"Bring it to de Synagogue!" repeated Yankelé in amaze. "Oh, you mean de deed of transfer." "The deed of transfer! Do you think I waste my substance on solicitors? No, I will bring the property itself." "But how can you do dat?" "Where is the difficulty?" demanded Manasseh with withering contempt. "Surely a child could carry a casket of Jerusalem earth to Synagogue!" "A casket of earth! Is your property in Jerusalem only a casket of earth?" "What then? You didn't expect it would be a casket of diamonds?" retorted Manasseh, with gathering wrath.[103] "To a true Jew a casket of Jerusalem earth is worth all the diamonds in the world." [103] "But your Jerusalem property is a fraud!" gasped Yankelé. "Oh, no, you may be easy on that point. It's quite genuine. I know there is a good deal of spurious Palestine earth in circulation, and that many a dead man who has clods of it thrown into his tomb is nevertheless buried in unholy soil. But this casket I was careful to obtain from a Rabbi of extreme sanctity. It was the only thing he had worth schnorring." "I don't suppose I shall get more dan a crown for it," said Yankelé, with irrepressible indignation. "That's what I say," returned Manasseh; "and never did I think a son-in-law of mine would meditate selling my holy soil for a paltry five shillings! I will not withdraw my promise, but I am disappointed in you—bitterly disappointed. Had I known this earth was not to cover your bones, it should have gone down to the grave with me, as enjoined in my last will and testament, by the side of which it stands in my safe." "Very vell, I von't sell it," said Yankelé sulkily. "You relieve my soul. As the Mishnah says, 'He who marries a wife for money begets froward children.'" "THE UNCONSCIOUS BRIDE OPENEDTHE DOOR." "And vat about de province in England?" asked Yankelé, in low, despondent tones. He had never believed in that, but now, behind all his despair and incredulity, was a vague hope that something might yet be saved from the crash.
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