her. But if your father can
spare me five minutes, I will take it from him as a favour."

Then, with apparent reluctance, Ziska came down from his seat and went
into the inner room. There he remained some time, while Trendellsohn
was standing, hat in hand, in the outer office. If the changes which
he hoped to effect among his brethren could be made, a Jew in Prague
should, before long, be asked to sit down as readily as a Christian.
But he had not been asked to sit, and he therefore stood holding his
hat in his hand during the ten minutes that Ziska was away. At last
young Zamenoy returned, and, opening the door, signified to the Jew
that his father would see him at once if he would enter. Nothing more
had been said about the lady, and there, when Trendellsohn went into
the room, he found the lady, who was no other than Madame Zamenoy
herself. A little family council had been held, and it had been settled
among them that the Jew should be seen and heard.

"So, sir, you are Anton Trendellsohn," began Madame Zamenoy, as soon as
Ziska was gone--for Ziska had been told to go--and the door was shut.

"Yes, madame; I am Anton Trendellsohn. I had not expected the honour of
seeing you, but I wish to say a few words on business to your husband."

"There he is; you can speak to him."

"Anything that I can do, I shall be very happy," said Karil Zamenoy,
who had risen from his chair to prevent the necessity of having to ask
the Jew to sit down.

"Herr Zamenoy," began the Jew, "you are, I think, aware that my father
has purchased from your friend and brother-in-law, Josef Balatka,
certain houses in the Kleinseite, in one of which the old man still
lives."

"Upon my word, I know nothing about it," said Zamenoy--"nothing, that
is to say, in the way of business;" and the man of business laughed.
"Mind I do not at all deny that you did so--you or your father, or the
two together. Your people are getting into their hands lots of houses
all over the town; but how they do it nobody knows. They are not bought
in fair open market."

"This purchase was made by contract, and the price was paid in full
before the houses were put into our hands."

"They are not in your hands now, as far as I know."

"Not the one, certainly, in which Balatka lives. Motives of
friendship--"

"Friendship!" said Madame Zamenoy, with a sneer.

"And now motives of love," continued Anton, "have induced us to leave
the use of that house with Josef Balatka