'You are not accustomed to our business, or you would know that we like borrowers to mention their own ideas as to sum; and we give it if we can,' he rejoined with ready words. 'What do you ask?' 'If you would let me have four pounds upon them, began Mary, hesitatingly. But he snapped up the words. 'Four pounds! Why, Miss Baxendale, you can't know what you are saying. The fashion of these coral things is over and done with. They are worth next to nothing.' Mary's heart beat quicker in its sickness of disappointment. 'They are genuine, sir, if you'll please to look. The gold is real gold, and the coral is the best coral; my poor mother has told me so many a time. Her godmother was a lady, well-to-do in the world, and the things were a present from her.' 'If they were not genuine, I'd not lend as many pence upon them,' said the man. 'With a little alteration the brooch might be made tolerably modern; otherwise their value would be no more than old gold. In selling them, I----' 'It will not come to that, Mr. Cox,' interrupted Mary. 'Please God spares me a little while--and, since the hot weather went out, I feel a bit stronger--I shall soon redeem them.' Mr. Cox looked at her thin face; he listened to her short breath; and he drew his own conclusions. There was a line of pity in his hard face, for he had long respected Mary Baxendale. 'By the way the strike seems to be lasting on, there doesn't seem much promise of a speedy end to it,' quoth he, in answer. 'I never was so over-done with pledges.' 'My work does not depend upon that,' said Mary. 'Let me get up a little strength, and I shall have as much work as I can do. And I am well paid, Mr. Cox: I have a private connection. I am not like the poor seamstresses who make skirts for fourpence a-piece.' Mr. Cox made no immediate reply to this, and there was a pause. The open box lay before him. He took up the necklace and examined its clasp. 'I will lend you a sovereign upon them.' She lifted her face pitiably, and the tears glistened in her eyes. 'It would be of no use to me,' she whispered. 'I want the money for a particular purpose, otherwise I should never have brought here these gifts of my mother's. She gave them to me the day I was eighteen, and I have tenderly kept them from desecration.' Poor Mary! From desecration! 'I have heard her say what they cost; but I forget now. I know it was over ten pounds.' 'But the day for this fashion has gone by. To ask four pounds upon them was preposterous; and you would know it to be so, were you acquainted with the trade.' 'Will you lend me two pounds, then?' The tone was tremblingly eager, the face beseeching--a wan face, telling of the coming grave. Possibly the thought struck the pawnbroker, and awoke some humanity within him. 'I shall lose by it, I know, if it comes to a sale. I'd not do it for anybody else, Miss Baxendale.'