'Because they want to keep you out. They say you will be better off as it is, because you will be nearer to the station, and that you have already made a lot of money by spoiling other people's business.' She drained another glass and would have said more, but was suddenly overcome, and had to be carried out of the room by Slimak. He and his wife consulted for the rest of the day what would be the best thing to do under the circumstances. Towards evening he put on his new sukmana lined with sheepskin and went to the inn. Gryb and Lukasiak were sitting at the table. By the light of the two tallow candles they looked like two huge boundary-stones in their grey clothes. Josel stood behind the bar in a dirty jersey with black stripes. He had a sharp nose, pointed beard, pointed curls, and wore a peaked cap; there was something pointed also in his look. 'The Lord be praised,' said Slimak. 'In Eternity,' Josel answered indifferently. 'What are the gospodarze drinking?' 'Tea,' the innkeeper replied. 'Then I will have tea too, but let it be as black as pitch, and with plenty of arrac.' 'Have you come to drink tea with us?' Josel taunted him. 'No,' said Slimak, slowly sitting down, 'I've come to find out....' 'What old Sobieska meant,' finished the innkeeper in an undertone. 'How about this business? is it true that you are buying land from the squire?' asked Slimak. The two gospodarze exchanged glances with Josel, who smiled. After a pause Lukasiak replied: 'Oh, we are talking of it for want of something better to do, but who would have the money for such a big undertaking?' 'You two between you could buy it!' 'Perhaps we may, but it would be for ourselves and those living in the village.' 'What about me?' 'You don't take us into your confidence about your business affairs, so mind you keep out of ours.' 'It's not only your affair, but concerns the whole village.' 'No, it's nobody's but mine,' snapped Gryb. 'It's mine just as much.' 'That is not so!' Gryb struck the table with his fist: if I don't like a man, he shan't buy, and there's an end of it.' The publican smiled. Seeing that Slimak was getting pale with anger, Lukasiak took Gryb by the arm. 'Let us go home, neighbour,' he said. 'What is the good of talking about things that may never come off? Come along.' Gryb looked at Josel and got up. 'So you are going to buy without me?' asked Slimak. 'You bought without us last summer.' They shook hands with the innkeeper and took no notice of Slimak. Josel looked after them until their footsteps could no longer be heard, then, still smiling, he turned to Slimak. 'Do you see now, gospodarz, that it is a bad thing to take the bread out of a Jew's mouth? I have lost fifty roubles through you and you have made twenty-five, but you have bought a hundred roubles' worth of trouble, for the whole village is against you.' 'They really mean to buy the squire's land without me?'