i, I will tell you something.
When my son Raphael brought little Meir, I took the child and began
to kiss him, for it seemed to me that he looked like my son Benjamin,
his father; but the old great-grandmother took him from me, put him
opposite her on the floor and began to look at him very attentively,
and then she exclaimed: 'He does not look like Benjamin, but like my
Hersh!' The tears flowed from her old eyes and her lips repeated:
'Hersh, Hersh! my Hersh!' and she pressed the child to her boom and
said: 'He is my dearest Kleineskind! He is the eyes of my head and
the diamond in my crown, made for me by my grandsons and
great-grandson, for he looks like my Hersh.' And she is fond of him.
Now she knows only him and calls him to her because he looks like her
husband, Hersh."

"Michael's soul entered Hersh's body, and from his body it passed
into your grandsons Meir's," repeated the Rabbi, and added: "It's a
proud rebellious soul! There is no peace and humility in it."

It seemed that Todros was softened by Saul's submissiveness, and the
respect shown in his words.

"Why don't you marry him? He has already long hair on his face," said
the Rabbi.

"Rabbi, I wished to marry him to the daughter of the pious Jankiel,
but the child lay at my feet and begged me not to force him."

"Why then did you not put your feet on his back, and make him obey
you?"

Saul dropped his eyes and was silent. He felt that he was guilty.
Love for the orphan made him sin always.

Todros spoke further:

"Marry him as soon as you can, because it is written that when on a
young man's face the hair is growing, and he has not a wife, then he
will fall into uncleanliness. Your grandson's soul has already fallen
into uncleanliness. Yesterday I saw him with a girl--"

Saul raised his eyes.

"I saw him," continued the Rabbi, "talking with Karaim's girl."

"Karaim's girl?" repeated Saul, in a voice full of surprise and
fright.

"He was standing on the edge of the pond and took from her hand some
flowers, and I read in their faces that the unclean fire was
embracing them."

"With Karaim's girl," repeated Saul once more.

"With a heretic!" said the Rabbi.

"With a beggar!" said Saul energetically, raising his head.

"Rabbi," continued he, "now I will act differently with him! I don't
wish to have shame eat up my eyes in my old age, because my grandson
has an unclean friendship with a beggar. I shall marry him!"

"You must punish him,