f the race, and keeping it together, despite all human volition.
To think that I should be doomed to fall in love, not only with a Jewess
but with a pious Jewess! But clever men always fall in love with
conventional women. I wonder what makes you so conventional, Addie."

Addie, still smiling, pressed his hand in silence, and gazed at him in
fond admiration.

"Ah, well, since you are so conventional, you may as well kiss me."

Addie's blush deepened, her eyes sparkled ere she lowered them, and
subtly fascinating waves of expression passed across the lovely face.

"They'll be wondering what on earth has become of us," she said.

"It shall be nothing on earth--something in heaven," he answered. "Kiss
me, or I shall call you unconventional."

She touched his cheek hurriedly with her soft lips.

"A very crude and amateur kiss," he said critically. "However, after
all, I have an excuse for marrying you--which all clever Jews who marry
conventional Jewesses haven't got--you're a fine model. That is another
of the many advantages of my profession. I suppose you'll be a model
wife, in the ordinary sense, too. Do you know, my darling, I begin to
understand that I could not love you so much if you were not so
religious, if you were not so curiously like a Festival Prayer-Book,
with gilt edges and a beautiful binding."

"Ah, I am so glad, dear, to hear you say that," said Addie, with the
faintest suspicion of implied past disapproval.

"Yes," he said musingly. "It adds the last artistic touch to your
relation to me."

"But you will reform!" said Addie, with girlish confidence.

"Do you think so? I might commence by becoming a vegetarian--that would
prevent me eating forbidden flesh. Have I ever told you my idea that
vegetarianism is the first step in a great secret conspiracy for
gradually converting the world to Judaism? But I'm afraid I can't be
caught as easily as the Gentiles, Addie dear. You see, a Jewish sceptic
beats all others. _Corruptio optimi pessima_, probably. Perhaps you
would like me to marry in a synagogue?"

"Why, of course! Where else?"

"Heavens!" said Sidney, in comic despair. "I feared it would come to
that. I shall become a pillar of the synagogue when I am married, I
suppose."

"Well, you'll have to take a seat," said Addie seriously, "because
otherwise you can't get buried."

"Gracious, what ghoulish thoughts for an embryo bride! Personally, I
have no objection to haunting the Council of t