"Listen, I am coming to that," answered Itzig, with provoking slowness. "He said that if a poor man would marry an equally poor girl, under a chuppe erected in the cemetery between two newly made graves, God's anger would be appeased and the scourge would end. To-day Bensef sought me out. 'Itzig,' he said, 'you have a daughter. I know a husband for her. I will give an outfit to both bride and groom and provide them with money to last a year, if you will consent to their marrying in the cemetery.' What do you think of it?"
"Who is the young man?" queried Jentele, her face expressing neither pleasure nor pain.
"You know the jeschiva student, Kahn?"
"He is poor, very poor, indeed."
"What is that to us? Reb Bensef will provide clothing and money for a whole year."
"And when that is all gone?" queried his wife, resuming operations upon the baby.
"Then God will provide. Did we have more when we married?"
"It is an opportunity of a life-time," mused Jentele, looking at her parched and yellow better-half. "Do as you think best."
Armed with the support of his wife and without consulting his daughter, whose voice in a matter of such minor importance seemed to him unnecessary, Itzig hastened to Bensef's house and expressed his consent to the arrangement. Together the worthies went to the synagogue, where the unsuspecting Kahn was engaged in prayer. A few words sufficed to explain the situation. Kahn looked timidly at Bensef, then upon the ground; finally, he shrugged his shoulders and signified his readiness to be led to the altar. It mattered not to him what disposition they made of him. He was poor and without prospects and could never hope to support a wife by his own exertions. The way was now made easy. Besides, in thus sacrificing himself for the extinction of the plague he was doing a mitzva (a good deed) in the sight of the Lord. To refuse was out of the question. The young man was led in triumph to Itzig's house and introduced to his future wife, who heard of the arrangement for the first time and evinced neither pleasure nor dissatisfaction.
The betrothal was duly announced and hasty preparations made for the coming ceremony, since delay meant new victims to the plague.