iently.

"But do you mean to say he has saved fifty pounds?"

"If he could manage to save fifty pounds out of your wages he would be
indeed a treasure," said Sugarman. "Perhaps it might be thirty."

"But you said fifty."

"Well, _you_ came down to thirty," retorted the Shadchan. "You cannot
expect him to have more than your daughter brings."

"I never said thirty," Eliphaz reminded him. "Twenty-seven ten was my
last bid."

"Very well; that will do as a basis of negotiations," said Sugarman,
resignedly. "I will call upon him this evening. If I were to go over
and speak to him now, he would perceive you were anxious, and raise his
terms, and that will never do. Of course you will not mind allowing me a
pound more for finding you so economical a son-in-law?"

"Not a penny more."

"You need not fear," said Sugarman, resentfully. "It is not likely I
shall be able to persuade him to take so economical a father-in-law. So
you will be none the worse for promising."

"Be it so," said Eliphaz, with a gesture of weariness, and he started
his machine again.

"Twenty-seven pounds ten, remember," said Sugarman, above the whir.

Eliphaz nodded his head, whirring his wheel-work louder.

"And paid before the wedding, mind."

The machine took no notice.

"Before the wedding, mind," repeated Sugarman. "Before we go under the
canopy."

"Go now, go now!" grunted Eliphaz, with a gesture of impatience. "It
shall all be well." And the white-haired head bowed immovably over its
work.

In the evening Rose extracted from her father the motive of Sugarman's
visit, and confessed that the idea was to her liking.

"But dost thou think he will have me, little father?" she asked, with
cajoling eyes.

"Any one would have my Rose."

"Ah, but Leibel is different. So many years he has sat at my side and
said nothing."

"He had his work to think of. He is a good, saving youth."

"At this very moment Sugarman is trying to persuade him--not so? I
suppose he will want much money."

"Be easy, my child." And he passed his discoloured hand over her hair.

Sugarman turned up the next day, and reported that Leibel was
unobtainable under thirty pounds, and Eliphaz, weary of the contest,
called over Leibel, till that moment carefully absorbed in his
scientific chalk marks, and mentioned the thing to him for the first
time. "I am not a man to bargain," Eliphaz said, and so he gave the
young man his tawny hand, and a bottle of rum sprang