EPISODE OF THE CONTENTED TAILOR 



place where they might sleep. Before going to rest 

 they told him their errand ; they were searching for a 

 certain man of the name of Phocas, a Christian, and, 

 having found him, they were to slay him. When they 

 were asleep, the Saint, after offering up his prayers, 

 went into his garden and dug a grave in the middle of 

 the flower beds. 



" The morning came, and the strangers prepared to 

 depart, but the Saint, standing before them, told them 

 he was the very man whom they sought. A horror 

 seized them that they should have eaten with the man 

 they had set out to kill, but Saint Phocas, leading them 

 to the grave among the flowers, bid them do their 

 work. They cut off his head, and buried him in his 

 own garden, in the grave he had dug." 



The little tailor was silent. I lit my pipe, and began 

 to put my traps together. . 



Then he spoke. " I couldn't do that, you know. 

 Those martyrs by gum ! " 



" Death," said I, " was life to them. Their life was 

 only a preparation for death." 



The tailor sat up. " My sister's like that," he said. 

 44 She's bought a tombstone think of that. Said she'd 

 like to have it by her. She's a one for a bargain, if you 

 like ; saw this tombstone marked ' Cheap,' in a stone- 

 mason's yard down our way, and went in at once to 

 ask the price. She'd price anything, my sister would. 

 You've only got to mark a thing down ' Cheap ' and 

 she's after the price in a minute." 



" How did the tombstone come to be marked 

 * cheap ' ? " I asked, laughing with him. 



44 It was this way," said the tailor. Then he turned, 

 in his inconsequent way to me. 44 1 wonder," he said, 

 44 if, as you're so kind as to take an interest, you'd 

 care to see our cottage. We'd be proud, my sister and 



33 B 



