There was in Alexandria a virgin...
…of humble appearance but of overbearing disposition. She was exceedingly rich, but never gave an obol to a stranger, virgin, church, or poor man. Despite the many rebukes of the fathers, she did not turn herself away from material wealth. Now she had some relatives and she adopted one of them, her sister’s daughter, and night and day without any longing for heaven she kept promising her all her wealth…
Now they say that the blessed Macarius wished to “tap a vein” of this virgin to alleviate her greed. This Macarius, priest and superior of the poorhouse for cripples, devised the following ruse. In his younger days he had been a worker in stones, what they call a gem engraver. He went to her and said: “Some precious stones, emeralds, and hyacinths, have come into my possession. Whether they are simply a find or stolen property, I cannot say. Their value has not been ascertained, since they are priceless, but they can be had by anyone who has five hundred coins. If you take them, you will get your five hundred coins back from one stone; the rest you can use to pretty up your niece.”
Greed Abba Macarius the Great 