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trembled for joy as he wrapped up the first seventy pieces of gold. The last ten he told over with much deliberation, pausing, and saying something as he took each piece from the table, and dropt it into his purse. It seemed as if his avarice was struggling with his better nature, and compelling him to pouch zecchin after zecchin, while his generosity urged him to restore some part at least to his benefactor. His whole speech ran nearly thus:

"Seventy-one-seventy-two; thy master is a good youth-seventy-three, an excellent youthseventy-four-that piece hath been clipt within the ring-seventy-five-and that looketh light of weight-seventy-six-when thy master wants money, let him come to Isaac of York-seventy-seven —that is, with reasonable security." Here he made a considerable pause, and Gurth had good hope that the last three pieces might escape the fate of their comrades; but the enumeration proceeded.Seventy-eight-thou art a good fellow-seventynine-and deservest something for thyself"

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Here the Jew paused again, and looked at the last zecchin, intending, doubtless, to bestow it upon Gurth. He weighed it upon the tip of his finger, and made it ring by dropping it upon the table. Had it rung too flat, or had it felt a hair's breadth too light, generosity had carried the day; but, unhappily for Gurth, the chime was full and true, the zecchin plump, newly coined, and a grain

above weight. Isaac could not find in his heart to part with it, so dropt it into his purse as if in absence of mind, with the words, " Eighty completes the tale, and I trust thy master will reward thee handsomely. Surely," he added, looking earnestly at the bag," thou hast more coins in that pouch?"

Gurth grinned, which was his nearest approach to a laugh, as he replied, “About the same quantity which thou hast just told over so carefully." He then folded the quittance, and put it under his cap, adding,-" Peril of thy beard, Jew, see that this be full and ample." He filled himself, unbidden, a third goblet of wine, and left the apartment without ceremony.

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Rebecca," said the Jew," that Ishmaelite hath gone somewhat beyond me. Nevertheless his master is a good youth-ay, and I am well pleased that he hath gained shekels of gold and shekels of silver, even by the speed of his horse and by the strength of his lance, which, like that of Goliath the Philistine, might vie with a weaver's beam.”

As he turned to receive Rebecca's answer, he observed, that during his chaffering with Gurth, she had left the apartment unperceived.

In the meanwhile, Gurth had descended the stair, and, having reached the dark anti-chamber or hall, was puzzling about to discover the entrance, when a figure in white, shewn by a small silver lamp which she held in her hand, beckoned him

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into a side apartment. Gurth had some reluctance to obey the summons. Rough and impetuous as a wild boar, where only earthly force was to be apprehended, he had all the characteristic terrors of a Saxon respecting fawns, forest-fiends, white women, and the whole of superstition which they brought with them from the wilds of Germany. He remembered, moreover, that he was in the house of a Jew, a people who, besides the other unamiable qualities which popular report ascribed to them, were supposed to be profound necromancers and cabalists. Nevertheless, after a moment's pause, he obeyed the beckoning summons of the apparition, and followed her into the apartment which she indicated.

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My father did but jest with thee, good fellow," said Rebecca; "he owes thy master deeper kindness than these arms and steed could pay, were their value tenfold. What sum didst thou pay my father even now ?”

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Eighty zecchins," said Gurth, surprised at the question.

"In this purse," said Rebecca, "thou wilt find a hundred. Restore to thy master that which is his due, and enrich thyself with the remainder. Haste-begone-stay not to render thanks! and beware how you pass through this crowded town, where thou mayst easily lose both thy burden and

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thy life.-Reuben," she added, clapping her hands together, "light forth this stranger, and fail not to draw lock and bar behind him."

Reuben, a dark-brow'd and black-bearded Israelite, obeyed her summons, with a torch in his hand; undid the outward door of the house, and conducting Gurth across a paved court, let him out through a wicket in the entrance-gate, which he closed behind him with such bolts and chains as would well have become that of a prison.

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By St Dunstan," said Gurth, as he stumbled up the dark avenue," this is no Jewess, but an angel from heaven! Ten zecchins from my brave young master-twenty from this pearl of Zion-Oh, happy day! Such another, Gurth, will redeem thy bondage, and make thee a brother as free of thy guild as the best. And then do I lay down my swine-herd's horn and staff, and take the freeman's sword and buckler, and follow my young master to the death, without hiding either my face or my name."

CHAPTER XI.

1 Outlaw. Stand, sir, and throw us that you have about you;

If not, we'll make you sit, and rifle you.

Speed. Sir, we are undone! these are the villains

That all the travellers do fear so much.

Val. My friends,

1 Out. That's not so, sir, we are your enemies.

2 Out. Peace! we'll hear him.

3 Out. Ay, by my beard, will we;

For he's a proper man.

Two Gentlemen of Verond.

THE nocturnal adventures of Gurth were not yet concluded; indeed he himself became partly of that mind, when, after passing one or two straggling houses which stood in the outskirts of the village he found himself in a deep lane, running between two banks overgrown with hazel and holly, while here and there a dwarf oak flung its arms altogether across the path. The lane was moreover much rutted and broken up by the carriages which had recently transported articles of various kinds to the place of the tournament; and it was dark, for

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