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Immediately I left, Elzas Kazelia, the kosher Jew, went to the police, and informed them that I and my family were running away from Russia, and were going to London; and we were at once arrested, and thrown bag and baggage into a filthy cell, lighted only by an iron grating in the door. No food or drink was allowed us, as though we were the greatest criminals.
Soon he began to talk about the frontier. Your kindness is suspicious, for, as the moujik says: 'The devil has guests. But if we need the thief, we cut him down even from the gallows. Such a necessary rascal proved Elzas Kazelia. I asked him how much he wanted to smuggle me across.
So I said no more, but gave them all they asked, and Elzas Kazelia came and said to me rebukingly: 'It is a characteristic of the Jew never to part with his money unless chastised. I said to Elzas Kazelia: 'I thought you were an honourable, pious Jew. How could you treat a poor family so? He answered me: 'An honourable, pious Jew must also make a little money.
He took no further notice of me, but left me standing. So I understood he was no better than Elzas Kazelia. And this is a Rabbi! As I saw I might as well have talked to the wall, I left the room without a word from him. As the moujik would say: 'Sad and bitter is the poor man's lot.
Afterwards I found that he had swindled me to the extent of fifteen roubles. Elzas Kazelia is like to the Russian forest robber, who waylays even the peasant. We began to talk further about the frontier. Thereupon I became sorely troubled, because I had understood it would only cost us twenty roubles for all of us, and so I told him.
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