He did not hesitate, therefore, to try to get it a little cheaper.
"I'll give you two dollars and a quarter," he said, "and not a penny more." Eliakim tried hard to get ten cents more, but Paul saw that he was sure of his purchase, and remained obdurate.

So, after a pretense of putting up the fiddle, the pawnbroker finally said, "You may have it, but I tell you that I shall lose money." "All right," said Paul; "hand it over." "Where is the money ?" asked Eliakim, cautiously.
Paul drew from his pocket a two-dollar bill and twenty-five cents in currency, and received the fiddle.

The pawnbroker scrutinized the money closely, fearing that it might be bad; but finally, making up his mind on that point, deposited it in his money drawer.
"Well, Phil, we may as well go," said Paul.

"We've got through our business." The pawnbroker heard this, and a sudden suspicion entered his mind that Paul had been too sharp for him.
"I might have got twenty-five cents more," he thought regretfully; and this thought disturbed the complacency he felt at first.
"Well, Phil, how do you like it ?" asked Paul, as they emerged into the street.
"Let me try it," said Phil, eagerly.
He struck up a tune, which he played through, his face expressing the satisfaction he felt.
"Is it as good as your old one ?" "It is much better," said Phil.

"I will pay you for it;" and he drew out the money the sailors had given him in the morning.
"No, Phil," said his friend, "you may need that money.