riends. He told them
they need not be afraid, he would do himself no injury. He was simply
dying of grief, just as a man might die of sickness.

All gone!

Some compassionate souls had pity on the old man and took him home. If
he had been alone he had never found his own house. Once arrived
there, he insisted on going down to his cellar, to see with his own
eyes if it were not some hideous dream, from which he would wake and
find his beloved casks in their old places. When he saw all were gone,
he set up a fearful cry, "Fool! fool! fool!" and fell forward on his
face.

They carried him up-stairs, tenderly undressed him as if he were a
child, and put him to bed. He shrieked for a priest, so they fetched
him one. He made his confession, and received the sacrament.

His lawyer then appeared on the scene, and his last will was written
out and duly signed. He had still something to leave. There were his
houses, the whole street front; the church into which no one came, on
whose threshold between the stones the grass grew thick, in whose
court-yard the school-boys played ball on Thursday half-holidays.

The church, notwithstanding, was endowed with a priest, a verger, and
a bell-ringer. The priest should say mass, the bell-ringer should ring
the bell, the verger should open the door _every day_; just as a
hundred years ago, when through the open church doors a stream of men
passed, with silver buttons on their jackets, and women with long silk
veils. The old man now dying is the last descendant left on this earth
of the old Greek traders. The church shall remain standing in memory
of them.

The house next door to his own he bequeathed to the widow, who was the
daughter of the last Greek. This woman and he had quarrelled long ago.
God alone can decide the justice of a quarrel that has to do with
paper money, which to-day is worth a great deal and to-morrow not a
penny. Therefore, he bequeathed to her and her son the heap of cursed,
worthless papers called shares in the Bondavara Company, which have
caused his unexpected death. They shall have these papers, whether for
good or ill.

After he had made these depositions and arranged his affairs his will
was sealed and inscribed by himself. He divided among his neighbors
and servants his few remaining possessions. He called the bell-ringer,
and enjoined him to toll the bell three times every two hours, and if
any one asked the reason why, he should answer, "The Greek, Csa