The Surprises of Life

sons of Shem or of Japheth, each of us strives for the representative symbol of the satisfaction of his particular cravings. Not that Simon, son of Simon, of the tribe of Judah, had ever give

cked, ever ready to appropriate the goods of their neighbours. Jewels, rare gems, precious vessels, delicate porcelain, rugs, tapestries, luxurious dwellings, horses, none of these awakened his desire. He cared nothing for them, and had no understanding of the vain-glorious joys to be derived from their poss

brown, white, or yellow piles of them in coffers with intricate locks-filled him with superhuman joy. And so great is the miracle of metal, even when absent and represented only by a sheet of paper supplied with the necessary formul? and bearing imposing signatures

gold. Gold for the sake of gold, not for the vain pleasures, the empty shells, for which fools give it in exchange. Gold was beautiful, gold was mighty, gold was sovereign of the world. If Simon, son of Simon, had attempted to picture Jehovah, he would have conceived of him as gold stretching out to infinity, filling all s

t seemed as if his genius lacked nothing necessary for success. Yet he always failed, and had acquired a reputation for bad luck. He had travelled much; taken part in large enterprises, to which he contributed ideas that proved profitable to someone else. He could buy and sell on the largest or the smallest scale. He dealt

im into all the mysteries of commerce. Ochosias profited by his lessons and was not lacking in

n, are all profitable for one knowing how to handle it. If you will give

e dullest wit. But in order to deal with capital, capital you must have, or else find some innocent Gentile to

her shrugged

me has come to submit to you a plan that has been

ly, with such a racial quiver at the words "r

ed in business ability. Should you, Ochosias, live to be the age of the patriarchs, you might meet with one more fortunate than your father, but one more expert in tr

voutly in token of s

t is no secret. Everyone proclaims it aloud. Ask anybody you please. Everyone will tell you: 'Simon, son of Simon, is no ordinary Jew.' Some will even add: 'He is the greatest Jew of his time.' I do not go as far as that. We must alwa

as, breathlessly, scentin

t is the secret, and, I tell y

ow

through the care of the Emperor Francis Joseph, Christian of Christ, distributes good

Ochosias, and pouted

which graciously offers us every day a cha

th a brightening countenance, "you know

would presently speak. You ar

riously. You know

me, who is the

u yourself j

tsiders, if any there be mightier th

o ought by no means to be despised. But Jehovah is the g

this world than we can grasp, and Jehovah permit

he purpose o

dictionary of the Gods of mankind, which is, I am told, a bulky volume. Whoever is the mightiest God, him must we tempt, seduce, or, to speak plainly, buy.' That is what I have resolved to do. I shall naturally begin the experiment with Jehovah, the God of Abraham and of Solomon, who

orins!" Ochosias

the world we live in one can subsidize a Divinity, a first-class one, for that price? Triple donkey! Know that I shall offer Jehovah one hund

s silent. After a paus

e, under that figure. But a hundred thousand florins! You must own th

ith your ten thousand florins I should never win the gra

n oath before the Thorah to devote, should he win, a hundred thousand florins to Jehovah,

vah had lost power. Was it possible that the centuries had strengthened some other God against him? Strange things happen. Still,

he Eternal?" uttered Simon, son of Simon, sententiously. "No! I

hovah remained unshaken, he was willing to try again.

and hastened to the church of Christ where, having been properly sprinkled with holy water, he knelt according to the custom of the place, and pledged himself solemnly, in case he won the grand prize, to present the Crucified with a hundred thousand

e to utter no word that could give offence to the Power whose favour they were seeking. Jehovah remain

earing some trick of the invisible powers. But in the end he was obliged to accept the evidence. The

rain himself. He must know what was going on in his father's soul, for his own was torn by a dreadful doubt. The genius of Simon, son of Simon, was marvellous, it had opened the way for him to recalcitrant fortune, and in the natural course of things he, Ochosias, would presently through death's agency be placed in possession of the treasure. But here was a difficulty. Could one grant that Je

y talk Ochosias made the sor

d such a belief involve! Is it possible that the religion of Jesus is the tr

one whom we can deceive, even unintentionally. To Him all things are known. He foresees all, and works accordingly. The proof that He is mightier than Jesus is that He perfectly understood on both occasions that I should never b

chosias, his soul divinely eased by

eheads bowed before th