THE VAMPIRE AND ST. MICHAEL. 81

tears: “He would repay thee indeed if he were in
this world,” said she, ‘‘but lo now! he died but a
little while ago!” The rich man snarled at her and
departed, but when he got home he said to the ikon:
“A pretty surety thow art!” Then he took St.
Michael down from the niche, dug out his eyes, and
began beating him.

He beat St. Michael again and again, and at last
he flung him into a puddle |
and trampled on him. “Tl
give it thee for standing me
surety so scurvily,” said he.
While he was thus abusing
St. Michael, a young fellow
about twenty years old came
along that way, and said to
him: “What art thou doing,
my father ?”—“T am beating
him because he stood surety
and has played me false. He
took upon himself the re-
payment of a silver ruble, which I lent to the son
of a swine, who has since gone away and died. That
is why Iam beating him now.”—* Beat him not, my
father! Tl give thee a silver ruble, but thou give
me this holy image !”—“Take him if thou wilt, but
see that thou bring me the silver ruble first.”