he court of the
Shool, climb into the round millstones, and all shout together, so that
they may know what we have decided."

"Right! Right! To the Shool!" cried a chorus of voices.

A common feeling of triumph running through them, they took each other
friendly-wise by the hand, and made gaily for the court of the Shool.
When they got into the town, they fell on each other's necks, and kissed
each other with tears and joy. They knew their plan was the best and
most excellent that could be devised, and would protect them all from
further shame and trouble.

The Pidvorkes shuddered to hear their tread.

All the remaining inhabitants, big and little, men and women, gathered
in the court of the Shool, and stood with pale faces and beating hearts
to see what would happen.

The eyes of the young bachelors rolled uneasily, the girls had their
faces on one another's shoulders, and sobbed.

Breindel, agile as a cat, climbed on to the highest millstone, and
proclaimed in a voice of thunder:

"Seeing that such and such a thing has happened, a great scandal such as
is not to be hid, and such as we do not wish to hide, all we women have
decided to excommunicate----"

Such a tumult arose that for a minute or two Breindel could not be
heard, but it was not long before everyone knew who and what was meant.

"We also demand that neither he nor his nearest friends shall be called
to the Reading of the Law; that people shall have nothing to do with
them till after the wedding!"

"Nothing to do with them! Nothing to do with them!" shook the air.

"That people shall not lend to them nor borrow of them, shall not come
within their four ells!" continued the voice from the millstone.

"And _she_ shall be shut up till her time comes, so that no one shall
see her. Then we will take her to the burial-ground, and the child shall
be born in the burial-ground. The wedding shall take place by day, and
without musicians--"

"Without musicians!"

"Without musicians!"

'Without musicians!"

"Serve her right!"

"She deserves worse!"

A hundred voices were continually interrupting the speaker, and more
women were climbing onto the millstones, and shouting the same things.

"On the wedding-day there will be great black candles burning throughout
the whole town, and when the bride is seated at the top of the
marriage-hall, with her hair flowing loose about her, all the girls
shall surround her, and the Badchen shall tell her, 'This