"But I pray thee, my daughter, remember what will be thought of thee, if
thou shouldst act as thou art proposing to do. It will certainly be
supposed that thou art wavering in the faith of thy fathers, if even it
be not imagined that thou hast forsaken it. Only think of the horror of
such a thing!"

"I have not forsaken the faith of Abraham."

"I am sure of that; nevertheless, it is good thou shouldst say it."

"If the Cohen agree," said Leo, stroking his white beard, "I am willing
to make a compromise. As we have no child, and thou art so fond of
children, the child shall abide with thee, on condition that thou take a
like oath to bring him up a proselyte of Israel: and then let him be
circumcised on the eighth day after his coming here. But if not, some
friend of his parents must be found. What say you, Cohen?"

"I am willing so to have it."

"I am not," said Countess shortly. "As to friends of the child's
parents, there are none such, save the God for whom they died, and in
whose presence they stand to-night. I must keep mine oath. Unhurt in
body, unhurt in soul, according to their conception thereof, and
according to my power, will I bring the boy to his father at the coming
of Messiah."

"Wife, wouldst thou have the Cohen curse thee in the face of all
Israel?"

"These rash vows!" exclaimed the Rabbi, in evident uneasiness.
"Daughter, it is written in the Thorah that if any woman shall make a
vow, her husband may establish it or make it void, if he do so in the
day that he hear it; and the Blessed One (unto whom be praise!) shall
forgive her, and she shall not perform the vow."

"The vow was made before I was Leo's wife."

"Well, but in the day that he hath heard it, it is disallowed."

"There is something else written in the Thorah, Cohen. `Every vow of a
widow, or of her that is divorced, shall stand.'"

"Father Isaac! when didst thou read the Thorah? Women have no business
to do any such thing."

"It is there, whether they have or not."

"Then it was thy father's part to disallow it."

"I told him of my vow, and he did not."

"That is an awkward thing!" said Leo in a low tone to the Rabbi.

"I must consult the Rabbins," was the answer. "It may be we shall find
a loophole, to release the foolish woman. Canst thou remember the exact
words of thy vow?"

"What matter the exact words? The Holy One (blessed be He!) looketh on
the heart, and He knew what I meant to promise."

"Yet