'But what for?'
'Why, to destroy his advantage, of course. Five-sixths of his Sabbath profits depend on the marine-dealers closing, and when he sees he's breaking the Sabbath in vain——'
'Rubbish! You are asked to stop a congregational infection, and you——'
'Vaccinate ourselves with the same stuff, to make sure the attack shall be light.'
'It's a hair of the dog that bit us,' said Mendel, who, with Peleg, had lingered to back up Barzinsky.
'Of the mad dog!' exclaimed the Parnass. 'And you're all raging mad.'
'It's the only sane way,' urged Peleg. 'When he sees his rivals open——'
'You!' The President turned on him. 'You are not even a marine-dealer. Why are you open?'
'How could I dissociate myself from the rest of the Sub-Committee?' inquired Peleg with righteous indignation.
'You are a set of sinners in Israel!' cried the Parnass, forgetting even to take snuff. 'This will split up the congregation.'