"Very well! very well indeed!" said Deacon Trott, self-approvingly.
"A handsome evening's work! And now, Brother Tilton, let's see whether
you can match it." Here was a sad contrast! They poured forth Deacon
Tilton's treasure upon the table, and it really seemed as if the whole
copper coinage of the country, together with an amazing quantity of
shop-keeper's tokens, and English and Irish half-pence, mostly of base
metal, had been congregated into the box. There was a very substantial
pencil-case, and the semblance of a shilling; but he latter proved to be
made of tin, and the former of German-silver. A gilded brass button was
doing duty as a gold coin, and a folded shopbill had assumed the
character of a bank-note. But Deacon Tilton's feelings were much
revived by the aspect of another bank-note, new and crisp, adorned with
beautiful engravings, and stamped with the indubitable word, TWENTY, in
large black letters. Alas! it was a counterfeit. In short, the poor
old Deacon was no less unfortunate than those who trade with fairies,
and whose gains are sure to be transformed into dried leaves, pebbles,
and other valuables of that kind.

"I believe the Evil One is in the box," said he, with some vexation.

"Well done, Deacon Tilton!" cried his Brother Trott, with a hearty
laugh. "You ought to have a statue in copper."

"Never mind, brother," replied the good Deacon, recovering his temper.
"I'll bestow ten dollars from my own pocket, and may heaven's blessing
go along with it. But look! what do you call this?"

Under the copper mountain, which it had cost them so much toil to
remove, lay an antique ring! It was enriched with a diamond, which, so
soon as it caught the light, began to twinkle and glimmer, emitting the