_Rosa takes some rags to mend and disappears behind the counter. Silence._ ANATHEMA. Is it long since you have this store, madam Leizer? SARAH. _Calmed down._ Thirty years already, ever since David became sick. A misfortune happened to him when he served in the army,--he was trampled by horses and they crushed his chest. ANATHEMA. Was David a soldier? BEZKRAINY. _Interposing._ David had an older brother, and he was a scoundrel, and his name was Moses. SARAH. _With a sigh._ And his name was Moses. BEZKRAINY. And when the time came for Moses to serve in the army, he ran off on an Italian steamer. And David was taken in his place. SARAH. _With a sigh._ David was taken. ANATHEMA. What injustice! BEZKRAINY. Have you ever met justice in the world? ANATHEMA. Of course I have. You are no doubt an unfortunate man, and everything appears to you in dark colors. But you will see, you will soon see, that justice does exist. (_Freely._) The devil take it, I have nothing to do, so I always roam about the world, and I have not seen anything so plentiful as justice. How shall I say it, madam Leizer? There is more justice on earth than fleas on a good dog. SARAH. _Smiling._ But what if it is just as hard to catch justice as to catch fleas.... BEZKRAINY. And what if it bites just as the fleas do? _All laugh. From the side of the city appears an organ-grinder, exhausted, half-blinded from dust and perspiration. He wants to pass by, but suddenly he pauses in despair, and begins to play a terrible tune._ SARAH. Pass on, please, pass on. We need no music. ORGAN-GRINDER. _Playing._ Neither do I need it. SARAH. We have nothing to give you. Pass on. ORGAN-GRINDER. _Playing._ Then I will die to the strains of music. ANATHEMA. _Generously._ Please, madam Leizer, give him something to eat and water--I will pay for everything. SARAH. What a kind-hearted man you are. Go, musician, eat and drink. But for the water I will not take anything from you--let the water be mine. _The organ-grinder sits down and eats ravenously._ ANATHEMA. _Friendly._ Is it long you have been roaming over the world, musician? ORGAN-GRINDER. _Morosely,_ I used to have a monkey before--music and a monkey. The monkey was eaten up by the fleas, and my music box started to screech, and I am looking for a tree on which to hang myself. That is all. _A little girl runs in. She looks curiously at the organ-grinder, then turns to Sonka._ LITTLE GIRL. Sonka, Ruzya died. SONKA. Already? LITTLE GIRL. Yes, he died. May I take some seeds? SONKA. _Closing her store._ You may. Sarah, if a customer comes, tell him that I will attend to business to-morrow again, otherwise he may think that my store is closed for good. Have you heard it? Ruzya died. SARAH. Already? LITTLE GIRL.