Such a necessary rascal proved Elzas Kazelia. I asked him how much he wanted to smuggle me across. He answered thus: 'I see that you are a clever respectable man, so look upon my beard and ear-locks, and you will understand that you will receive fair treatment from me. I want to earn a _Mitzvah_ (good deed) and a little money thereby.' Then he cautioned me not to leave the station and go out into the street, because in the street were to be found Jews without beards, who would inform on me and give me up to the police. 'The world does not contain a sea of Kazelias,' said he. (Would that it did not contain even that one!) Then he continued: 'Shake out your money on the table, and we will see how much you have, and I will change it for you.' 'Oh,' said I, 'I want first to find out the rate of exchange.' When Kazelia heard this, he gave a great spring and shrieked '_Hoi, hoi!_ On account of Jews like you, the _Messhiach_ (Messiah) can't come, and the Redemption of Israel is delayed. If you go out into the street, you will find a Jew without a beard, who will charge you more, and even take all your money away. I swear to you, as I should wish to see Messhiach Ben David, that I want to earn no money. I only desire your good, and so to lay up a little _Mitzvah_ in heaven.' Thereupon I changed my money with him. 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. He wanted eighty roubles, and swore by his _kosher Yiddishkeit_ (ritually pure Judaism) that the affair would cost him seventy-five. 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. Said he: 'If you seek others with short beards, they will take twice as much from you.' But I went out into the street to seek a second murderer. The second promised to do it cheaper, said that Kazelia was a robber, and promised to meet me at the railway station.