"But I pray thee, my daughter, remember what will be thought of thee, if
thou shouldst act as thou art proposing to do. It will certainly be
supposed that thou art wavering in the faith of thy fathers, if even it
be not imagined that thou hast forsaken it. Only think of the horror of
such a thing!"
"I have not forsaken the faith of Abraham."
"I am sure of that; nevertheless, it is good thou shouldst say it."
"If the Cohen agree," said Leo, stroking his white beard, "I am willing
to make a compromise. As we have no child, and thou art so fond of
children, the child shall abide with thee, on condition that thou take a
like oath to bring him up a proselyte of Israel: and then let him be
circumcised on the eighth day after his coming here. But if not, some
friend of his parents must be found. What say you, Cohen?"
"I am willing so to have it."
"I am not," said Countess shortly. "As to friends of the child's
parents, there are none such, save the God for whom they died, and in
whose presence they stand to-night. I must keep mine oath. Unhurt in
body, unhurt in soul, according to their conception thereof, and
according to my power, will I bring the boy to his father at the coming
of Messiah."
"Wife, wouldst thou have the Cohen curse thee in the face of all
Israel?"
"These rash vows!" exclaimed the Rabbi, in evident uneasiness.
"Daughter, it is written in the Thorah that if any woman shall make a
vow, her husband may establish it or make it void, if he do so in the
day that he hear it; and the Blessed One (unto whom be praise!) shall
forgive her, and she shall not perform the vow."
"The vow was made before I was Leo's wife."
"Well, but in the day that he hath heard it, it is disallowed."
"There is something else written in the Thorah, Cohen. `Every vow of a
widow, or of her that is divorced, shall stand.'"
"Father Isaac! when didst thou read the Thorah? Women have no business
to do any such thing."
"It is there, whether they have or not."
"Then it was thy father's part to disallow it."
"I told him of my vow, and he did not."
"That is an awkward thing!" said Leo in a low tone to the Rabbi.
"I must consult the Rabbins," was the answer. "It may be we shall find
a loophole, to release the foolish woman. Canst thou remember the exact
words of thy vow?"
"What matter the exact words? The Holy One (blessed be He!) looketh on
the heart, and He knew what I meant to promise."
"Yet how didst thou speak?"
"I have told you. I said, `God do so to me and more also, if I bring
not the child to you unhurt!'"
"Didst thou say `God'? or did the man say it, and thy word was only
`He'?" asked the Rabbi eagerly, fancying that he saw a way of escape.
"What do I know which it was? I meant Him, and that is in His eyes as
if I had said it."
"Countess, if thou be contumacious, I cannot shelter thee," said Leo
sternly.
"My daughter," answered the Rabbi, still suavely, though he was not far
from anger, "I am endeavouring to find thee a way of escape."
"I do not wish to escape. I sware, and I will do it. Oh, bid me
depart!" she cried, almost fiercely, turning to Leo. "I cannot bear
this endless badgering. Give me my raiment and my jewels, and bid me
depart in peace!"
There was a moment's dead silence, during which the two old men looked
fixedly at each other. Then the Rabbi said--
"It were best for thee, Leo. Isaac the son of Deuslesalt [probably a
translation of Isaiah or Joshua] hath a fair daughter, and he is richer
than either Benefei or Jurnet. She is his only child."
"I have seen her: she is very handsome. Yet such a winter night! We
will wait till morning, and not act rashly."
"No: now or not at all," said Countess firmly.
"My daughter," interposed the Rabbi hastily, "there is no need to be
rash. If Leo give thee now a writing of divorcement, thou canst not
abide in his house to-night. Wait till the light dawns. Sleep may
bring a better mind to thee."
Countess vouchsafed him no answer. She turned to her husband.
"I never wished to dwell in thy house," she said very calmly, "but I
have been a true and obedient wife. I ask thee now for what I think I
have earned--my liberty. Let me go with my little child, whom I love
dearly,--go to freedom, and be at peace. I can find another shelter for
to-night. And if I could not, it would not matter--for me."
She stooped and gathered the sleeping child into her arms.
"Speak the words," she said. "It is the one boon that I ask of you."
Leo rose--with a little apparent reluctance--and placed writing
materials before the Rabbi, who with the reed-pen wrote, or rather
painted, a few Hebrew words upon the parchment. Then Leo, handing it to
his wife, said solemnly--
"Depart in peace!"
The fatal words were spoken. Countess wrapped herself and Rudolph in
the thick fur mantle, and turned to leave the room, saying to the man
whose wife she was no longer--
"I beseech you, send my goods to my father's house. Peace be unto you!"
"Peace be to thee, daughter!" returned the Rabbi.
Then, still carrying the child, she went out into the night and the
snow.
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Note 1. See Matthew 27 verses 26, 27; Mark fourteen verses 22, 23; Luke
twenty-two verses 17, 20; One Corinthians eleven verse 24, when it will
be seen that "blessed" means gave thanks to God, not blessed the
elements.
Note 2. Hebrews Seven verse 14; Eight verse 4.
Note 3. Matthew Eight verse 4.
Note 4. Acts two verse 46; twenty-seven verse 11; One Corinthians
eleven verses 20-34.
Note 5. Diceto makes this barbarity a part of the sentence passed on
the Germans. Newbury mentions it only as inflicted.