TIMOTHEUS AND PHILEMON.

(Continued from page 319.)

CHAP. XIX.

THE JEWEL-DEALER.

A

HE carriage arrived safely at the frontier town. number of people were assembled at the gate and in the streets to see the Pacha. The Pacha alighted at the large house which was appointed for travellers of kinds, and desired the host to show them all into the best and largest room. It was not very splendidly furnished, certainly, but from the windows there was a beautiful view towards Hungary. Lucius went to the window, and gazed at the mountains of his fatherland till his eyes were filled with tears. He looked up to Heaven and thanked God, who, after so many sorrows, had prepared him such a happy return to his country.

Meanwhile a man in gay Turkish costume, with an elegant case under his arm, had entered the room; he made a low bow to the Pacha, and said, 'Will not your highness purchase some of my goods? I deal only in the most costly articles, in the most splendid ornaments for ladies and gentlemen; the finest gold, the most beautiful jewels! All good and real, and very cheap. I only sell at the lowest prices.'

Before the Pacha could reply, the man had displayed his wares upon the table.

"Of these rings and bracelets, studded with diamonds, rubies, and other jewels, of these golden necklaces, your highness,' he said, 'should take some presents home to his lady.'

Lucius now came up to the table and examined the articles, which as a merchant he understood very well, and said,

He gathered his goods quickly together, and was about to go away. Just at that moment Timotheus and Philemon entered. Timotheus exclaimed at once, 'That is the man who stole us away!'

"Yes!' said Philemon, looking at his features.

'That is he!' both boys said. "The town seemed familiar to us directly we entered it: We remembered well that we had been here before.

And,' said Timotheus, as he looked round the room, this is the very apartment in which that man sold us. On this table here the money was paid out to him.' Philemon said, 'The landlord was standing close by. He then manifested great pity for us, but he could not save us; but now he appears indeed no longer to recognise us.'

The dealer stood with his box under his arm, looking very much frightened. But he denied everything. He exclaimed, I do not know these fine young gentlemen! How could a man be so bad and wicked as to sell two such beautiful young gentlemen, who stand so high in the favour of such a great Pacha? Such a wretch would not be worthy to tread the earth!'

The Pacha sent for the landlord and

Both

asked him if he knew the boys. stood before him. He looked at them attentively and then said,-Yes, now I recollect them. At first I did not recognise them, for both have grown so much; but the great likeness which they have to each other, at which I was then so much amazed, and which is now just as striking, is a sure sign to me that they really are those two boys whom that man there sold in this very apartment. Of the man I have nothing else to say, I have neither seen nor heard anything of him since that time.'

Now the Pacha called the Cadi, the judge of the town, who was in the antechamber, into the room, and inquired what the Cadi knew about this man.

The Cadi said,-Hitherto the man was quite unknown to me, for I have not been more than a year here, and I saw him for the first time a few days ago, when he came again to these parts. According to the description which my agents have given me of a certain suspicious jewel-dealer, this is the man. He gives himself out according as circumstances suit-now as a Turk, now as a Christian. According to other information, which I cannot rely upon altogether, he is a Polish Jew. But, whoever he may be, he has not escaped my vigilance. I have given my police and spies the strictest orders to watch him, and arrest him at his first act of roguery. Now, however, the rascal has been discovered and unmasked without my

aid.'

The Pacha next asked Lucius to tell what he knew about this man's previous evil deeds. Lucius said, 'The rascal presented to an honest, good-natured tradesman, who was not very sharp, in my native town, a bill of exchange, and received the money for it. When the man who had been taken in wished to change the paper into money, to his dismay he found that the bill was

forged. He accused this fellow. He denied before the court that this was the bill he had given to the tradesman, asserting that his was quite different and a good one. The poor man came to me in his distress. I took compassion on him. I recommended. him to my lawyer, and promised to pay all his costs. The rogue was arrested, but he engaged a very sharp, cunning man to defend him. The trial lasted a long time; the sentence was at last pronounced,-the cheat had to make good the money and to pay all the costs, but the several months. he had already been in prison were thought by the court to be punishment enough for him. But as he was discovered in several other similar tricks he was placed under the charge of the police till he reformed. His advocate asked him, "What shall we do? shall we bow to the sentence, or appeal to a higher tribunal?" He replied, to the amusement of those present, "Unwillingly as I do it, I will consent to the payment, if we can only get rid of the reform."

All laughed, but the Pacha said gravely, The wicked man has evidently managed to elude the police, and also to keep far away from reform; neither I nor any human power can force him to reform, yet I can prevent him from doing any further harm. He is a hardened miscreant, and when he was scarcely out of prison carried off those two children, partly out of revenge, partly to get back the money he had lost through the costs of the trial. As formerly he cheated people through false bills of exchange, so now he cheats them with false jewels. Let the child-robber be loaded with chains, and taken as a slave to the lead-mines. There, with hard work and spare food, he shall atone for his evil deeds.'

sold my dear children into slavery; now, in the very same place, is he condemned to slavery. God knows how to find out the evil-doer. May all men take warning, and deal uprightly and honestly before God's all-seeing eye.'

Early next morning Lucius and his two sons were ready for their journey. The Pacha had given him money to make up for all he had lost by the war and the plundering of his property. He embraced Lucius; both boys gratefully kissed his hands. Abdallah pressed them both to his heart and said, 'You have been my good angels; you have or rather God has through you-from a tiger changed me into a lamb.'

The boys could not speak for their sobs; their father, too, was silent from emotion. Abdallah accompanied them to the carriage. "God Almighty bless and keep you, and your good father,' he cried, as the carriage drove off. If God permit, before a year has passed away we meet again!'

(To be continued.)

BY THE FATHER'S

BEDSIDE.

(Continued from p. 315.) N the parsonage at Witteborn the poor old pastor had no suspicion who this robber Wilhelm, who excited so much fear, really was. The mother had sunk under the grief which the conduct of her son had caused her. She had now been resting several years in the little churchyard. The old man bore the heavy burden of his sorrow with that patience which confidence in God alone can give. He mourned for the loss of the dear companion of his life; but he worked on in his holy calling as much as he was able to do. He heard, now and

then, of the gang of robbers in his neighbourhood. No suspicion that his wicked son was at their head ever came into his mind; but as often as he heard of them a shudder passed through him, without his being able to give any reason for it, and he prayed that the merciful God might pardon their sins.

As the strength of the old pastor had failed during the last few years, a curate had been granted to help him, and he now lived in the parsonage with the old man. Thus it became possible for Segbert to fulfil a long-cherished wish which, till now, had been impossible for him. His family came

from the north of Hesse.

Here, in a small

town, his father had also been a pastor. He had educated him and the son of the chief magistrate of the place, with whom he was on very intimate terms, at the same time. Both boys were of the same age and had been friends from their childhood. After they left school they went together to the same university. Segbert chose the clerical profession, while his friend devoted himself to the law; but their friendship continued.

The posts upon which they entered on leaving the university led the two friends far away from each other, but did not separate them in heart. They frequently wrote to each other, and in almost every letter spoke of their earnest desire to see each other once more face to face. But ten years passed away without their being able to gratify this wish of their hearts. Segbert's friend, like his father, had become chief magistrate of the place, and rich; but the wide districts over which he had to administer justice, and the business of his profession, forbade his thinking of a long journey. The pastor was hindered by his small income from fulfilling the wish of his heart. The magistrate would gladly have paid the travelling expenses,