The tall old man withdrew solemnly, leaving, as it were, a trail of
light behind him. Tahoser, surprised at feeling her sickness suddenly
leave her, cast her eyes around the room, and soon, wrapping herself in
the blanket with which the young Israelite had covered her, she put her
feet to the ground and sat up on the edge of the bed. Fatigue and fever
had completely left her; she was as fresh as after a long rest, and her
beauty shone in all its purity. Pushing back with her little hands the
plaited masses of her hair behind her ears, she showed her face lighted
up with love, as if she desired Poeri to read it; but seeing that he
remained motionless near Ra'hel without encouraging her by a sign or a
glance, she rose slowly, drew near the young Israelite girl, and threw
her arms around her neck. She remained thus, her head in Ra'hel's bosom,
wetting it with her hot tears. Sometimes a sob she could not repress
shook her convulsively upon her rival's breast.
The complete yielding up of herself, and her evident misery, touched
Ra'hel. Tahoser confessed herself beaten, and implored her pity by mute
supplication, appealing to her womanly generosity.