go back to England,' said Tancred, colouring; 'and if you
are persecuted, I hope I shall be able to defend you here.'

The glowing sky, the soft mellow atmosphere, the brilliant surroundings,
and the flowers and flashing gems, rich dresses and ravishing music, and
every form of splendour and luxury, combined to create a scene that to
Tancred was startling, as well from its beauty as its novel character.
A rich note of Therese Laurella for an instant arrested their
conversation. They were silent while it lingered on their ear. Then
Tancred said to the soft-eyed sister of Hillel, 'All that we require
here to complete the spell are your beautiful children.'

'They sleep,' said the lady, 'and lose little by not being present,
for, like the Queen of Sheba, I doubt not they are dreaming of music and
flowers.'

'They say that the children of our race are the most beautiful in the
world,' said Eva, 'but that when they grow up, they do not fulfil the
promise of their infancy.'

'That were scarcely possible,' said the soft-eyed mother.

'It is the sense of shame that comes on them and dims their lustre,'
said Eva. 'Instead of joyous-ness and frank hilarity, anxiety and a
shrinking reserve are soon impressed upon the youthful Hebrew visage.
It is the seal of ignominy. The dreadful secret that they are an
expatriated and persecuted race is soon revealed to them, at least
among the humbler classes. The children of our house are bred in noble
thoughts, and taught self-respect. Their countenances will not change.'

And the countenance from whose beautiful mouth issued those gallant
words, what of that? It was one that might wilder the wisest. Tancred
gazed upon it with serious yet fond abstraction. All heavenly and heroic
thoughts gathered around the image of this woman. From the first moment
of their meeting at Bethany to this hour of sacred festival, all the
passages of his life in which she had been present flashed through
his mind. For a moment he was in the ruins of the Arabian desert, and
recalled her glance of sweet solicitude, when, recovered by her skill
and her devotion, he recognised the fair stranger whose words had, ere
that, touched the recesses of his spirit, and attuned his mind to high
and holiest mysteries. Now again their eyes met; an ineffable expression
suffused the countenance of Lord Monta-cute. He sighed.

At this moment Hillel and Fakredeen advanced with a hurried air of
gaiety. Hillel offered his hand