e cakes."

She did not seem to take this in.

"The cakes," I reiterate; "I've come now to get them--at any rate, the
first instalment; I don't need all of them today."

"You've come to get them?"

"Yes; of course I've come to get them," I reply, and I laugh
boisterously, as if it ought to have been self-evident to her from the
outset that I came for that purpose. I take, too, a cake up from the
table, a sort of white roll that I commenced to eat.

When the woman sees this, she stirs uneasily inside her bundle of
clothes, makes an involuntary movement as if to protect her wares, and
gives me to understand that she had not expected me to return to rob
her of them.

"Really not?" I say, "indeed, really not?" She certainly was an
extraordinary woman. Had she, then, at any time, had the experience
that some one came and gave her a heap of shillings to take care of,
without that person returning and demanding them again? No; just look
at that now! Did she perhaps run away with the idea that it was stolen
money, since I slung it at her in that manner? No; she didn't think
that either. Well, that at least was a good thing--really a good thing.
It was, if I might so say, kind of her, in spite of all, to consider me
an honest man. Ha, ha! yes indeed, she really was good!

But why did I give her the money, then? The woman was exasperated, and
called out loudly about it. I explained why I had given her the money,
explained it temperately and with emphasis. It was my custom to act in
this manner, because I had such a belief in every one's goodness.
Always when any one offered me an agreement, a receipt, I only shook my
head and said: No, thank you! God knows I did.

But still the woman failed to comprehend it. I had recourse to other
expedients--spoke sharply, and bade a truce to all nonsense. Had it
never happened to her before that any one had paid her in advance in
this manner? I inquired--I meant, of course, people who could afford
it--for example, any of the consuls? Never? Well, I could not be
expected to suffer because it happened to be a strange mode of
procedure to her. It was a common practice abroad. She had perhaps
never been outside the boundaries of her own country? No? Just look at
that now! In that case, she could of course have no opinion on the
subject; ... and I took several more cakes from the table.

She grumbled angrily, refused obstinately to give up any more of her
stores from off the table, even s