" said the Rabbi, "I came here to tell you to
put your foot on his neck and bend his pride. Don't spare him, for
your indulgence will be a sin which the Lord will not forgive you.
And if you will not punish him, I will lay my hand on his head and
there will be great shame for you, and for him such misfortune that
he will grovel in the dirt, like a miserable worm!"

Under the influence of these words, pronounced in a threatening
voice, Saul trembled. Different emotions fought continually within
the old man; a secret hatred for Todros and a great respect for his
learning, pride and fear, fierce anger toward his grandson and tender
love for him. The Rabbi's threat touched that last chord.

"Rabbi," he said, "forgive him. He is still a mere child. When he is
married and starts in business he will be different. When he was born
his father wrote to me: 'Father, what name do you wish your grandson
to be given?' and I answered, 'Give him the name of Meir, which means
light, that it may be a light before me and all Israel!'"

Here emotion choked his voice and he was silent. Two tears rolled
slowly down his cheeks.

The Rabbi rose from the sofa, lifted his index finger and said:

"You must remember my commands. I order you to set your foot on his
neck, and you must listen to my orders, because it is written that
'the sages are the world's foundation.'"

Having said this, he advanced toward the door, at which Reb Jankiel
and Morejne Calman seized him again, and carried him through the hall
and across the threshold and set him on the ground.

And again the black throng of people advanced through the square
toward the school-yard; again the melamed, retreating before the
Rabbi, jumped, clapped his hands, danced and shouted; and again the
crowd of children, following the retinue at a distance, imitated
their teacher, jumping, howling, Clapping their hands. And in
Ezofowich's parlour old Saul sat with his face covered with his
hands, while at the opposite door Freida appeared. The sun rays,
falling through the window, kindled into rainbow colours the diamonds
with which she was covered. She looked around the room with her
half-closed eyes, and pronounced, in her customary soundless whisper:

"Wo ist Meir?"

CHAPTER VI

Meir was absent during the Rabbi's visit. He left the house early in
the morning and went in the direction of the poorest quarter of the
town. The houses there were very small and very low and exceedingl