Whilst his necessities reproached them for this illiberal conduct,
his proud heart recoiled at making a request to their chanty; for he
had gathered from the haughty demeanor of Miss Diana that what he was
entitled to demand would be given, not as a just remuneration for
labor received, but as alms of humanity to an indigent emigrant.
"I would rather perish," cried he, putting on his hat, "than ask that
woman for a shilling."
When the count laid his treasure on the table of the worthy
pawnbroker, he desired to have the value of the settings of the
pictures, and the portraits themselves put into leather cases. With
the other little things, there were a pair of gold spurs, the
peculiar insignia of his princely rank, which the palatine himself
had buckled on his grandson's heels on mounting his noble charger for
his first field. There was a peculiar pang in parting with these--a
sort of last relic of what he had been! But there was no alternative:
all that had any intrinsic value must pass from him.
Having examined the setting of the miniatures, and the gold of the
other trinkets, with that of the spurs (which their hard service had
something marred), Mr. Burket declared, on the word of an honest man,
that he could not give more than fifteen pounds.
With difficulty Thaddeus stifled as torturing a sigh as ever
distended his breast, whilst he said,
"I will take it, I only implore you to be careful of the things,
trifling as they are; circumstances with which they were connected
render them valuable to me to redeem.
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