Anton repeated his story for him, but
this time the rabbi ended it, saying reso-
lutely :

" And we must bury him."

"What!" cried Chayim. "A Goy in
the ' good place.' Bistu meshugge ! We
cannot do such a thing. We dare not ! "

" My dear uncle Chayim Leben," replied
the rabbi in sweetest tones, " thou know-
179



A RENEGADE AND OTHER TALES

est I value thy word like pure gold, but
when it comes to a matter of law, thou
hadst best leave it to me. Not only dare
we, we should ! We must ! It's a Mitzwah."

Here was a grand opportunity, particu-
larly since a stranger was present, for
Chayim to display the iron hand of author-
ity, and though he had never read a line of
Gemorah in his life, he blew out his cheeks,
and assumed the argumentative tone of a
Talmudist.
" If," he said, beginning on a high note
and throwing out his thumb, " our rules
declare we dare not sell a plot of our burial-
ground to a Goy, how — " at the bottom of
the scale and rising — " are we going to
do it? "

The good rabbi's patience was as short-
lived as it was sweet, and Chayim's foolish
pretense at knowledge was always the
point at which it broke.
" Chammer," he roared. " Did I say
we'll sell it to him? We'll give it to him ! "

180



A GOY IN THE GOOD PLACE

And SO they did.
