"Don't you know," added Puppy spitefully, "that Nose Star now sleeps in Schnapper-Elle's house! But just look at Susy Flörsheim down there, wearing the necklace which Daniel Fläsch pawned to her husband! Fläsch's wife is vexed about it--_that_ is plain. And now she is talking to Mrs. Flörsheim. _How_ amiably they shake hands!--and hate each other like Midian and Moab! How sweetly they smile on each other! Oh, you dear souls, _don't_ eat each other up out of pure love! I'll just steal up and listen to them!" And so, like a sneaking wildcat, Puppy Reiss crept up and listened to the two women bewailing to each other how they had worked all the past week to clean up the house and scour the kitchen things, and complaining about all they had to do before Passover, so that not a crumb of leavened bread should stick to anything. And such troubles as they had baking the unleavened bread! Mrs. Fläsch had special cause for complaint--for she had had no end of trouble over it in the public bakery, where, according to the ticket she drew, she could not bake till the afternoon of the very last day, just before Passover Eve; and then old Hannah had kneaded the dough badly, and the maids had rolled it too thin, and half of it was scorched in baking, and worst of all, rain came pouring through the bake-house roof; and so, wet and weary, they had had to work till late in the night. "And, my dear Mrs. Flörsheim," said Mrs. Fläsch, with gracious friendliness most insincere, "you were a little to blame for that, because you did not send your people to help me in baking." "Ah! pardon," replied the other. "My servants were so busy--the goods for the fair had to be packed--my husband"-- "Yes, I know," interrupted Mrs. Fläsch, with cutting irony in her speech. "I know that you have much to do--many pledges and a good business, and necklaces"-- And a bitter word was just about to slip from the lips of the speaker, and Dame Flörsheim had turned as red as a lobster, when Puppy Reiss cried out loudly, "For God's sake!--the strange lady lies dying--water! water!"