"And why do you smoke on the Sabbath?"
"Don't you smoke?" asked the guest satirically looking Meir in the face.
"No," answered Meir
"And you wish to lead human souls out of darkness! And you believe that it is a holy law not to smoke on the Sabbath!"
"No, I don't believe it," answered Meir, with as much determination as before.
"You wish to cause the people to rebel against the great Rabbi and the kahal, and you yourself give way before the enemy."
Meir's eyes shone again, but this time angrily.
"If it was a question of saving a human soul from obscurity, or a human body from ignorance, I would not give way, because such things are important; but when it is a question of denying myself a pleasure, I give way because it is a trifle. And although I do not believe that such a law is holy and comes from God, I know that the old people believe in it, and I think that it would be rude to contradict them in a trifle like this."
After this speech Leopold turned away from Meir and walked over to where Mera sat. For a while Meir followed him with a glance in which there was a mixture of disappointment and anger. Then he left the window and went out.
This sudden disappearance of the young man made a great impression on the women. The men hardly noticed it, for they thought it very natural and praiseworthy that the bridegroom, through modesty, avoided the fiancee chosen for him by the older people. But Pani Hannah and her sister became gloomy, and Mera whispered to her mother: