and water at the Count's bidding, for it is in the nature of a Jew to be
faithful and to love good men.

The Count often discussed business matters with him, and took pleasure
in hearing about the customs and observances of the Jews.

One day the Count said to him, "Tell me the truth, do you love me with
your whole heart?"

"Yes," replied the Jew, "I love you as myself."

"Not true!" said the Count. "I shall prove to you that you hate me even
unto death."

"Hold!" cried the Jew. "Why does my lord say such terrible things?"

The Count smiled and answered: "Let me tell you! I know quite well that
Jews must have Christian blood for their Passover feast. Now, what
would you do if I were the only Christian you could find? You would have
to kill me, because the Rabbis have said so. Indeed, I can scarcely hold
you to blame, since, according to your false notions, the Divine command
is precious, even when it tells us to commit murder. I should be no more
to you than was Isaac to Abraham, when, at God's command, Abraham was
about to slay his only son. Know, however, that the God of Abraham is a
God of mercy and lovingkindness, while the God the Rabbis have created
is full of hatred towards Christians. How, then, can you say that you
love me?"

The Jew clapped his hands to his head, he tore his hair in his distress
and felt no pain, and with a broken heart he answered the Count, and
said: "How long will you Christians suffer this stain on your pure
hearts? How long will you disgrace yourselves? Does not my lord know
that this is a great lie? I, as a believing Jew, and many besides me, as
believing Jews--we ourselves, I say, with our own hands, grind the corn,
we keep the flour from getting damp or wet with anything, for if only a
little dew drop onto it, it is prohibited for us as though it had yeast.

"Till the day on which the cakes are baked, we keep the flour as the
apple of our eye. And when the flour is baked, and we are eating the
cakes, even then we are not sure of swallowing it, because if our gums
should begin to bleed, we have to spit the piece out. And in face of all
these stringent regulations against eating the blood of even beasts and
birds, some people say that Jews require human blood for their Passover
cakes, and swear to it as a fact! What does my lord suppose we are
likely to think of such people? We know that they swear falsely--and a
false oath is of all things the worst."

The Count was touched