"Dat's just vere de danger lays. You don't notice, and one day you find yourself laid up mid rheumatism, and you vill have Remorse," said Yankelé with a twinkle. "Your life is precious--if _you_ die, who vill console de community?" It was an ambiguous remark, but the Rabbi understood it in its most flattering sense, and his little eyes beamed. "I would ask you inside," he said, "but I have a visitor." "No matter," said Yankelé, "vat I have to say to you, Rabbi, is not private. A stranger may hear it." Still undecided, the Rabbi muttered, "You want me to marry you?" "I have come to get married," replied Yankelé. "But I have never been called upon to marry people." "It's never too late to mend, dey say." "Strange--strange," murmured the Rabbi reflectively. "Vat is strange?" "That you should come to me just to-day. But why did you not go to Rabbi Sandman?" "Rabbi Sandman!" replied Yankelé with contempt. "Vere vould be de good of going to him?" "But why not?" "Every _Schnorrer_ goes to him," said Yankelé frankly. "Hum!" mused the Rabbi. "Perhaps there _is_ an opening for a more select marrier. Come in, then, I can give you five minutes if you really don't mind talking before a stranger." He threw open the door, and led the way into the sitting-room. Yankelé followed, exultant; the outworks were already carried, and his heart beat high with hope. But at his first glance within, he reeled and almost fell. Standing with his back to the fire and dominating the room was Manasseh Bueno Barzillai Azevedo da Costa! "Ah, Yankelé, good Sabbath!" said da Costa affably. "G-g-ood Sabbath!" stammered Yankelé. "Why, you know each other!" cried the Rabbi. "Oh, yes," said Manasseh, "an acquaintance of yours, too, apparently." "No, he is just come to see me about something," replied the Rabbi. "I thought you did not know the Rabbi, Mr. da Costa?" Yankelé could not help saying. "I didn't. I only had the pleasure of making his acquaintance half an hour ago. I met him in the street as he was coming home from morning service, and he was kind enough to invite me to dinner." Yankelé gasped; despite his secret amusement at Manasseh's airs, there were moments when the easy magnificence of the man overwhelmed him, extorted his reluctant admiration. How in Heaven's name had the Spaniard conquered at a blow! Looking down at the table, he now observed that it was already laid for dinner--and for three! He should have been that third. Was it fair of Manasseh to handicap him thus? Naturally, there would be infinitely less chance of a fourth being invited than a third--to say nothing of the dearth of provisions. "But, surely, you don't intend to stay to dinner!" he complained in dismay. "I have given my word," said Manasseh, "and I shouldn't care to disappoint the Rabbi." "Oh, it's no disappointment, no disappointment," remarked Rabbi Remorse Red-herring cordially, "I could just as well come round and see you after dinner."