“Did this come from your shop？” she asked.
Pete raised his eyes to hers and answered softly， “Yes， it did.”
“Are the stones real？”
“Yes. Not the finest quality—but real.”
“Can you remember who it was you sold them to？”
“She was a small girl. Her name was Jean. She bought them for her older sister’s Christmas present.”
“How much are they worth？”
“The price，” he told her solemnly， “is always a confidential matter between the seller and the customer.”
“But Jean has never had more than a few pennies of spending money. How could she pay for them？”
“She paid the biggest price anyone can ever pay，” he said. “She gave all she had.”
There was a silence then that filled the little curio shop. He saw the faraway steeple， a bell began ringing. The sound of the distant chiming， the little package lying on the counter， the question in the eyes of the girl， and the strange feeling of renewal struggling unreasonably in the heart of Pete， all had come to be because of the love of a child.
“But why did you do it？”
He held out the gift in his hand.
“It’s already Christmas morning，” he said. “And it’s my misfortune that I have no one to give anything to. Will you let me see you home and wish you a Merry Christmas at your door？”
And so， to the sound of many bells and in the midst of happy people， Pete Richard and a girl whose name he had yet to hear， walked out into the beginning of the great day that brings hope into the world for us all.
皮特·理查德是镇上最孤独的人，就在那天，珍·格雷斯打开了他小店的门。这间小店是祖父传给他的，各种古玩杂乱地堆放在前面小小的橱窗里：有内战前人们带的手镯和纪念品盒，金戒指、银盒子、翡翠和象牙制品、精美的小雕像等。在这个冬日的下午，一个小孩站在那儿，她的前额顶在橱窗上，瞪大眼睛似乎在虔诚地寻找什么特殊宝贝。最后，她站直了身子，满意地笑了，走进店里。