"He is not altogether mad—" began Jankiel, but the lord interrupted him.
"He is the grandson of Saul Ezofowich?" he asked, thoughtfully.
"He is Saul's grandson; but his grandfather does not like him."
"Whether he likes him or not, I could scarcely ask his grandfather about him."
"On the contrary, ask him, gracious lord, what he thinks of his grandson," exclaimed Jankiel triumphantly. "Ask his uncles; I will go and bring his uncle Abraham."
"No need," said the nobleman shortly.
He rose, and looked thoughtful, then fixed his eyes upon Jankiel's face.
Jankiel boldly met his searching glance. "Listen, Jankiel," said the lord of Kamionka, "you are a man of years, a respectable merchant, and father of a large family. I ought to trust you more than a young man whom I have seen to-day for the first time, and who may be wrong in the head for anything I know; but there must be something at the bottom of what he tells me. I must get some information about him."
"The gracious lord can get that information very easily," said
Jankiel, shrugging his shoulders contemptuously.
The owner of Kamionka thought a little, and then asked: