Page:Popular Tales and Romances of the Northern Nations (Volume 2).djvu/17

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The Spectre Barber.
5

to whom alone, and not to his own extravagance, he ascribed the disorder in his finances. He gave himself no further trouble to find out the cause; but, after having had recourse to the common folly of libertines, and swore a few dozen of oaths, he gave his man, who stood near him, shrugging up his shoulders, the laconic command, to “get money.”

The money-lending jews and usurers were immediately applied to. In a short time large sums, taken up at exorbitant interest, again filled the empty purse. A room paved with dollars was at that period in the eyes of creditors, a better security for repayment than a draft on the bank of England at the present day. For a short time this palliative was of great use, but a report soon got abroad, nobody knew how that the silver pavement had been taken up in secresy, and its place supplied with stone. On the demand of the creditors, Justice examined into the matter, and the report was found to be true. It was not indeed to be denied, that a pavement of variegated marble like mosaic, was more suitable in a banquetting