s discourse was quite over, a member of the sect arrived.
"Why so late?" he was asked.

"My wife was confined," he said shamefacedly. Facetiously uproarious
congratulations greeted him.

"Boy or girl?" cried many voices.

"Girl," he said more shamefacedly.

"A girl!" cried the Saint, in indignant accents. "You ought to be
whipped."

Immediately the company with great glee set upon the unfortunate man,
tumbled him over, and gave him an hilarious but hearty drubbing. I
looked at the Saint in astonishment. His muscles were relaxed in a
grin, and I had another flash of elusive recollection of his face. But
ere I could fix it, he stopped the horse-play.

"Come, brethren," he said, "let us serve the Lord with gladness," and
he trolled forth a jocund hymn.

On the next day, with mingled feelings, I again sought the Zaddik's
doorway, through which was pouring the stream of those who had waited
so long; but access to the holy man was still not easy. In the spacious
antechamber sat the Saint's scribe, at a table round which the crowd
clustered, each explaining his or her want, which the scribe scribbled
upon a scrap of paper for them to take in to the Saint. I listened to
the instructions of the clamorous applicants. "I, Rachel, daughter of
Hannah, wish to have children," ran the request of the beautiful rich
woman whose coachman had knocked so persistently; and her gratuity to
the scribe seemed to be of gold. I myself paid only a few kreutzer, and
simply desired--and was alone in desiring--"Perfection." There was
another money-receiving man at the Rabbi's door; but I followed in the
golden wake of the rich lady, and was just in time to witness the
parting gratitude of the vociferous old couple to whom the Rabbi had
restored their jewels. The Saint, with no signs of satisfaction at his
miraculous success, gravely dismissed the garrulous couple, and took
the folded paper which the beautiful woman handed him, and which he did
not even open, placing it to his forehead and turning his eyes
heavenwards.

"You wish to have a child," he said.

The woman started. "O thou man of God!" she cried, falling at his
feet.

The Saint placed his hand reassuringly upon her hair. And at this
moment something in his expression at length unsealed my eyes, and I
recognized, with a pang of pain, the man who had driven past me in that
elegant equipage, lolling luxuriously and smoking his hookah. I was so
perturbed that I fled unceremonious