“Yes, Beautiful Sara,” said the Rabbi, cheerfully smiling to his wife, “this is the famous, free, imperial, and commercial city of Frankfort-on-the-Main, and we are now passing along the river Main.  Do you see those pleasant-looking houses up there, surrounded by green hills?  That is Sachsenhausen, from which our lame Gumpert brings us the fine myrrh for the Feast of the Tabernacles.  Here you see the strong Main Bridge with its thirteen arches, over which many men, wagons, and horses can safely pass.  In the middle of it stands the little house where Aunty Taeubchen says there lives a baptized Jew, who pays six farthings, on account of the Jewish community, to every man who brings him a dead rat; for the Jews are obliged to deliver annually to the State council five thousand rats’ tails for tribute.”

At the thought of this war, which the Frankfort Jews were obliged to wage with the rats, Beautiful Sara burst out laughing.  The bright sunlight, and the new gay world now before her, had driven all the terrors and horrors of the past night from her soul, and as she was helped ashore from the boat by Dumb William and her husband, she felt inspired as with a sense of joyful safety.  Dumb William for a long time fixed his beautiful, deep-blue eyes on hers, half sadly, half cheerfully, and then, casting a significant glance at the Rabbi, sprang back into his boat and was soon out of sight.

“Dumb William much resembles my brother who died,” said Beautiful Sara.  “All the angels are alike,” answered the Rabbi; and, taking his wife by the hand, led her through the dense crowd on the shore, where, as it was the time of the Easter Fair, a great number of wooden booths had been erected by traders.  Then passing through the gloomy Main Gate, they found themselves in quite as noisy a crowd.  Here, in a narrow street, the shops stood close beside one another, every house, as was usual in Frankfort, being specially adapted to trade.  There were no windows on the ground floor, but broad, open arches, so that the passer-by, looking in, could see at a glance all there was for sale.  And how astonished Beautiful Sara was at the mass of magnificent wares, and at the splendor, such as she had never seen before!  Here stood Venetians, who offered cheaply all the luxuries of the Orient and Italy, and Beautiful Sara was enchanted by the sight of the ornaments and jewels, the gay caps and bodices, the gold bangles and necklaces, and the whole display of finery which women so admire and love to wear.  The richly embroidered stuffs of velvet and silk seemed fairly to speak to Beautiful Sara, and to flash and sparkle strange wonders back into her memory, and she really felt as if she were a little girl again, and as if Aunty Taeubchen had kept her promise and taken her to the Frankfort Fair, and as if she were now at last standing before the beautiful garments of which she had heard so much.  With a secret joy she reflected what she should take back with her to Bacharach, and which of her two little