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At the house of the wealthy banker Itzig a rare festival took place to-day, a festival which all Berlin had been talking of for the last few days, and which had formed the topic of conversation, no less among the people on the streets, than among the aristocratic classes in their palatial mansions.
"Tell us about it, Itzig," they clamored. "How is it possible that you could do it?" But Itzig waved them back and not until Hirsch Bensef came out from the sick chamber did he deign to speak. Then his tongue became loosened, and to the awe and amazement of his listeners he related his wonderful adventures.
"Have you just found that out?" asked his wife, petulantly. "What is the matter? Have you come into a fortune?" "Beile, leave the room," said Itzig. "Why, father?" "Leave the room! I want to talk to your mother." Beile put away her work and walked out into the lane. "Rejoice with me, Jentele," said the delighted husband, as he rubbed his shrivelled hands.
Ephraim and Itzig, mint-masters of that copper-coinage; rolling in foul wealth by the ruin of their neighbors; ought not these to bleed? Well, yes, if anybody; and copiously if you like! I should have said so: but the generous Gotzkowsky said in his heart, 'No; and again pleaded and prevailed.
Are not all our means exhausted? Is that not enough?" "Too much!" groaned Itzig, who till now had walked in melancholy contemplation at Ephraim's other side. "It is too much. Are we then treated like human beings? Have we any rights? Only when we have to pay, do they remember that we have the right of giving up our hard-earned property. If the Jew has no money, is he not at least a man, say I?"
Farewell, and may that now happen which you would not prevent when you could! You punish yourself. Farewell!" Itzig held him convulsively back, and cried, in a voice drowned by rage, "You will pay my draft?" "I will not," said Gotzkowsky. "You have judged; take now your reward." He threw Itzig's hands from him, and hastened from the spot.
"God knows we will have to give much!" whimpered Ephraim, and all his companions joined in with groans and sighs as a chorus to his speech. "They mean to take every thing from us that we own, and Itzig is right; if the Jew has not money, he is nobody. Have we not suffered as much as others? Have we not protected our people, and fed and housed our poor?
In the house and in the hovel, wherever the cholera had knocked for admittance, there was Itzig Maier, performing his duties with an unfailing regularity preparing the shrouds, attiring the dead and comforting the mourners all unmindful that he might be the next victim. His services were in constant demand and money was actually pouring in upon him.
"He said that if a poor man would marry an equally poor girl, under a chuppe erected in the cemetery between two newly made graves, God's anger would be appeased and the scourge would end. To-day Bensef sought me out. 'Itzig, he said, 'you have a daughter. I know a husband for her.
"For God's sake, what is the matter? Why are you not in Tchernigof?" he said. "I was," retorted Itzig, "but I have come back. Here," he continued, opening a bag about his neck and carefully drawing therefrom a small piece of parchment covered with hieroglyphics, "put this under the boy's tongue and he will recover!" "But what is this paper?" asked Hirsch, suspiciously. "It is from the bal-shem.
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