She smiled: 'But, Monsieur, we have many
shelters.5
'Yet I feel that Madame requires just one more/
he coaxed. 'I can see its exact position!5
The end of it was that she gave him an order for a
couple of back-rests and three bed-tables: 'It is true/
she admitted, 'that we need several things, and the
transport grows always more difficult. Perhaps I will
ask you to build that new shelter, but first you must
let me judge of your work — you will naturally have
to work to our patterns."
Kahn thanked her, then bowed himself humbly
away, but his face was flushed and his eyes bright
with triumph.
And so in addition to cigarette boxes, pin-trays and
the like, Jouse Benedit's workshop began to produce
quite a number of objects that the kind-hearted lady
required for her patients; and since she was very well
satisfied Kahn obtained his much-longed-for recom-
mendation. All day might be heard the sound of the
saw and the rhythmical tapping of hammer and
mallet; all day might be heard the sound of Kahn's
voice as he lustily shouted for this and that tool, or
sang some lively song of the cafes. And all day Jouse,
hearing these cheerful sounds, must lie on his bed and
ponder deeply:
'Surely,3 he pondered, 'God's ways are most strange,
yet most kind.3 And then he would talk to God, but
familiarly, using the Provencal tongue as though he
spoke with some well-loved friend towards whom he
had every cause to feel grateful.
§2
At about this time Kahn began to pay board from
his share of the sum realized at the auction. It was
not a large sum, since owing to the war there had been
389 '