It does not appear that Hiram felt any sympathy for the merchant who was
to lose the pound of flesh; but for Shylock, when turned out of court
stripped of all he had, it was intense. When at last he exclaims:

'Nay, take my life and all; pardon not that:
You take my house when you do take the prop
That doth sustain my house; you take my life
When you do take the means whereby I live:'

Hiram leaned back, and exclaimed audibly: 'It's too bad, I declare!'

All this time, Hill sat as quietly as he could. He laughed whenever
Launcelot Gobbo appeared; and tried hard to get Hiram to go out and take
more lemonade between the acts. Hiram would not move. He offered to
introduce him to lots of pretty girls whom he pointed out in the
distance; but it was useless. Hill began to think he would not make much
of Hiram, after all. The evening was past, and he had as yet
accomplished just nothing.

The play was over. The farce had been performed. It did not interest
Hiram. He thought everything over-strained and unnatural. It was now
late, Hiram had declined various seductive invitations of Hill, when the
latter finally insisted they should have some oysters. Hiram assented,
and the two descended into Windust's.

'Well, old fellow, what are you doing here?' was Hill's exclamation to a
young man with notebook and pencil, seated at one of the small tables,
on which already smoked an oyster stew and some brandy toddy.

'Hallo, Hill, is that you? Sit down. What will you have?' was the reply.

Hiram regarded the speaker curiously. He was twenty-two or three years
old--serious looking, with black hair, dark eyes, and pale, bony
features. He had the easy, indifferent air of one careless of opinion,
or independent of it.

'My friend, Mr. Meeker, from Connecticut.'

'Mr. Meeker, Mr. Innis.'

After these salutations, the parties sat down, and orders were given.

'Excuse me,' said Innis; 'I am not quite through my work.'

'Go ahead,' replied Hill; whereat the other proceeded with his pencil
and notebook, scratching away in a most rapid manner.

Seeing Hiram look as if he did not exactly comprehend the employment,
Hil