“Vell,” said Sugarman, anxious to assure him he bore no malice.  “If you send a present I reckon it de same as if you come.”

“That’s all right,” said Daniel with strained heartiness.

Sugarman tucked Nehemiah under his arm but lingered on the threshold.  He did not know how to broach the subject.  But the inspiration came.

“Do you know I have summonsed Morris Kerlinski?”

“No,” said Daniel.  “What for?”

“He owes me dirty shillings.  I found him a very fine maiden, but, now he is married, he says it was only worth a suvran.  He offered it me but I vouldn’t take it.  A poor man he vas, too, and got ten pun from a marriage portion society.”

“Is it worth while bringing a scandal on the community for the sake of ten shillings?  It will be in all the papers, and Shadchan will be spelt shatcan, shodkin, shatkin, chodcan, shotgun, and goodness knows what else.”

“Yes, but it isn’t ten shillings,” said Sugarman.  “It’s dirty shillings.”

“But you say he offered you a sovereign.”

“So he did.  He arranged for two pun ten.  I took the suvran—­but not in full payment.”

“You ought to settle it before the Beth-din,” said Daniel vehemently, “or get some Jew to arbitrate.  You make the Jews a laughing-stock.  It is true all marriages depend on money,” he added bitterly, “only it is the fashion of police court reporters to pretend the custom is limited to the Jews.”

“Vell, I did go to Reb Shemuel,” said Sugarman “I dought he’d be the very man to arbitrate.”

“Why?” asked Daniel.

“Vy?  Hasn’t he been a Shadchan himself?  From who else shall we look for sympaty?”

“I see,” said Daniel smiling a little.  “And apparently you got none.”

“No,” said Sugarman, growing wroth at the recollection.  “He said ve are not in Poland.”

“Quite true.”

“Yes, but I gave him an answer he didn’t like,” said Sugarman.  “I said, and ven ve are not in Poland mustn’t ve keep none of our religion?”

His tone changed from indignation to insinuation.

“Vy vill you not let me get you a vife, Mr. Hyams?  I have several extra fine maidens in my eye.  Come now, don’t look so angry.  How much commission vill you give me if I find you a maiden vid a hundred pound?”

“The maiden!” thundered Daniel.  Then it dawned upon him that he had said a humorous thing and he laughed.  There was merriment as well as mysticism in Daniel’s blue eyes.

But Sugarman went away, down-hearted.  Love is blind, and even marriage-brokers may be myopic.  Most people not concerned knew that Daniel Hyams was “sweet on” Sugarman’s Bessie.  And it was so.  Daniel loved Bessie, and Bessie loved Daniel.  Only Bessie did not speak because she was a woman and Daniel did not speak because he was a man.  They were a quiet family—­the Hyamses.  They all bore their crosses in a silence