information, and I thank
you, Father."

"Then you knew nothing?" faltered the librarian; and, raising his neck
higher than usual, the vein in the centre of his forehead swelled with
wrath.

"No, Anselme!" said the abbot. "But it was your duty to speak, as,
unfortunately, it was mine to listen. Come to me again, by and bye; I
have something to say to you."

The librarian bowed silently, coldly and proudly, and without vouchsafing
the magistrate a single glance, went back, not to his books, but to his
cell, where he paced up and down a long time, sorrowfully murmuring
Lopez's name, striking himself on the mouth, pressing his clenched hand
to his brow, and at last throwing himself on his knees to pray for the
Jew, before the image of the crucified Redeemer.

As soon as the monk had left the room, the magistrate exclaimed:

"What unexpected aid! What series of sins lie before us! First the small
ones. He had never worn the Jews' badge, and allowed himself to be served
by Christians, for Caspar's daughters were often at the House to help in
sewing. A sword was found in his dwelling, and the Jew, who carries
weapons, renounces, since he uses self-protection, the aid of the
authorities. Finally, we know that Lopez used an assumed name. Now we
come to the great offences. They are divided into four parts. He has
practised magic spells; he has sought to corrupt a Christian's son by
heresies; he has led a Christian woman into a marriage; and he has--I
close with the worst--he has reared the daughter of a Christian woman, I
mean his wife, a Jewess!"

"Reared his child a Jewess? Do you know that positively?" asked the
abbot.

"She bears the Jewish name of Ruth. What I have taken the liberty to make
prominent are well chosen, clearly-proved crimes, worthy of death. Your
learning is great, Reverend Abbot, but I know the old writers, too. The
Emperor Constantius made marriages between Jews and Christians punishable
with death. I can show you the passage."

The abbot felt that the crime of which the Jew was accused was a heavy
and unpardonable one, but he regarded only the sin, and it vexed him to
see how the magistrate's zeal was exclusively turned against the unhappy
criminal. So he rose, saying with cold hauteur:

"Then do your duty."

"Rely upon it. We shall capture him and his family to-morrow. The
town-clerk is full of zeal too. We shall not be able to harm the child,
but it must be taken from the Jew and receive a Ch