"Your neighbour, over the way," said the gentleman, "will make it
for a dollar less than you ask."

"Not of solid gold," replied Mr. Grant.

"Oh, yes. I would have no other."

Mr. Grant knew that the ring could not be made of fine, solid gold,
for the price his neighbour had agreed to take. And he knew, also,
that in manufacturing it, his neighbour, if he took the order, would
fill up the centre of the ring with solder--a common practice. On
the spur of the moment, he determined to do the same thing, and
therefore replied--

"Well, I suppose I must work as low as he does."

"The ring must be of solid gold, remember. I will have no other."

"That's understood, of course," replied the jeweller; adding to
himself, "as solid as any one makes them."

The ring was manufactured at a reasonable profit, and the man got
the full worth of his money; but not of solid gold. Silver solder
composed the centre. But as the baser metal could not be detected by
simple inspection or weighing, Mr. Grant felt secure in the cheat he
had practised; and, quieted his conscience by assuming that he had
given a full equivalent for the money received.

"He's just as well off as he would have been if he had gone to my