entatively.

"No, indeed," said he, laughing.

He had got me into such sympathy with him--for there was a curious
attraction about the man--that I felt somehow that, even if the Baal
Shem _were_ an ascetic, I should still gain nothing from him, and that
my long journey would have been made in vain, the green pastures and
the living waters being still as far off as ever from my droughty
soul.

We had now passed out of the village and into a thick pine-wood with
a path scarcely broad enough for the cart. Of a sudden the silence
into which we again fell was broken by piercing screams for "Help"
coming from a copse on the right. Instantly the driver checked the
horse, jumped to the ground, and drew a long knife from his girdle.

"'Tis useful to be a _Shochet_." he said grimly, as he darted among
the bushes.

I followed in his footsteps and a strange sight burst upon us. A
beautiful woman was struggling with two saturnine-visaged men dressed
as Rabbis in silken hose and mantles. One held her arms pinned to her
sides, while the other was about to plunge a dagger into her heart.

"Hold!" cried the _Shochet_.

The would-be assassin fell back, a startled look on his narrow
fanatical face.

"Let the woman go!" said the driver sternly.

In evident consternation the other obeyed. The woman fell forward,
half-fainting, and the driver caught her.

"Be not afraid," he said. "And you, murderers, down at my feet and
thank me that I have saved you your portion in the World-To-Come."

"Nay, you have lost it to us," said the one with the dagger. "For it
was the vengeance of Heaven we were about to execute. Know that this
is our sister, whom we have discovered to be a wanton creature, that
must bring shame upon our learned house and into our God-fearing town.
Whereupon we and her husband held a secret Beth-Din, and resolved,
according to the spirit of our ancient Law, that this plague-spot must
be cleansed out from Israel for the glory of the Name."

"The glory of the Name!" repeated the driver, and his eyes flamed.
"What know you of the glory of the Name?"

Both brothers winced before the passion of his words. They looked at
each other strangely and uneasily, but answered nothing.

"How dare you call any Jewess a plague-spot?" went on the driver. "Is
any sin great enough to separate us irredeemably from God, who is in
all things? Pray for your sister if you will, but do not dare to sit
in judgment upon a fellow-creature!"