ng man. You must not
think of going on in this way. Where do you come from?'

'Bagdad.'

'Bagdad! Jerusalem is not Bagdad. A Turk is a brute, but a Christian is
a demon.'

'But our quarter, our quarter?'

'Hush! you want the Chief Rabbi?'

'Ay! ay!'

'Rabbi Zimri?'

'It may be so. I neither know nor care.'

'Neither knows nor cares! This will never do; you must not go on in this
way at Jerusalem. You must not think of it.'

'Fellow, I see thou art a miserable prattler. Show me our quarter, and I
will pay thee well, or be off.'

'Be off! Art thou a Hebrew? to say "be off" to any one. You come from
Bagdad! I tell you what, go back to Bagdad. You will never do for
Jerusalem.'

'Your grizzled beard protects you. Old fool, I am a pilgrim just
arrived, wearied beyond expression, and you keep me here listening to
your flat talk!'

'Flat talk! Why! what would you?'

'Lead me to the Rabbi Zimri, if that be his name.'

'If that be his name! Why, every one knows Rabbi Zimri, the Chief Rabbi
of Jerusalem, the successor of Aaron. We have our temple yet, say what
they like. A very learned doctor is Rabbi Zimri.'

'Wretched driveller. I am ashamed to lose my patience with such a
dotard.'

'Driveller! dotard! Why, who are you?'

'One you cannot comprehend. Without another word, lead me to your
chief.'

'Chief! you have not far to go. I know no one of the nation who holds
his head higher than I do here, and they call me Zimri.'

'What, the Chief Rabbi, that very learned doctor?'

'No less; I thought you had heard of him.'

'Let us forget the past, good Zimri. When great men play the incognito,
they must sometimes hear rough phrases. It is the Caliph's lot as well
as yours. I am glad to make the acquaintance of so great a doctor.
Though young, and roughly habited, I have seen the world a little, and
may offer next Sabbath in the synagogue more dirhems than you would
perhaps suppose. Good and learned Zimri, I would be your guest.'

'A very worshipful young man! And he speaks low and soft now! But it was
lucky I was at hand. Good, what's your name?'

'David.'

'A very honest name, good David. It was lucky I was at hand when you
spoke to the sentinel, though. A Jew speak to a Frank, and a sentinel
too! Hah! hah! hah! that is good. How Rabbi Maimon will laugh! Faith it
was very lucky, now, was not it?'

'Indeed, most fortunate.'

'Well that is candid! Here! this way. 'Tis not far. We number few, sir,
of