Give Money to Cake Woman
The protagonist, having just stolen five shillings from a provision shop by accepting change he was not owed, finds the money weighing on his conscience. The theft, his first outright dishonesty, torments him; he feels polluted and fears the police will arrest him. In a desperate bid to cleanse himself, he decides to give the money away.
The Impulsive Gift
Walking through the market-place, the protagonist spots the old cake vendor who sits near the chemist's under the sign of the elephant. Without a word, he approaches her table, bends down as if to buy something, and claps the entire sum—every farthing of it—into her hands. He speaks not a syllable, turns on his heel, and walks away. The old woman is left perfectly dumbfounded by this unexpected windfall.
A Moment of Moral Relief
The act produces an immediate and powerful shift in the protagonist's state of mind. He feels a wonderful savour in being an honest man once more; his empty pockets trouble him no longer, and being cleaned out is a delightful feeling. He reflects that the money had cost him much secret anguish and that he had thought about it with dread and shuddering. He congratulates himself on raising himself in his own estimation, telling himself, "Do as I have done!" He imagines that the old woman's children will not go hungry to bed that night, and he buoys himself up with the thought that he has behaved in a most exemplary manner. The money, he rejoices, is out of his hands now.
The Cost of Redemption
However, the relief is short-lived and comes at a severe cost. The protagonist is now completely penniless again, having given away the only money he had. This act of moral purification leaves him without any means to buy food or shelter. The very next day, he is so hungry that he begs a bone from a butcher, and later, when he receives a half-sovereign from Ylajali, he throws it in his landlady's face rather than use it for lodging. The gift to the cake woman, while restoring his sense of honor for a fleeting moment, directly precipitates his return to the depths of starvation and homelessness.
