"Praised be God!" was all the old man could say.
"Well, what is it? Speak!" said Beenah, with unusual animation, while a flush of excitement lit up Miriam's face and made it beautiful.
"My brother in America has won a thousand pounds on the lotter_ee_ and he invites me and Beenah to come and live with him."
"Your brother in America!" repeated his children staring.
"Why, I didn't know you had a brother in America," added Miriam.
"No, while he was poor, I didn't mention him," replied Mendel, with unintentional sarcasm. "But I've heard from him several times. We both came over from Poland together, but the Board of Guardians sent him and a lot of others on to New York."
"But you won't go, father!" said Daniel.
"Why not? I should like to see my brother before I die. We were very thick as boys."
"But a thousand pounds isn't so very much," Miriam could not refrain from saying.
Old Hyams had thought it boundless opulence and was now sorry he had not done his brother a better turn.