"Hear me, Jews!" said he, and his voice had something enthusiastic in it, "you can do everything, you can find anything, be it from under the bottom of the sea; and even the proverb has long ago told us that a Jew can steal his own self, if he only chooses to steal. Set me my Ostap free! give him the opportunity of escaping from the hands of these incarnate devils. Here is the man to whom I have promised twelve thousand ducats--twelve thousand more do I give now; I will give you all the costly cups, all the gold that I have hidden underground, my own house, my coat from my back--all do I give unto you; and I will make a covenant with you for all my life long that you shall have half of whatever I acquire in war!" "Oh! impossible, my dear lord! 'tis impossible!" said Yankel, with a sigh. "No, no, it is impossible!" said the other Jews. The three Jews looked at each other. "Let us, nevertheless, try it," said the third, timorously peering into the faces of the others; "may be Heaven will help us." The three Jews again began talking in the Jewish tongue. Boolba in vain endeavoured to catch the meaning of their speech, he could only hear the word "Mardokhaï" often repeated, but could make out nothing more. "Hear me, my lord!" said Yankel; "we must have the advice of a man the like of whom has never yet been in the world. Oh! oh! he is as wise as Solomon; and if he can do nothing, nobody on earth can. Stay here! there's the key, and let none enter." The Jews went out into the street.