his face.  Suddenly she looked down and their eyes met.  Shosshi’s smile hurried off and gave way to a sickly sheepish look and his legs felt weak.  The terribly fine maid gave a kind of snort and resumed her inspection of the ceiling.  Gradually Shosshi found himself examining her again.  Verily Sugarman had spoken truly of her charms.  But—­overwhelming thought—­had not Sugarman also said she loved him?  Shosshi knew nothing of the ways of girls, except what he had learned from the Talmud.  Quite possibly Becky was now occupied in expressing ardent affection.  He shuffled towards her, his heart beating violently.  He was near enough to touch her.  The air she was humming throbbed in his ears.  He opened his mouth to speak—­Becky becoming suddenly aware of his proximity fixed him with a basilisk glare—­the words were frozen on his lips.  For some seconds his mouth remained open, then the ridiculousness of shutting it again without speaking spurred him on to make some sound, however meaningless.  He made a violent effort and there burst from his lips in Hebrew: 

“Happy are those who dwell in thy house, ever shall they praise thee, Selah!” It was not a compliment to Becky.  Shosshi’s face lit up with joyous relief.  By some inspiration he had started the afternoon prayer.  He felt that Becky would understand the pious necessity.  With fervent gratitude to the Almighty he continued the Psalm:  “Happy are the people whose lot is thus, etc.”  Then he turned his back on Becky, with his face to the East wall, made three steps forwards and commenced the silent delivery of the Amidah.  Usually he gabbled off the “Eighteen Blessings” in five minutes.  To-day they were prolonged till he heard the footsteps of the returning parents.  Then he scurried through the relics of the service at lightning speed.  When Mr. and Mrs. Belcovitch re-entered the room they saw by his happy face that all was well and made no opposition to his instant departure.

He came again the next Sunday and was rejoiced to find that Becky was out, though he had hoped to find her in.  The courtship made great strides that afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Belcovitch being more amiable than ever to compensate for Becky’s private refusal to entertain the addresses of such a Schmuck.  There had been sharp domestic discussions during the week, and Becky had only sniffed at her parents’ commendations of Shosshi as a “very worthy youth.”  She declared that it was “remission of sins merely to look at him.”

Next Sabbath Mr. and Mrs. Belcovitch paid a formal visit to Shosshi’s parents to make their acquaintance, and partook of tea and cake.  Becky was not with them; moreover she defiantly declared she would never be at home on a Sunday till Shosshi was married.  They circumvented her by getting him up on a weekday.  The image of Becky had been so often in his thoughts now that by the time he saw her the second time he was quite habituated to her appearance.  He had even imagined his arm round her waist, but in practice he found he could go no further as yet than ordinary conversation.