"My dear, you don't understand; indeed you do not," said his wife. "No
stone should be left unturned to prevent such a horrid marriage as
this. There is nothing I would not say--nothing I would not do."

"But I do not see that you are doing anything."

"Leave this little thing to me, my dear--to me and Ziska. It is
impossible that you should do everything yourself. In such a matter as
this, believe me that a woman is best."

"But I hate anything that is really dishonest."

"There shall be no dishonesty--none in the world. You don't suppose
that I want to get the dirty old tumble-down houses. God forbid! But
you would not give up everything to a Jew! Oh, I hate them! I do hate
them! Anything is fair against a Jew." If such was Madame Zamenoy's
ordinary doctrine, it may well be understood that she would scruple at
using no weapon against a Jew who was meditating so great an injury
against her as this marriage with her niece. After this little
discussion old Zamenoy said no more, and Madame Zamenoy went home to
the Windberg-gasse.

Trendellsohn, as he walked homewards, was lost in amazement. He wholly
disbelieved the statement that the document he desired was in Nina's
hands, but he thought it possible that it might be in the house in
the Kleinseite. It was, after all, on the cards that old Balatka was
deceiving him. The Jew was by nature suspicious, though he was also
generous. He could be noble in his confidence, and at the same time
could become at a moment distrustful. He could give without grudging,
and yet grudge the benefits which came of his giving. Neither he
nor his father had ever positively known in whose custody were the
title-deeds which he was so anxious to get into his own hands. Balatka
had said that they must be with the Zamenoys, but even Balatka had never
spoken as of absolute knowledge. Nina, indeed, had declared positively
that they were in the Ross Markt, saying that Ziska had so stated in
direct terms; but there might be a mistake in this. At any rate he
would interrogate Nina, and if there were need, would not spare the old
man any questions that could lead to the truth. Trendellsohn, as he
thought of the possibility of such treachery on Balatka's part, felt
that, without compunction, he could be very cruel, even to an old man,
under such circumstances as those.

CHAPTER VII

Madame Zamenoy and her son no doubt understood each other's purposes,
and there was another person in the