Did you see the samovar I gave 'em?"

He pointed proudly to a silver-plated object, and Gurin glanced at it
scornfully.

"Potash & Perlmutter gives 'em solid silver," he commented--"a wide
dish."

"Sure I know," Klinger said, "thin like paper."

"_Aber_ sterling," Gurin insisted, and Klinger made a telling diversion.

"I suppose you sent 'em something sterling also," he said.

"Me?" Gurin exclaimed. "Why should I buy presents? I am a retailer
myself, Mr. Klinger, so I sent 'em some flowers."

"I don't see 'em nowhere," Sol retorted.

"They're over there," B. Gurin said, making a sweeping gesture in the
general direction of the mantelpiece, and as he did so a bass voice
sounded at his elbow.

"Put out my eye why don't you?" cried Abe Potash, and then he recognized
his assailant.

"Say, what are you doing here?" he demanded.

B. Gurin looked coldly at his creditor and shrugged his shoulders.

"I got just so much right to be here as you," he said, "and that partner
of yours too."

He hurled this defiance at Morris, who had entered the room on Abe's
heels; but the retort passed unnoticed so far as Morris was concerned,
since he was absorbed in the contemplation of the presents.

"Well, Klinger," he said, "you are making Mrs. Gladstein a pretty fine
present, ain't it?"

Klinger scowled.

"Mrs. Gladstein I ain't bothering my head about at all," he replied.
"But when a cut-throat like Sammet makes out a scheme to steal away from
me an old customer like Asimof I got to protect myself."

Morris whistled expressively.

"So you are making the present to Asimof?" he commented.

"Sure, I am," Sol answered. "As for Mrs. Gladstein, she got presents
enough from me. The first time she was married I am sending money to the
old country to my father he should make her a present on account Mrs.
Gladstein's father is my father's a third cousin, understand me. And
when she marries Gladstein, y'understand, I give her both an engagement
and a wedding present both. And do you think that sucker, _olav
hasholom_, ever buys from me a dollar's worth goods? _Oser_ a _Stueck_."

"And you say Mrs. Gladstein was twicet married?" Morris asked.

"Ain't I just telling you so?" Sol replied.

"What was her first husband's name?" Morris asked; but the question
remained unanswered, for at that very moment a confusion of noises in
the front parlour signalled the arrival of the bride.

Morris and Sol followed the other guests from t