ll are lovers of gold! I know by your looks that you love it,'
he went on; 'and you can't fool me by your tears and your preaching. You
get out of this house!' he suddenly shrieked, 'or I will kill you,--both
of you!' He swore a terrible oath and stepped back to seize the heavy
bludgeon on the table. The woman cried out in fear and turned away
weeping. But the parson stood his ground.

"'John Roberts,' he said, 'thou art a doomed man. The lust of gold that
destroys so many is in thee strong and mighty, and only God can save
thee, nor He against thy will. Repent, or thou shalt perish in a lonely
place, on a dark night, with none to help thee or hear thy cries; and
all thy gold shall perish with thee.' So saying, he turned and slowly
left the house.

"For a moment my master stood glaring at the retreating forms of those
who had come to him as friends, but whom he had treated as enemies; then
he rushed for the door and locked it. After that he lifted me tenderly
upon the table, laughed softly, patted me with his hands, and stroked me
caressingly. 'My gold,' he kept repeating, 'my precious, precious gold!'
And as night came on, he poured out the gold and counted the glittering
pieces. Again and again he counted his treasure until deep midnight had
settled over all.

"But when he awoke in the morning he was very nervous. All day long he
neither opened the door nor unbarred the shutters. All the while he kept
muttering to himself as if planning some crafty plot. I could not know
what all this might mean, but I caught enough of his talk to understand
that he was more than ever suspicious of losing his money, was fearing
all man-kind more and more, and was trying to devise some scheme whereby
he could find a place where no one could molest him or try to steal his
gold. 'They will get it yet,' he kept saying, 'unless I can go where no
one can find me.' Then he would curse his kind.

"At last, after hours of muttering and tramping back and forth in the
darkened house, he suddenly seemed to find his decision. I shall never
forget the terrible expression of evil triumph on his face as he paused
before me and shouted:

"'I'll go! Go where they can never find me! I want to be alone with my
money, where I can spread it out and see it shine! I will go where there
is not a man!'

"After my master had said that, he made no further remarks; but he
began with eager haste to pack a few things for his journey. He put me
in a sack in w