be afraid of them; and if once in
a way they wanted some for themselves, nobody had the right to say them
nay. Others said that the husbands were, after all, the elder, one must
and should ask their advice! They were wiser and knew best, and why
should they, the women (might the words not be reckoned as a sin!), be
wiser than the rest of the world put together? And others again cried
that there was no need that they should divorce their husbands because a
girl was with child, and the bridegroom demanded the dowry twice over.

The noise increased, till there was no distinguishing one voice from
another, till one could not make out what her neighbor was saying: she
only knew that she also must shriek, scold, and speak her mind. And who
knows what would have come of it, if Breindel-Cossack, with her powerful
gab, had not begun to shout, that she and Malkehle had a good idea,
which would please everyone very much, and put an end to the whole
dispute.

All became suddenly dumb; there was a tense silence, as at the first of
the two recitals of the Eighteen Benedictions; the women only cast
inquiring looks at Malkehle and Breindel, who both felt their cheeks
hot. Breindel, who, ever since the wise Malkehle had spoken such golden
words, had not left her side, now stepped forward, and her voice
trembled with emotion and pleasant excitement as she said: "Malkehle and
I think like this: that we ought to go to Chavvehle, she being so wise
and so well-educated, a doctor's wife, and tell her the whole story from
beginning to end, so that she may advise us, and if you are ashamed to
speak to her yourselves, you should leave it to us two, only on the
condition that you go with us. Don't be frightened, she is kind; she
will listen to us."

A faint smile, glistening like diamond dust, shone on all faces; their
eyes brightened and their shoulders straightened, as though just
released from a heavy burden. They all knew Chavvehle for a good and
gracious woman, who was certain to give them some advice; she did many
such kindnesses without being asked; she had started the school, and she
taught their children for nothing; she always accompanied her husband on
his visits to the sick-room, and often left a coin of her own money
behind to buy a fowl for the invalid. It was even said that she had
written about them in the newspapers! She was very fond of them. When
she talked with them, her manner was simple, as though they were her
equals, a