said Jacob, exhibiting that article in his
own knife again, and looking up with serious inquiry.

"Yes," said Deronda, experimentally.

"Bring your knife, then, and we'll shwop," said Jacob, returning the
knife to his pocket, and stamping about with the sense that he had
concluded a good transaction.

The grandmother had now recovered her usual manners, and the whole
family watched Deronda radiantly when he caressingly lifted the little
girl, to whom he had not hitherto given attention, and seating her on
the counter, asked for her name also. She looked at him in silence, and
put her fingers to her gold earrings, which he did not seem to have
noticed.

"Adelaide Rebekah is her name," said her mother, proudly. "Speak to the
gentleman, lovey."

"Shlav'm Shabbes fyock on," said Adelaide Rebekah.

"Her Sabbath frock, she means," said the father, in explanation.
"She'll have her Sabbath frock on this evening."

"And will you let me see you in it, Adelaide?" said Deronda, with that
gentle intonation which came very easily to him.

"Say yes, lovey--yes, if you please, sir," said her mother, enchanted
with this handsome young gentleman, who appreciated remarkable children.

"And will you give me a kiss this evening?" said Deronda with a hand on
each of her little brown shoulders.

Adelaide Rebekah (her miniature crinoline and monumental features
corresponded with the combination of her names) immediately put up her
lips to pay the kiss in advance; whereupon her father rising in still
more glowing satisfaction with the general meritoriousness of his
circumstances, and with the stranger who was an admiring witness, said
cordially--

"You see there's somebody will be disappointed if you don't come this
evening, sir. You won't mind sitting down in our family place and
waiting a bit for me, if I'm not in when you come, sir? I'll stretch a
point to accommodate a gent of your sort. Bring the diamond, and I'll
see what I can do for you."

Deronda thus left the most favorable impression behind him, as a
preparation for more easy intercourse. But for his own part those
amenities had been carried on under the heaviest spirits. If these were
really Mirah's relatives, he could not imagine that even her fervid
filial piety could give the reunion with them any sweetness beyond such
as could be found in the strict fulfillment of a painful duty. What did
this vaunting brother need? And with the most favorable supposition
about t