was turned towards the
preacher, wearing its wonted synagogue expression of reverential
dignity.

'Oh, my brethren, that it could always be said of us: "And Joseph
refused"!'

A genial warmth came back to every breast. Ah, now the cosmos was
righting itself; Heaven was speaking through the mouth of its
minister.

The Rev. Elkan Gabriel expanded under this warmth which radiated back
to him. His stature grew, his eloquence poured forth, polysyllabic. As
he ended, the congregation burst into a heartfelt '_Yosher Koach_'
('May thy strength increase!').

The minister descended the Ark-steps, and stalked back solemnly to his
seat. As he passed Simeon Samuels, that gentleman whipped out his
hand and grasped the man of God's, and his neighbours testified that
there was a look of contrite exaltation upon his goodly features.

V

The Sabbath came round again, but, alas! it brought no balm to the
congregation; rather, was it a day of unrest. The plate-glass window
still flashed in iniquitous effrontery; still the ungodly proprietor
allured the stream of custom.

'He does not even refuse to take money,' Solomon Barzinsky exclaimed
to Peleg the pawnbroker, as they passed the blasphemous window on
their way from the Friday-evening service.

'Why, what would be the good of keeping open if you didn't take
money?' naively inquired Peleg.

'_Behemah_ (animal)!' replied Solomon impatiently. 'Don't you know
it's forbidden to touch money on the Sabbath?'

'Of course, I know that. But if you open your shop----!'

'All the same, you might compromise. You might give the customers the
things they need, as it is written, "Open thy hand to the needy!" but
they could pay on Saturday night.'

'And if they didn't pay? If they drank their money away?' said the
pawnbroker.

'True, but why couldn't they pay in advance?'

'How in advance?'

'They could deposit a sum of money with you, and draw against it.'

'Not with me!' Peleg made a grimace. 'All very well for your line, but
in mine I should have to deposit a sum of money with _them_. I don't
suppose they'd bring their pledges on Friday night, and wait till
Saturday night for the money. Besides, how could one remember? One
would have to profane the Sabbath by writing!'

'Write! Heaven forbid!' ejaculated Solomon Barzinsky. 'But you could
have a system of marking the amounts against their names in your
register. A pin could be stuck in to represent a pound, or a stamp
stuck