business
stool, and cocked his hat. There were light boxes on shelves in the
counting-house, and strings of mock beads hanging up. There were samples
of cheap clocks, and samples of cheap vases of flowers. Foreign toys,
all.

Perched on the stool with his hat cocked on his head and one of his legs
dangling, the youth of Fledgeby hardly contrasted to advantage with the
age of the Jewish man as he stood with his bare head bowed, and his eyes
(which he only raised in speaking) on the ground. His clothing was worn
down to the rusty hue of the hat in the entry, but though he looked
shabby he did not look mean. Now, Fledgeby, though not shabby, did look
mean.

'You have not told me what you were up to, you sir,' said Fledgeby,
scratching his head with the brim of his hat.

'Sir, I was breathing the air.'

'In the cellar, that you didn't hear?'

'On the house-top.'

'Upon my soul! That's a way of doing business.'

'Sir,' the old man represented with a grave and patient air, 'there must
be two parties to the transaction of business, and the holiday has left
me alone.'

'Ah! Can't be buyer and seller too. That's what the Jews say; ain't it?'

'At least we say truly, if we say so,' answered the old man with a
smile.

'Your people need speak the truth sometimes, for they lie enough,'
remarked Fascination Fledgeby.

'Sir, there is,' returned the old man with quiet emphasis, 'too much
untruth among all denominations of men.'

Rather dashed, Fascination Fledgeby took another scratch at his
intellectual head with his hat, to gain time for rallying.

'For instance,' he resumed, as though it were he who had spoken last,
'who but you and I ever heard of a poor Jew?'

'The Jews,' said the old man, raising his eyes from the ground with his
former smile. 'They hear of poor Jews often, and are very good to them.'

'Bother that!' returned Fledgeby. 'You know what I mean. You'd persuade
me if you could, that you are a poor Jew. I wish you'd confess how much
you really did make out of my late governor. I should have a better
opinion of you.'

The old man only bent his head, and stretched out his hands as before.

'Don't go on posturing like a Deaf and Dumb School,' said the ingenious
Fledgeby, 'but express yourself like a Christian--or as nearly as you
can.'

'I had had sickness and misfortunes, and was so poor,' said the old
man, 'as hopelessly to owe the father, principal and interest. The son
inheriting, was so merci