'Oh,friend,'said the precise-looking man,'if you come here expecting to have a Bible for nothing,you are mistaken-we-'
'I would scorn to have a Bible for nothing,'said I,'or anything else;I came not to beg,but to barter;there is no shame in that,especially in a country like this,where all folks barter.'
'Oh,we don't barter,'said the precise man,'at least Bibles;you had better depart.'
'Stay,brother,'said the man with the countenance of a lion,'let us ask a few questions;this may be a very important case;perhaps the young man has had convictions.'
'Not I,'I exclaimed,'I am convinced of nothing,and with regard to the Bible-I don't believe-'
'Hey!'said the man with the lion countenance,and there he stopped.But with that 'Hey'the walls of the house seemed to shake,the windows rattled,and the porter whom I had seen in front of the house came running up the steps,and looked into the apartment through the glass of the door.
There was silence for about a minute-the same kind of silence which succeeds a clap of thunder.
At last the man with the lion countenance,who had kept his eyes fixed upon me,said calmly,'Were you about to say that you don't believe in the Bible,young man?'
'No more than in anything else,'said I;'you were talking of convictions-I have no convictions.It is not easy to believe in the Bible till one is convinced that there is a Bible.'
'He seems to be insane,'said the prim-looking man;'we had better order the porter to turn him out.'
'I am by no means certain,'said I,'that the porter could turn me out;always provided there is a porter,and this system of ours be not a lie,and a dream.'
'Come,'said the lion-looking man,impatiently,'a truce with this nonsense.If the porter cannot turn you out,perhaps some other person can;but to the point-you want a Bible?'
'I do,'said I,'but not for myself;I was sent by another person to offer something in exchange for one.'
'And who is that person?'
'A poor old woman,who has had what you call convictions,-heard voices,or thought she heard them-I forgot to ask her whether they were loud ones.'
'What has she sent to offer in exchange?'said the man,without taking any notice of the concluding part of my speech.
'A book,'said I.
'Let me see it.'
'Nay,brother,'said the precise man,'this will never do;if we once adopt the system of barter,we shall have all the holders of useless rubbish in the town applying to us.'
'I wish to see what he has brought,'said the other;'perhaps Baxter,or Jewell's APOLOGY,either of which would make a valuable addition to our collection.Well,young man,what's the matter with you?'
I stood like one petrified;I had put my hand into my pocket-the book was gone.
'What's the matter?'repeated the man with the lion countenance,in a voice very much resembling thunder.
'I have it not-I have lost it!'
'A pretty story,truly,'said the precise-looking man,'lost it!
You had better retire,'said the other.
'How shall I appear before the party who intrusted me with the book?She will certainly think that I have purloined it,notwithstanding all I can say;nor,indeed,can I blame her,-appearances are certainly against me.'
'They are so-you had better retire.'
I moved towards the door.'Stay,young man,one word more;there is only one way of proceeding which would induce me to believe that you are sincere.'
'What is that?'said I,stopping and looking at him anxiously.
'The purchase of a Bible.'
'Purchase!'said I,'purchase!I came not to purchase,but to barter;such was my instruction,and how can I barter if I have lost the book?'
The other made no answer,and turning away I made for the door;all of a sudden I started,and turning round,'Dear me,'said I,'it has just come into my head,that if the book was lost by my negligence,as it must have been,I have clearly a right to make it good.'
No answer.
'Yes,'I repeated,'I have clearly a right to make it good;how glad I am!see the effect of a little reflection.I will purchase a Bible instantly,that is,if I have not lost-'and with considerable agitation I felt in my pocket.
The prim-looking man smiled:'I suppose,'said he,'that he has lost his money as well as book.'
'No,'said I,'I have not';and pulling out my hand I displayed no less a sum than three half-crowns.
'Oh,noble goddess of the Mint!'as Dame Charlotta Nordenflycht,the Swede,said a hundred and fifty years ago,'great is thy power;how energetically the possession of thee speaks in favour of man's character!'
'Only half-a-crown for this Bible?'said I,putting down the money,'it is worth three';and bowing to the man of the noble features,I departed with my purchase.
'Queer customer,'said the prim-looking man,as I was about to close the door-'don't like him.'
'Why,as to that,I scarcely know what to say,'said he of the countenance of a lion.