“And why not?” cried the dealer.  “Why not a glass?”

Markheim was looking upon him with an indefinable expression.  “You ask me why not?” he said.  “Why, look here—­look in it—­look at yourself!  Do you like to see it?  No! nor I—­nor any man.”

The little man had jumped back when Markheim had so suddenly confronted him with the mirror; but now, perceiving there was nothing worse on hand, he chuckled.  “Your future lady, sir, must be pretty hard favored,” said he.

“I ask you,” said Markheim, “for a Christmas present, and you give me this—­this damned reminder of years, and sins, and follies—­ this hand-conscience!  Did you mean it?  Had you a thought in your mind?  Tell me.  It will be better for you if you do.  Come, tell me about yourself.  I hazard a guess now, that you are in secret a very charitable man?”

The dealer looked closely at his companion.  It was very odd, Markheim did not appear to be laughing; there was something in his face like an eager sparkle of hope, but nothing of mirth.

“What are you driving at?” the dealer asked.

“Not charitable?” returned the other, gloomily.  “Not charitable; not pious; not scrupulous; unloving, unbeloved; a hand to get money, a safe to keep it.  Is that all?  Dear God, man, is that all?”

“I will tell you what it is,” began the dealer, with some sharpness, and then broke off again into a chuckle.  “But I see this is a love match of yours, and you have been drinking the lady’s health.”

“Ah!” cried Markheim, with a strange curiosity.  “Ah, have you been in love!  Tell me about that.”

“I,” cried the dealer.  “I in love!  I never had the time, nor have I the time to-day for all this nonsense.  Will you take the glass?”

“Where is the hurry?” returned Markheim.  “It is very pleasant to stand here talking; and life is so short and insecure that I would not hurry away from any pleasure—­no, not even from so mild a one as this.  We should rather cling, cling to what little we can get, like a man at a cliff’s edge.  Every second is a cliff, if you think upon it—­a cliff a mile high—­high enough, if we fall, to dash us out of every feature of humanity.  Hence it is best to talk pleasantly.  Let us talk of each other; why should we wear this mask?  Let us be confidential.  Who knows, we might become friends?”

“I have just one word to say to you,” said the dealer.  “Either make your purchase, or walk out of my shop.”

“True, true,” said Markheim.  “Enough fooling.  To business.  Show me something else.”

The dealer stooped once more, this time to replace the glass upon the shelf, his thin blond hair falling over his eyes as he did so.  Markheim moved a little nearer, with one hand in the pocket of his greatcoat; he drew himself up and filled his lungs—­at the same time many different emotions were depicted together on his face—­ terror, horror, and resolve, fascination and a physical repulsion; and through a haggard lift of his upper lip, his teeth looked out.