"IT is your turn now, Percival," said my aunt.
"Give us the Legend of the Shekel," I rejoined. "It is getting too dark to examine your picture: but I remember it well. It represents a man, apparently a poor one, clad in a common Jewish dress. He is gazing, with wonder and delight, at some silver coin, which he holds in his brown wrinkled palm. I have been trying in vain to recall any incident in Scripture which would correspond with the picture."
"Surely," said my aunt, "Percival must have represented St. Peter with the money found in the mouth of the fish."
"I thought of that at first," I observed. "But the man in the picture, thin and weak in appearance, does not at all suit our idea of a hardy fisherman: he looks more like a worn-out mechanic. Percival, you must tell us what meaning you intended to convey."
Percival. The shekel is meant for that brought by the fish; but the man in the picture is certainly not the Apostle.
Lady Mar. For whom then is this figure intended?
Percival as his reply repeated the following legend. I wrote it down afterwards from memory, as it was not to be found amongst the papers left by my friend.
The Legend of the Shekel.
When St. Peter, in obedience to the Master's command, had cast a hook into the sea, and drawn forth a fish in whose mouth he found a shekel, with which to pay the Temple tribute, his soul was filled with wonder. How had that piece of silver come into the mouth of the quivering, struggling creature, whose habitation had been the deep waters?
That silvery fish had, in some most mysterious manner, obeyed the behest of its Creator; and St. Peter resolved to restore the wounded creature to its native element.