THE JEWISH PHYSICIAN’S STORY. air

situation, instead of selling my goods, I resolved to dispose of
the necklace ; but I was so little acquainted with the value of
pearls, that I had but bad success, as you will hear.

“T went to the bezestein,* where I called aside one of the
criers, and shewing him the necklace, told him I wished to sell
it, and begged him to shew it to the principal jewellers. The
crier was surprised at seeing such an elegant ornament. ‘Our
merchants,’ said he, ‘have never seen anything so rich and costly ;
I shall give them great pleasure, and you need not doubt their
setting a high price on it, and bidding against one another.
He led me into a shop, which I found to be that of the owner of
my house. ‘Wait for me here,’ said the crier, ‘I shall soon
return, and bring you an answer,’

“Whilst he with great secrecy was going about to the dif-
ferent merchants to shew the necklace, I seated myself near the
jeweller, who was very glad to see me, and we entered into
conversation together on various subjects. The crier returned,
and taking me aside, instead of telling me that thenecklace was
esteemed worth two thousand scherifs} at the least, he assured
me that no one would give me more than fifty. ‘They tell me,’
added he, ‘that the pearls are false ; determine whether you
will let it go at that price’ As I believed what he said, and
was in want of money, ‘Go,’ said I, ‘I depend on what you
say, and those who are better acquainted with these matters
than I am; deliver it, and bring me the money directly,’

“The crier had, in fact, been sent to offer me fifty scherifs by
one of the richest jewellers in the bezestein, who had only
mentioned this price to sound me, and see if I knew the worth
of what I wanted to sell. No sooner therefore was he made
acquainted with my answer, than he took the crier with him to
an officer of the police, to whom, shewing the necklace, he said,
‘Sir, this is a necklace that has been stolen from me, and the
thief, disguised as a merchant, has had the effrontery to offer it
for sale, and is now actually in the bezestein. ‘He is content to
receive fifty scherifs for jewels that are worth two thousand;
nothing can be a stronger proof of his being a thief?

“ The officer of the police sent immediately to arrest me, and

* The bezestein is a market place for the sale of jewels and ciher valuable com-

modities.
+ A scherif is cual to about five shillings.