Page:Tales of old Lusitania.djvu/28

18 to rise very early next morning and bring in the piece of pork. The other man, however, took good care he should not find it there next morning, for during the night he got it safely into his own house.

The rich godfather rose early next morning, dressed hurriedly, and proceeded to the garden to fetch the loin, and finding that it was gone he ran in great distress of mind to his neighbour's house to tell him of his loss. He seized his neighbour's arm and gesticulated frantically as he told him what had occurred. The needy godfather, purposely misunderstanding him, cried, "Well done! that's the way to do it, gossip! Bravo! Very well, very well indeed! You act it capitally. Anyone would believe you. If you do like that before the abbot, you will get off easily; he will think you have really lost the loin, and will excuse you, gossip."

The more the rich man protested that he was speaking seriously, that it was no joke, but the loin of pork had in truth been stolen from his garden, the more did the poor man laugh and applaud him for his good acting, until, despairing of making his friend understand that he was in earnest, he left him and went home.

The godfather who had purloined the piece of pork was left chuckling at the success of his sharp stroke of business. Going up to his wife, he said, "I tell you what, wife, we must now see if we can't