THE ACHARNIANS. 19

open a market for the men of the Peloponnesus and
their allies, and that they may come and buy and sell
with me, but not with General Dobattle.”

The other half of the charcoal-burners now pro-
claimed their conversion, and Honesty, encouraged
by their support, set about marking out the boun-
daries of his market, appointed constables to see that
the regulations were observed, and set up in the midst
a pillar with the terms of the treaty engraved upon it.

The first dealer that presented himself was one of
the neighbours from Megara. The poor fellow had
got nothing to sell but his two little girls; still he
was delighted to see an Athenian market again.

“Market of Athens, hail! For as a child
Longs for its mother, have I longed for thee!”

Then he turned to the children: “ But you, the
luckless children of a luckless sire, what is to be dené
with you? Would you sooner be sold or starve at
home?” @

“Sell us, sell us, dear papa!” cried the two in
chorus.

“Yes; but who will buy you? It would be a.
sheer loss. Hold! I have an idea. Put these pet-
_ titoes on and these little snouts, and mind you grunt
and whine and kick about like pigs. If you don’t, I
shall have to carry you back home, and you will be
worse starved than ever.— Mr. Honesty, do you
want to buy some pigs?”