(THE YOUTHS CABINET.

91

RES

The Count and

the Peasant.

 

TRANSLATED FROM THB FRENCH FOR THE CABINET,

BY THE EDITOR,

 

into a store, and
the counter, he beg-
gs ged the merchant to
lend him six francs on this
pledge.

“Do you take me for a
fool?’ said the merchant. “J
would not lend two sous on
tuch a piece of rubbish.”

«Whatever it may be,” replied the
peasant, “I would not part with it for
twenty crowns; but at this moment, I
happen to have great need of the money
I ask of you. I sold some wheat about
a week ago, and I ought to have re-
ceived the money for it to-day. I reck-
oned on this amount to pay my tax to-
morrow, in order to save my property
from being seized by the collector. But
the poor man who owes me, has been
called to bury his son. His wife is sick
with grief; and they are unable to pay
me until eight days from this time. As
I have often bought goods of you, and
as you know me to be an honest man, I
thought you would not hesitate to lend
me these six francs, which I need so
much. The amount is nothing for you;
it is much for me. But however that
+ may be, there is my hat, which I will
leave in pledge. It is much better se-
curity than you seem to regard it.”

The merchant only laughed, and
shrugged his shoulders, and unfeelingly

  

shut the door in the face of the peasant. }-

The Count of C—— happened to be
in the store at the time. He had listened

) we day, a peasant went

placing his hat on’

attentively to the conversation, and had .

been struck with the air of honesty
which appeared in the countenance of
the peasant. He approached him, as
the merchant was turning him out of the
store, and put the six francs into his
hand, saying, pleasantly—

“Here is what you asked for, my
friend. Since you find it so difficult to
get the money of others, I shall have the
pleasure of obliging you myself.”

As he said these words, he went hastily
out of the store, casting behind him a
look of indignation at the merchant, en-
tered his carriage, and drove off. He
was nearly out of sight, before the
peasant, struck dumb with astonishment
and joy, had come a little to himself.

A month after this, as the count was
crossing the King’s Bridge, in his car-
riage, he heard some one crying to the
coachman to stop. He put his head out
of the window, and saw, on the footpath,
a man running at the top of his speed,
following his horses. He immediately
pulled the cord, asa signal for the coach-
man to stop; and the man ran up to the
window of the carriage, and said to the
count—

“T hope you will excuse me, sir; I

am quite out of breath, trying to over- —

take you. Are you not the gentleman
who slipped six francs into my hand, in
a store, about a month ago?”

«Yes, my friend. I recollect the cir-
cumstance,” said the count.

«“ Well, sir, here is the money that I
received from you. When you gave it
to me, you did not leave time enough

+.