Ephraim shook his head.  “Listen to me,” said he; “I will be quite candid with you.  Formerly I hated you, it is true, for you were more powerful and richer than I was; you were renowned for being honest and punctual, and that hurt me.  If a large bargain was to be made, they were not satisfied unless Gotzkowsky was concerned in it, and if your name stood at the bottom of a contract, every one was pleased.  Your name was as good as gold, and that vexed me.”

“And for that reason you wished to overthrow me, and worked unceasingly for my downfall; because you knew that I expected this remittance of light money from Hamburg!”

“I procured the decision that the light money should be declared uncurrent, that is true.  I succeeded.  From this hour I am more powerful and richer than you.  You shall see that I only hated your house, not yourself; I have come to help you.  You must indeed fail; that I am aware of, and that if you were to put forth all your power, you could not stand this blow, You must and will fail, and that this very day.”

Gotzkowsky muttered some unintelligible words, and covered his face with his hands.  “Yes,” he cried, piteously, “I and all my hopes have suffered shipwreck.”

Ephraim laid his hand suddenly upon his shoulder.  “Seek, then, to save some plank from the wreck, on which you may swim.  You can no longer save your creditors; save yourself.”

Gotzkowsky removed his hands slowly from his face, and looked at him with astonishment and wonder.

Ephraim met his look with a smiling and mysterious expression, and bending down to Gotzkowsky’s ear, whispered:  “I think you will not be such a fool as to give up all you have to your creditors, and to go out of your house a poor man.  Intrust me with your important papers, and all that you possess of money and valuables, and I will preserve them for you.  You do not answer.  Come, be reasonable; do not allow the world the pleasure of pitying you; it does not deserve it.  Believe me, mankind is bad; and he is a fool who strives to be better than his fellows.”  He stopped, and directed an inquiring look toward Gotzkowsky.

The latter regarded him proudly and with contempt.  “This, then, is your friendship for me?  You wish to make me a cheat!”

“Every man cheats his neighbor,” cried Ephraim, shrugging his shoulders; “why should you alone be honest?”

“Because I do not wish to be ashamed of myself.  It is the fault of others that I fall to-day.  It shall not be said that Gotzkowsky is guilty of any crime of his own.”

“It will be said, nevertheless,” interrupted Ephraim; “for whoever is unfortunate, is in the wrong, in the eyes of men.  And if he can help himself at the expense of others, and does not do it, do you think men will admire him for it?  No! believe me, they will only laugh at him.  I have often been sorry for you, Gotzkowsky; for, with all your good sense, your whole life through has been a miscalculation—­”