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CHAPTER XV THE PAWNBROKER'S SHOP
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 Stuffed behind the counter, and on the shelves of the pawnbroker1's shop, were articles in almost endless variety. All was fish that came to his net. He was willing to advance on anything that had a marketable value, and which promised to yield him, I was about to say, a fair profit. But a fair profit was far from satisfying the old man. He demanded an extortionate profit from those whom ill-fortune drove to his door for relief.
Eliakim Henderson, for that was his name, was a small man, with a bald head, scattering2 yellow whiskers, and foxlike eyes. Spiderlike he waited for the flies who flew of their own accord into his clutches, and took care not to let them go until he had levied3 a large tribute. When Paul entered the shop, there were three customers ahead of him. One was a young woman, whose pale face and sunken cheeks showed that she was waging an unequal conflict with disease. She was a seamstress by occupation, and had to work fifteen hours a day to earn the little that was barely sufficient to keep body and soul together. Confined in her close little room on the fourth floor, she scarcely dared to snatch time to look out of the window into the street beneath, lest she should not be able to complete her allotted4 task. A two days' sickness had compelled her to have recourse to Eliakim Henderson. She had under her arm a small bundle covered with an old copy of the Sun.
“What have you got there?” asked the old man, roughly. “Show it quick, for there's others waiting.”
Meekly5 she unfolded a small shawl, somewhat faded from long use.
“What will you give me on that?” she asked, timidly.
“It isn't worth much.”
“It cost five dollars.”
“Then you got cheated. It never was worth half the money. What do you want on it?”
The seamstress intended to ask a dollar and a half, but after this depreciation6 she did not venture to name so high a figure.
“A dollar and a quarter,” she said.
“A dollar and a quarter!” repeated the old man, shrilly7. “Take it home with you. I don't want it.”
“What will you give?” asked the poor girl, faintly.
“Fifty cents. Not a penny more.”
“Fifty cents!” she repeated, in dismay, and was about to refold it. But the thought of her rent in arrears8 changed her half-formed intention.
“I'll take it, sir.”
The money and ticket were handed her, and she went back to her miserable9 attic-room, coughing as she went.
“Now, ma'am,” said Eliakim.
His new customer was an Irish woman, by no means consumptive in appearance, red of face and portly of figure.
“And what'll ye be givin' me for this?” she asked, displaying a pair of pantaloons.
“Are they yours, ma'am?” asked Eliakim, with a chuckle10.
“It's not Bridget McCarty that wears the breeches,” said that lady. “It's me husband's, and a dacent, respectable man he is, barrin' the drink, which turns his head. What'll ye give for 'em?”
“Name your price,” said Eliakim, whose principle it was to insist upon his customers making the first offer.
“Twelve shillin's,” said Bridget.
“Twelve shillings!” exclaimed Eliakim, holding up both hands. “That's all they cost when they were new.”
“They cost every cint of five dollars,” said Bridget. “They was made at one of the most fashionable shops in the city. Oh, they was an illigant pair when they was new.”
“How many years ago was that?” asked the pawnbroker.
“Only six months, and they ain't been worn more'n a month.”
“I'll give you fifty cents.”
“Fifty cints!” repeated Mrs. McCarty, turning to the other customers, as if to call their attention to an offer so out of proportion to the valuable article she held in her hand. “Only fifty cints for these illigant breeches! Oh, it's you that's a hard man, that lives on the poor and the nady.”
“You needn't take it. I should lose money on it, if you didn't redeem11 it.”
“He says he'd lose money on it,” said Mrs. McCarty. “And suppose he did, isn't he a-rollin' in gold?”
“I'm poor,” said Eliakim; “almost as poor as you, because I'm too liberal to my customers.”
“Hear till him!” said Mrs. McCarty. “He says he's liberal and only offers fifty cints for these illigant breeches.”
“Will you take them or leave them?” demanded the pawnbroker, impatiently.
“You may give me the money,” said Bridget; “and it's I that wonder how you can slape in your bed, when you are so hard on poor folks.”
Mrs. McCarty departed with her money, and Eliakim fixed12 his sharp eyes on the next customer. It was a tall man, shabbily dressed, with a thin, melancholy13-looking face, and the expression of one who had struggled with the world, and failed in the struggle.
“How much for this?” he asked, pointing to the violin, and speaking in a slow, deliberate tone, as if he did not feel at home in the language.
“What do you want for it?”
“Ten dollar,” he answered.
“Ten dollars! You're crazy!” was the contemptuous comment of the pawnbroker.
“He is a very good violin,” said the man. “If you would like to hear him,” and he made a movement as if to play upon it.
“Never mind!” said Eliakim. “I haven't any time to hear it. If it were new it would be worth something; but it's old, and——”
“But you do not understand,” interrupted the customer, eagerly. “It is worth much more than new. Do you see, it is by a famous maker14? I would not sell him, but I am poor, and my Bettina needs bread. It hurts me very much to let him go. I will buy him back as soon as I can.”
“I will give you two dollars, but I shall lose on it, unless you redeem it.”
“Two dollar!” repeated the Italian. “Ocielo! it is nothing. But Bettina is at home without bread, poor little one! Will you not give three dollar?”
“Not a cent more.”
“I will take it.”
“There's your money and ticket.”
And with these the poor Italian departed, giving one last lingering glance at his precious violin, as Eliakim took it roughly and deposited it upon a shelf behind him. But he thought of his little daughter at home, and the means of relief which he held in his hand, and a smile of joy lightened his melancholy features. The future might be dark and unpromising, but for three days, at any rate, she should not want bread.
Paul's turn came next.
“What have you got?” asked the pawnbroker.
Paul showed the ring.
Eliakim took it, and his small, beadlike eyes sparkled avariciously15 as he recognized the diamond, for his experience was such that he could form a tolerably correct estimate of its value. But he quickly suppressed all outward manifestations16 of interest, and said, indifferently, “What do you want for it?”
“I want twenty dollars,” said Paul, boldly.
“Twenty dollars!” returned the pawnbroker. “That's a joke.”
“No, it isn't,” said Paul. “I want twenty dollars, and you can't have the ring for less.”
“If you said twenty shillings, I might give it to you,” said Eliakim; “but you must think I am a fool to give twenty dollars.”
“That's cheap for a diamond ring,” said Paul. “It's worth a good deal more.”
The pawnbroker eyed Paul sharply. Did the boy know that it was a diamond ring? What chance was there of deceiving him as to its value? The old man, whose business made him a good judge, decided17 that the ring was not worth less than two hundred and fifty dollars, and if he could get it into his possession for a trifle, it would be a paying operation.
“You're mistaken, boy,” he said. “It's not a diamond.”
“What is it?”
“A very good imitation.”
“How much is it worth?”
“I'll give you three dollars.”
“That won't do. I want to raise twenty dollars, and if I can't get that, I'll keep the ring.”
The pawnbroker saw that he had made a mistake. Paul was not as much in need of money as the majority of his customers. He would rather pay twenty dollars than lose the bargain, though it went against the grain to pay so much money. But after pronouncing the stone an imitation, how could he rise much above the offer he had already made? He resolved to approach it gradually. Surveying it more closely, he said:
“It is an excellent imitation. I will give you five dollars.”
Paul was not without natural shrewdness, and this sudden advance convinced him that it was, after all, a real stone. He determined18 to get twenty dollars or carry the ring home.
“Five dollars won't do me any good,” he said. “Give me back the ring.”
“Five dollars is a good deal of money,” said Eliakim.
“I'd rather have the ring.”
“What is your lowest price?”
“Twenty dollars.”
“I'll give you eight.”
“Just now you said it was worth only three,” said Paul, sharply.
“It is very fine gold. It is better than I thought. Here is the money.”
“You're a little too fast,” said Paul, coolly. “I haven't agreed to part with the ring for eight dollars, and I don't mean to. Twenty dollars is my lowest price.”
“I'll give you ten,” said the old man, whose eagerness increased with Paul's indifference19.
“No, you won't. Give me back the ring.”
“I might give eleven, but I should lose money.”
“I don't want you to lose money, and I've concluded to keep the ring,” said Paul, rightly inferring from the old man's eagerness that the ring was much more valuable than he had at first supposed.
But the old pawnbroker was fascinated by the sparkling bauble20. He could not make up his mind to give it up. By fair means or foul21 he must possess it. He advanced his bid to twelve, fourteen, fifteen dollars, but Paul shook his head resolutely22. He had made up his mind to carry it to Ball & Black's, or some other first-class jewelers, and ascertain23 whether it was a real diamond or not, and if so to obtain an estimate of its value.
“I've changed my mind,” he said. “I'll keep the ring. Just give it back to me.”

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1 pawnbroker SiAys     
n.典当商,当铺老板
参考例句:
  • He redeemed his watch from the pawnbroker's.他从当铺赎回手表。
  • She could get fifty dollars for those if she went to the pawnbroker's.要是她去当铺当了这些东西,她是可以筹出50块钱的。
2 scattering 91b52389e84f945a976e96cd577a4e0c     
n.[物]散射;散乱,分散;在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的;分散在不同范围的;广泛扩散的;(选票)数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式);散布;驱散
参考例句:
  • The child felle into a rage and began scattering its toys about. 这孩子突发狂怒,把玩具扔得满地都是。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The farmers are scattering seed. 农夫们在播种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 levied 18fd33c3607bddee1446fc49dfab80c6     
征(兵)( levy的过去式和过去分词 ); 索取; 发动(战争); 征税
参考例句:
  • Taxes should be levied more on the rich than on the poor. 向富人征收的税应该比穷人的多。
  • Heavy fines were levied on motoring offenders. 违规驾车者会遭到重罚。
4 allotted 5653ecda52c7b978bd6890054bd1f75f     
分配,拨给,摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • I completed the test within the time allotted . 我在限定的时间内完成了试验。
  • Each passenger slept on the berth allotted to him. 每个旅客都睡在分配给他的铺位上。
5 meekly meekly     
adv.温顺地,逆来顺受地
参考例句:
  • He stood aside meekly when the new policy was proposed. 当有人提出新政策时,他唯唯诺诺地站 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He meekly accepted the rebuke. 他顺从地接受了批评。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 depreciation YuTzql     
n.价值低落,贬值,蔑视,贬低
参考例句:
  • She can't bear the depreciation of the enemy.她受不了敌人的蹂躏。
  • They wrote off 500 for depreciation of machinery.他们注销了500镑作为机器折旧费。
7 shrilly a8e1b87de57fd858801df009e7a453fe     
尖声的; 光亮的,耀眼的
参考例句:
  • The librarian threw back his head and laughed shrilly. 图书管理员把头往后面一仰,尖着嗓子哈哈大笑。
  • He half rose in his seat, whistling shrilly between his teeth, waving his hand. 他从车座上半欠起身子,低声打了一个尖锐的唿哨,一面挥挥手。
8 arrears IVYzQ     
n.到期未付之债,拖欠的款项;待做的工作
参考例句:
  • The payments on that car loan are in arrears by three months.购车贷款的偿付被拖欠了三个月。
  • They are urgent for payment of arrears of wages.他们催讨拖欠的工钱。
9 miserable g18yk     
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的
参考例句:
  • It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他,这是可耻的。
  • Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。
10 chuckle Tr1zZ     
vi./n.轻声笑,咯咯笑
参考例句:
  • He shook his head with a soft chuckle.他轻轻地笑着摇了摇头。
  • I couldn't suppress a soft chuckle at the thought of it.想到这个,我忍不住轻轻地笑起来。
11 redeem zCbyH     
v.买回,赎回,挽回,恢复,履行(诺言等)
参考例句:
  • He had no way to redeem his furniture out of pawn.他无法赎回典当的家具。
  • The eyes redeem the face from ugliness.这双眼睛弥补了他其貌不扬之缺陷。
12 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
13 melancholy t7rz8     
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的
参考例句:
  • All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
  • He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过,他感到很郁闷。
14 maker DALxN     
n.制造者,制造商
参考例句:
  • He is a trouble maker,You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼,你不要跟他在一起。
  • A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。
15 avariciously 67a42b044fba2a0fa7db5f76efb5c1aa     
adv.贪婪地,贪财地
参考例句:
  • Owen's eyes gleamed avariciously, opposingly. 欧文的眼睛露着贪婪的,反对的目光。 来自辞典例句
16 manifestations 630b7ac2a729f8638c572ec034f8688f     
n.表示,显示(manifestation的复数形式)
参考例句:
  • These were manifestations of the darker side of his character. 这些是他性格阴暗面的表现。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • To be wordly-wise and play safe is one of the manifestations of liberalism. 明哲保身是自由主义的表现之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
17 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
18 determined duszmP     
adj.坚定的;有决心的
参考例句:
  • I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
  • He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
19 indifference k8DxO     
n.不感兴趣,不关心,冷淡,不在乎
参考例句:
  • I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。
  • He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。
20 bauble BQ0yv     
n.美观而无价值的饰物
参考例句:
  • That little bauble is not to be compared with this enormous jewel.那个小摆设不能与这个大宝石相比较。
  • A bauble is a showy ornament of little value.廉价珠宝是华而不实的装饰品。
21 foul Sfnzy     
adj.污秽的;邪恶的;v.弄脏;妨害;犯规;n.犯规
参考例句:
  • Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
  • What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气!
22 resolutely WW2xh     
adj.坚决地,果断地
参考例句:
  • He resolutely adhered to what he had said at the meeting. 他坚持他在会上所说的话。
  • He grumbles at his lot instead of resolutely facing his difficulties. 他不是果敢地去面对困难,而是抱怨自己运气不佳。
23 ascertain WNVyN     
vt.发现,确定,查明,弄清
参考例句:
  • It's difficult to ascertain the coal deposits.煤储量很难探明。
  • We must ascertain the responsibility in light of different situtations.我们必须根据不同情况判定责任。


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