oes lack of modern lights constitute ignorance?" went on Raphael,
disregarding the interruption. He began walking up and down, and
thrashing the air with his arms. Hitherto he had remained comparatively
quiet, dominated by Strelitski's superior restlessness. "I cannot help
thinking there is a profound lesson in the Bible story of the oxen who,
unguided, bore safely the Ark of the Covenant. Intellect obscures more
than it illumines."

"Oh, Leon, Leon, you'll turn Catholic, soon!" said Strelitski
reprovingly.

"Not with a capital C," said Raphael, laughing a little. "But I am so
sick of hearing about culture, I say more than I mean. Judaism is so
human--that's why I like it. No abstract metaphysics, but a lovable way
of living the common life, sanctified by the centuries. Culture is all
very well--doesn't the Talmud say the world stands on the breath of the
school-children?--but it has become a cant. Too often it saps the moral
fibre."

"You have all the old Jewish narrowness," said Strelitski.

"I'd rather have that than the new Parisian narrowness--the cant of
decadence. Look at my cousin Sidney. He talks as if the Jew only
introduced moral-headache into the world--in face of the corruptions of
paganism which are still flagrant all over Asia and Africa and
Polynesia--the idol worship, the abominations, the disregard of human
life, of truth, of justice."

"But is the civilized world any better? Think of the dishonesty of
business, the self-seeking of public life, the infamies and hypocrisies
of society, the prostitutions of soul and body! No, the Jew has yet to
play a part in history. Supplement his Hebraism by what Hellenic ideals
you will, but the Jew's ideals must ever remain the indispensable ones,"
said Strelitski, becoming exalted again. "Without righteousness a
kingdom cannot stand. The world is longing for a broad simple faith that
shall look on science as its friend and reason as its inspirer. People
are turning in their despair even to table-rappings and Mahatmas. Now,
for the first time in history, is the hour of Judaism. Only it must
enlarge itself; its platform must be all-inclusive. Judaism is but a
specialized form of Hebraism; even if Jews stick to their own special
historical and ritual ceremonies, it is only Hebraism--the pure
spiritual kernel--that they can offer the world."

"But that is quite the orthodox Jewish idea on the subject," said
Raphael.

"Yes, but orthodox ideas have a way of rema