any
rate, there was not a merchant in all Szybow who would not make equal
haste if he were called by Saul Ezofowich. For ten years Saul had
retired from business, and, except to go to the synagogue, he never
left his house. But everyone who wished to draw from the treasures of
his great experience and equal keenness in business transactions came
to see him. Saul never refused advice, and even help, as far as he
was able to give it, without wronging his children And when he wished
to speak to some dignitary of the community, he called them to him
through his sons or grandsons and they hastened to him willingly.
Therefore, on being called by the old patriarch, Eli Witebski
hastened naturally. Smiling and radiant he entered the parlour, and
greeted the host:

"Scholem Alejhem!" (Peace to you). He did not greet anyone outside of
Szybow in such an old-fashioned way. On the contrary, he could say
very correctly, Gut morgen (Good morning), but his unshaken rule was
to accommodate himself to those with whom he had to deal.

Raphael wished to leave them, but Saul signed him to remain. They
carefully closed all the doors, and spoke together for quite a while.
But no matter how low they spoke, the frolicsome Lija, Raphael's
daughter, put her little nose to the closed door, and her dark eye to
the keyhole, and often heard repeated the names of Meir and Mera,
Witebski's daughter first, and then her own name and that of a
certain Leopold, Pani Hannah's cousin. She sprang from the door
covered with blushes, half-confused, and half-seized with a secret
joy, and then she constantly looked through the window to see as soon
as possible when her cousin returned.

The sun had begun to set when Witebski left the Ezofowich's house,
beaming, smiling, and evidently very much pleased with the
transaction, or, perhaps, two transactions closed at the same time.

Almost at the same moment Meir returned home. Lija rushed to meet
him, and, in the gate of the court-yard, placing her arm about his
neck, she whispered in his ear:

"Do you know, Meir, a great thing has happened to-day in our house.
Our zeide and my father spoke a long time with Eli Witebski, and they
came to an agreement about us. Witebski has promised his daughter to
you, and my father has promised me to Paul Hannah's nephew, who is
very well educated."

She whispered all this, blushing, and too confused to dare to raise
her eyes to her cousin's face. At once she felt that, by a