Stein shook his head dubiously, as he said: “Dat is my Kleinod, my idol,--in dat book lie de secret of secrets, and I say to myself, 'Lazarus, be poor, be destitute, be houseless to-morrow, and you know how to get rich if you will.' De great law of Chances--de rule dat guide what we call 'Luck'--dere it is written! I have but to say I will have, and I have! When I die, I will burn it, or have it lay wit me in my grave.” “It's not possible you could do this!” cried Beecher, in horror: far less of indignation had it cost him to hear that any one should carry out of the world with him the cure of cancer, of cholera, or some such dread scourge of poor humanity. The black-hearted selfishness of such a crime seemed without a parallel, and for a second or two, as he looked at the decrepid object before him, and saw the lonely spot, the isolation, and the propitious moment, a strange wild thought flashed across his mind that it might be not only pardonable, but praiseworthy, to seize upon and carry it off by force. Whether the old man read what was passing within him is hard to say, but he returned the other's look as steadily and as fiercely, and Beecher felt abashed and cowed. “I' ll tell you what, Stein,” said he, after a pause, “I 'll buy that same old volume of yours, just for the curiosity of the thing, and I 'll make you a sporting offer,--I 'll give you ten thousand francs for it!” A low wailing whistle of utter contempt was all the Jew replied. “Well, it's a splendid bid, if you come to think of it; for, just suppose it be everything you say--and I own I can't believe it is,--but suppose it were, who is to guarantee the continuance of these great public play-tables? All the Governments of Europe are setting their faces against them,--not a year passes without one or two being closed. This very spring there was a talk of suppressing play at Baden. Who can tell what the first outbreak of fanatic zeal may effect?” “No, no. So long as men live, dey will do tree tings,--make love, make war, and gamble. When dey give up dese, de world shut up.”