"Then the only question is as to pay," she continued.
"That's about it ma'am. It's a big risk, you know. I might get caught, and then money wouldn't do me much good."
"Nothing venture, nothing have. You don't want to be a pauper all your life?"
"No, I don't," answered the tramp with energy. "I'm tired of tramping round the country, sleeping in barns and under hay-stacks, and picking up meals where I can. I've had enough of it."
"Do as I wish, and you need never suffer such privations again," said the tempter.
"How much will you give me?" asked Rudolph, in a business-like manner.
"Five hundred dollars down and five hundred dollars income as long as you live."
This was good fortune of which Rudolph had never dreamed, but he understood how to make the best of the situation.
"It is not enough," he said, shaking his head.