avoid　abusing　it；　any　more　than　others　could　avoid　turning　it　to　a
  profitable　account？　　I　did　not　see　how　they　could；　this　poor　simple
  woman　found　a　book　in　her　mother's　closet；　a　book；　which　was　a
  capital　book　for　those　who　could　turn　it　to　the　account　for　which
  it　was　intended；　a　book；　from　the　perusal　of　which　I　felt　myself
  wiser　and　better；　but　which　was　by　no　means　suited　to　the　intellect
  of　this　poor　simple　woman；　who　thought　that　it　was　written　in
  praise　of　thieving；　yet　she　found　it；　she　read　it；　and　…　and　…　I
  felt　myself　getting　into　a　maze；　what　is　right；　thought　I？　what　is
  wrong？　　Do　I　exist？　　Does　the　world　exist？　if　it　does；　every　action
  is　bound　up　with　necessity。
  'Necessity！'　I　exclaimed；　and　cracked　my　finger…joints。
  'Ah；　it　is　a　bad　thing；'　said　the　old　woman。
  'What　is　a　bad　thing？'　said　I。
  'Why　to　be　poor；　dear。'
  'You　talk　like　a　fool；'　said　I；　'riches　and　poverty　are　only
  different　forms　of　necessity。'
  'You　should　not　call　me　a　fool；　dear；　you　should　not　call　your　own
  mother　a　fool。'
  'You　are　not　my　mother；'　said　I。
  'Not　your　mother；　dear？　…　no；　no　more　I　am；　but　your　calling　me
  fool　put　me　in　mind　of　my　dear　son；　who　often　used　to　call　me　fool
  …　and　you　just　now　looked　as　he　sometimes　did；　with　a　blob　of　foam
  on　your　lip。'
  'After　all；　I　don't　know　that　you　are　not　my　mother。'
  'Don't　you；　dear？　　I'm　glad　of　it；　I　wish　you　would　make　it　out。'
  'How　should　I　make　it　out？　who　can　speak　from　his　own　knowledge　as
  to　the　circumstances　of　his　birth？　　Besides；　before　attempting　to
  establish　our　relationship；　it　would　be　necessary　to　prove　that
  such　people　exist。'
  'What　people；　dear？'
  'You　and　I。'
  'Lord；　child；　you　are　mad；　that　book　has　made　you　so。'
  'Don't　abuse　it；'　said　I；　'the　book　is　an　excellent　one；　that　is；
  provided　it　exists。'
  'I　wish　it　did　not；'　said　the　old　woman；　'but　it　shan't　long；　I'll
  burn　it；　or　fling　it　into　the　river　…　the　voices　at　night　tell　me
  to　do　so。'
  'Tell　the　voices；'　said　I；　'that　they　talk　nonsense；　the　book；　if
  it　exists；　is　a　good　book；　it　contains　a　deep　moral；　have　you　read
  it　all？'
  'All　the　funny　parts；　dear；　all　about　taking　things；　and　the　manner
  it　was　done；　as　for　the　rest；　I　could　not　exactly　make　it　out。'
  'Then　the　book　is　not　to　blame；　I　repeat　that　the　book　is　a　good
  book；　and　contains　deep　morality；　always　supposing　that　there　is
  such　a　thing　as　morality；　which　is　the　same　thing　as　supposing　that
  there　is　anything　at　all。'
  'Anything　at　all！　　Why　ain't　we　here　on　this　bridge；　in　my　booth；
  with　my　stall　and　my　…　'
  'Apples　and　pears；　baked　hot；　you　would　say　…　I　don't　know；　all　is
  a　mystery；　a　deep　question。　　It　is　a　question；　and　probably　always
  will　be；　whether　there　is　a　world；　and　consequently　apples　and
  pears；　and；　provided　there　be　a　world；　whether　that　world　be　like
  an　apple　or　a　pear。'
  'Don't　talk　so；　dear。'
  'I　won't；　we　will　suppose　that　we　all　exist　…　world；　ourselves；
  apples；　and　pears：　　so　you　wish　to　get　rid　of　the　book？'
  'Yes；　dear；　I　wish　you　would　take　it。'
  'I　have　read　it；　and　have　no　farther　use　for　it；　I　do　not　need
  books：　　in　a　little　time；　perhaps；　I　shall　not　have　a　place　wherein
  to　deposit　myself；　far　less　books。'
  'Then　I　will　fling　it　into　the　river。'
  'Don't　do　that；　here；　give　it　me。　　Now　what　shall　I　do　with　it？　you
  were　so　fond　of　it。'
  'I　am　so　no　longer。'
  'But　how　will　you　pass　your　time；　what　will　you　read？'
  'I　wish　I　had　never　learned　to　read；　or；　if　I　had；　that　I　had　only
  read　the　books　I　saw　at　school：　　the　primer　or　the　other。'
  'What　was　the　other？'
  'I　think　they　called　it　the　Bible：　　all　about　God；　and　Job；　and
  Jesus。'
  'Ah；　I　know　it。'
  'You　have　read　it；　is　it　a　nice　book　…　all　true？'
  'True；　true　…　I　don't　know　what　to　say；　but　if　the　world　be　true；
  and　not　all　a　lie；　a　fiction；　I　don't　see　why　the　Bible；　as　they
  call　it；　should　not　be　true。　　By　the　bye；　what　do　you　call　Bible　in
  your　tongue；　or；　indeed；　book　of　any　kind？　as　Bible　merely　means　a
  book。'
  'What　do　I　call　the　Bible　in　my　language；　dear？'
  'Yes；　the　language　of　those　who　bring　you　things。'
  'The　language　of　those　who　DID；　dear；　they　bring　them　now　no
  longer。　　They　call　me　fool；　as　you　did；　dear；　just　now；　they　call
  kissing　the　Bible；　which　means　taking　a　false　oath；　smacking　calf…
  skin。'
  'That's　metaphor；'　said　I；　'English；　but　metaphorical；　what　an　odd
  language！　　So　you　would　like　to　have　a　Bible；　…　shall　I　buy　you
  one？'
  'I　am　poor；　dear　…　no　money　since　I　left　off　the　other　trade。'
  'Well；　then；　I'll　buy　you　one。'
  'No；　dear；　no；　you　are　poor；　and　may　soon　want　the　money；　but　if
  you　can　take　me　one　conveniently　on　the　sly；　you　know　…　I　think　you
  may；　for；　as　it　is　a　good　book；　I　suppose　there　can　be　no　harm　in
  taking　it。'
  'That　will　never　do；'　said　I；　'more　especially　as　I　should　be　sure
  to　be　caught；　not　having　made　taking　of　things　my　trade；　but　I'll
  tell　you　what　I'll　do　…　try　and　exchange　this　book　of　yours　for　a
  Bible；　who　knows　for　what　great　things　this　same　book　of　yours　may
  serve？'
  'Well；　dear；'　said　the　old　woman；　'do　as　you　please；　I　should　like
  to　see　the　…　what　do　you　call　it？　…　Bible；　and　to　read　it；　as　you
  seem　to　think　it　true。'
  'Yes；'　said　I；　'seem；　that　is　the　way　to　express　yourself　in　this
  maze　of　doubt　…　I　seem　to　think　…　these　apples　and　pears　seem　to　be
  …　and　here　seems　to　be　a　gentleman　who　wants　to　purchase　either　one
  or　the　other。'
  A　person　had　stopped　before　the　apple…woman's　stall；　and　was
  glancing　now　at　the　fruit；　now　at　the　old　woman　and　myself；　he　wore
  a　blue　mantle；　and　had　a　kind　of　fur　cap　on　his　head；　he　was
  somewhat　above　the　middle　stature；　his　features　were　keen；　but
  rather　hard；　there　was　a　slight　obliquity　in　his　vision。　　Selecting
  a　small　apple；　he　gave　the　old　woman　a　penny；　then；　after　looking
  at　me　scrutinisingly　for　a　moment；　he　moved　from　the　booth　in　the
  direction　of　Southwark。
  'Do　you　know　who　that　man　is？'　said　I　to　the　old　woman。
  'No；'　said　she；　'except　that　he　is　one　of　my　best　customers：　　he
  frequently　stops；　takes　an　apple；　and　gives　me　a　penny；　his　is　the
  only　piece　of　money　I　have　taken　this　blessed　day。　　I　don't　know
  him；　but　he　has　once　or　twice　sat　down　in　the　booth　with　two
  strange…looking　men　…　Mulattos；　or　Lascars；　I　think　they　call
  them。'
  CHAPTER　XLV
  Bought　and　exchanged　…　Quite　empty　…　A　new　firm　…　Bibles　…
  Countenance　of　a　lion　…　Clap　of　thunder　…　A　truce　with　this　…　I
  have　lost　it　…　Clearly　a　right　…　Goddess　of　the　Mint。
  IN　pursuance　of　my　promise　to　the　old　woman；　I　set　about　procuring
  her　a　Bible　with　all　convenient　speed；　placing　the　book　which　she
  had　intrusted　to　me　for　the　purpose　of　exchange　in　my　pocket。　　I
  went　to　several　shops；　and　asked　if　Bibles　were　to　be　had：　　I　found
  that　there　were　plenty。　　When；　however；　I　informed　the　people　that
  I　came　to　barter；　they　looked　blank；　and　declined　treating　with　me；
  saying　that　they　did　not　do　business　in　that　way。　　At　last　I　went
  into　a　shop　over　the　window　of　which　I　saw　written；　'Books　bought
  and　exchanged'：　　there　was　a　smartish　young　fellow　in　the　shop；
  with　black　hair　and　whiskers；　'You　exchange？'　said　I。　　'Yes；'　said
  he；　'sometimes；　but　we　prefer　selling；　what　book　do　you　want？'　　'A
  Bible；'　said　I。　　'Ah；'　said　he；　'there's　a　great　demand　for　Bibles
  just　now；　all　kinds　of　people　are　become　very　pious　of　late；'　he
  added；　grinning　at　me；　'I　am　afraid　I　can't　do　business　with　you；
  more　especially　as　the　master　is　not　at　home。　　What　book　have　you
  brought？'　　Taking　the　book　out　of　my　pocket；　I　placed　it　on　the
  counter：　　the　young　fellow　opened　the　book；　and　inspecting　the
  title…page；　burst　into　a　loud　laugh。　　'What　do　you　laugh　for？'　said
  I；　angrily；　and　half　clenching　my　fist。　　'Laugh！'　said　the　young
  fellow；　'laugh！　who　could　help　laughing？'　　'I　could；'　said　I；　'I
  see　nothing　to　laugh　at；　I　want　to　exchange　this　book　for　a　Bible。'
  'You　do？'　said　the　young　fellow；　'well；　I　daresay　there　are　plenty
  who　would　be　willing　to　exchange；　that　is；　if　they　dared。　　I　wish
  master　were　at　home；　but　that　would　never　do；　either。　　Master's　a
  family　man；　the　Bibles　are　not　mine；　and　master　being　a　family　man；
  is　sharp；　and　knows　all　his　stock；　I'd　buy　it　of　you；　but；　to　tell
  you　the　truth；　I　am　quite　empty　here；'　said　he；　pointing　to　his
  pocket；　'so　I　am　afraid　we　can't　deal。'
  Whereupon；　looking　anxiously　at　the　young　man；　'What　am　I　to　do？'
  said　I；　'I　really　want　a　Bible。'
  'Can't　you　buy　one？'　said　the　young　man；　'have　you　no　money？'
  'Yes；'　said　I；　'I　have　some；　but　I　am　merely　the　agent　of　another；
  I　came　to　exchange；　not　to　buy；　what　am　I　to　do？'
  'I　don't　know；'　said　the　young　man；　thoughtfully　lay