"Two children," corrected the stranger sharply.

"No, three children. Yes, three." He paused in his enumeration as
if struck by a belated thought. "It is three children, Joseph?"
he proceeded, turning to his friend.

Joseph confirmed his memory. "Yes, Simon, three;
the girl, the boy and the baby."

The stranger was clearly perplexed and disturbed.

"Go on," he said curtly.

"There is Paulina and the three children, and Rosenblatt, and--"

"Rosenblatt!" The word shot from the stranger's lips with the
vehemence of a bullet from a rifle. "Rosenblatt in her house!
S-s-s-o-o-o!" He thrust his face forward into the speaker's with a
long hissing sound, so fiercely venomous that the man fell back a
pace. Quickly the stranger recovered himself. "Look you, brothers,
I need a room for a few days, anywhere, a small room, and I can
pay well."

"My house," said the man named Joseph, "is yours,
but there are six men with me."

Quickly the other took it up. "My poor house is small,
two children, but if the Elder brother would accept?"