er, to prevent. She heard me in silence and in tears, and then
quitted the room.

"The next day she appeared to have recovered her composure, and entered
freely into general conversation, and, after a time, referred to the
rites of their Church. By degrees she brought up the subject of
Christianity; she demanded the reasons and authority for our belief; in
short, she induced me to enter warmly into the subject, and to prove, to
the best of my ability, that the true Messiah had already come. This
conversation she took a pleasure in renewing, during my stay in the
house; and as I considered that the subject was one that diverted our
attention from the one I wished to avoid, I was not sorry to enter upon
it, although I had not the least idea of converting her to our faith.

"Such was the state of affairs when I quitted the house, and again
seriously thought of removing myself from so much temptation, when her
brother Joseph arrived from Madrid, where he had been staying with an
uncle for some years, and his return was the occasion of a jubilee, at
which I could not refuse to appear. He is a fine young man, very
intelligent and well informed, but of a very irascible disposition; and
his long residence in Spain has probably given him those ideas of
retaliation which are almost unknown in this country. He conceived a
very strong friendship for me, and I certainly was equally pleased with
him; for he is full of talent, although he is revengeful, proud of his
lineage, and holding to the tenets of his faith with all the obstinacy
of a Pharisee. Indeed, it is strange that he could ever become so
partial to a Christian, respecting as he does the rabbinical doctrines
held forth to the Jewish people, and which it must be admitted have been
inculcated, in consequence of the unwearied and unjustifiable
persecution of the tribes for centuries, by those who call themselves
Christians, but whose practice has been at open variance with the
precepts of the founder of their faith. However, so it was. Joseph
conceived a great regard for me, was continually at my house, and
compelled me but too often to visit at his father's. At last I made up
my mind that I would leave the country for a time, and was actively
preparing, intending to go without saying a word to them, when I found
myself one morning alone with Miriam. She walked up to me as I was
sitting on the couch I motioned to her to sit by me, but she stood
before me with a sta