Let his ways be dangerous and covered with darkness, and
let the greatest despair be hi only companion thereon. Let sorrow and
unhappiness waste his body; let his eyes look upon the heavy blows
falling upon him. Let the Lord never forgive him; nay, let the wrath
and vengeance of the Lord eat deep into his marrow. Let him be
wrapped up in the curse as in a garment; let his death be sudden, and
drive him into utter darkness."

Here Todros paused again to draw breath into his exhausted lungs. His
voice had become every minute more laboured, and his sentences more
broken. His face was burning, and his arms waved wildly over his
head.

"From this moment," he shouted again, "from this moment the curse has
fallen upon him; let him not dare to approach the house of prayer
nearer than four yards. Under the threat of excommunication, let no
Israelite approach nearer to him than four yards distance, nor open
to him his house, nor give him bread, water, or fire, though he see him
dying with thirst, hunger, and disease; nay, let everybody spit upon him,
and throw stones under his feet, that he may stumble and fall. Let him not
have any fortune, either what he has earned himself or what comes from his
parents; let it be given up to the elders of the Kahal, to be used for the
poor and needy."

"This curse which has fallen upon him, let it be made public
all over Israel wherever you go, and we will send the tidings of it
to all our brethren to the farthest confines of the world."

"This is our decree, and you all who remain faithful unto the Lord
and his covenant, live in peace."

He had finished; and, at the same time, by some prearranged
contrivance, all the lights in the seven chandeliers grew dim, and in
the four corners of the edifice trumpets began to sound in a low,
mournful wail, in which joined a chorus of sobs and loud moans. A
heart-rending cry came from the portico, which was all the more
terrible as, it came from the breast of a young and powerful man.
There was the noise of many feet, and the sound of somebody driven
out. Meir disappeared from the house of prayer. Among the benches
near the altar came the sound of rent garments, and grave men fell on
their faces.

"In the dust lies the mighty house of Ezofowich," said several
voices, pointing at them.

From the gallery came the loud sobs and wailing, of women, and in the
background of the edifice people without silver ribbons round their
talliths wrung their ha