were driven. Young man when I am in the East, I lie much on
deck and watch the greater stars. The sight of them satisfies me. I
know them as they rise, and hunger not to know more. Charisi was
satisfied with no sight, but pieced it out with what had been before
and what would come after. Yet we loved each other, and as he said, he
bound our love with duty; we solemnly pledged ourselves to help and
defend each other to the last. I have fulfilled my pledge." Here
Kalonymos rose, and Deronda, rising also, said--

"And in being faithful to him you have caused justice to be done to me.
It would have been a robbery of me too that I should never have known
of the inheritance he had prepared for me. I thank you with my whole
soul."

"Be worthy of him, young man. What is your vocation?" This question was
put with a quick abruptness which embarrassed Deronda, who did not feel
it quite honest to allege his law-reading as a vocation. He answered--

"I cannot say that I have any."

"Get one, get one. The Jew must be diligent. You will call yourself a
Jew and profess the faith of your fathers?" said Kalonymos, putting his
hand on Deronda's shoulder and looking sharply in his face.

"I shall call myself a Jew," said Deronda, deliberately, becoming
slightly paler under the piercing eyes of his questioner. "But I will
not say that I shall profess to believe exactly as my fathers have
believed. Our fathers themselves changed the horizon of their belief
and learned of other races. But I think I can maintain my grandfather's
notion of separateness with communication. I hold that my first duty is
to my own people, and if there is anything to be done toward restoring
or perfecting their common life, I shall make that my vocation."

It happened to Deronda at that moment, as it has often happened to
others, that the need for speech made an epoch in resolve. His respect
for the questioner would not let him decline to answer, and by the
necessity to answer he found out the truth for himself.

"Ah, you argue and you look forward--you are Daniel Charisi's
grandson," said Kalonymos, adding a benediction in Hebrew.

With that they parted; and almost as soon as Deronda was in London, the
aged man was again on shipboard, greeting the friendly stars without
any eager curiosity.

CHAPTER LXI.

"Within the gentle heart Love shelters him,
As birds within the green shade of the grove.
Before the gentle heart, in Nature's scheme,