'Me, a _Schnorrer_!' The little man swelled skywards. 'Me, Solomon Barzinsky, whose shop stood in Sudminster twenty years before you poked your nose in----' 'I beg your pardon. There! you see I'm a beggar, too.' And Simeon Samuels laughed mirthlessly. 'Well, you've come to beg of me.' And his fingers caressed his patriarchal beard. 'I don't come on my own account only,' Barzinsky stammered. 'I understand. You want a contribution to the Passover Cake Fund. My time is precious, so is yours. What is the _Parnass_ giving?' 'I'm not begging for money. I represent the congregation.' 'Dear me, why didn't you come to the point quicker? The congregation wishes to beg my acceptance of office. Well, it's very good of you all, especially as I'm such a recent addition. But I really feel a diffidence. You see, my views of the Sabbath clash with those of the congregation.' 'They do!' cried Barzinsky, leaping at his opportunity. 'Yes, I am for a much stricter observance than appears general here. Scarcely one of you carries his handkerchief tied round his loins like my poor old father, peace be upon him! You all carry the burden of it impiously in a pocket.' 'I never noticed _your_ handkerchief round your waist!' cried the bewildered Barzinsky. 'Perhaps not; I never had a cold; it remained furled.' Simeon Samuels' superb insolence twitched Barzinsky's mouth agape. 'But you keep your shop open!' he cried at last. 'That would be still another point of clashing,' admitted Simeon Samuels blandly. 'Altogether, you will see the inadvisability of my accepting office.' 'Office!' echoed Barzinsky, meeting the other's ironic fence with crude thwacks. 'Do you think a God-fearing congregation would offer office to a Sabbath-breaker?' 'Ah, so that was at the back of it. I suspected something underhand in your offer. I was to be given office, was I, on condition of closing my shop on Saturday? No, Mr. Barzinsky. Go back and tell those who sent you that Simeon Samuels scorns stipulations, and that when you offer to make him _Parnass_ unconditionally he may consider your offer, but not till then. Good-bye. You must jog along with your present apology for a _Parnass_.' 'You--you Elisha ben Abuyai!' And, consoled only by the aptness of his reference to the atheist of the Talmud, Barzinsky rushed off to tell the _Parnass_ how Simeon Samuels had insulted them both. XIII The _Parnass_, however, was not to be drawn yet. He must keep himself in reserve, he still insisted. But perhaps, he admitted, Simeon Samuels resented mere private members or committeemen. Let the _Gabbai_ go. Accordingly the pompous treasurer of the synagogue strode into the notorious shop on the Sabbath itself, catching Simeon Samuels red-handed. But nothing could be suaver than that gentleman's 'Good _Shabbos_. What can I do for you?' 'You can shut up your shop,' said the _Gabbai_ brusquely. 'And how shall I pay your bill, then?'