He seized it with a nervous movement, and seemed to take in its condition at a single glance.

Apparently, the examination was not very satisfactory, for he let the coat fall, in a careless manner, across a chair, giving his shoulders a shrug, while a slight expression of contempt flitted over his countenance.
"Not much good!" fell from his lips after a pause.
By this time I had turned to his basket, and was examining, more carefully, its contents.

Most prominent stood the china vases, upon which my heart was already set; and instinctively I took them in my hands.
"What will you give for the coat ?" said I.
The old man gave his head a significant shake, as he replied-- "No very good." "It's worth something," I returned.

"Many a poor person would be glad to buy it for a small sum of money.

It's only a little defaced.
I'm sure its richly worth four or five dollars." "Pho! Pho! Five dollar! Pho!" The old man seemed angry at my most unreasonable assumption.
"Well, well," said I, beginning to feel a little impatient, "just tell me what you will give for it." "What you want ?" he enquired, his manner visibly changing.
"I want these vases, at any rate," I answered, holding up the articles I had mentioned.
"Worth four, five dollar!" ejaculated the dealer, in well feigned surprise.
I shook my head.