"While I am poor," said Nina; "so poor that--look here, I can only mend
my rags. There, look at my shoes. I have not another pair to my feet.
But if he likes me, poor and ragged, better than he likes you, rich--"
She got so far, raising her voice as she spoke; but she could get no
farther, for her sobs stopped her voice.

But while she was struggling to speak, the other girl rose and knelt at
Nina's feet, putting her long tapering fingers upon Nina's thread-bare
arms, so that her forehead was almost close to Nina's lips. "He does,"
said Rebecca. "It is true--quite true. He loves you, poor as you are,
ten times--a hundred times--better than he loves me, who am not poor.
You have won it altogether by yourself, with nothing of outside art to
back you. You have your triumph. Will not that be enough for a life's
contentment?"

"No--no, no," said Nina. "No, it will not be enough." But her voice
now was not altogether sorrowful. There was in it something of a wild
joy which had come to her heart from the generous admission which the
Jewess made. She did triumph as she remembered that she had conquered
with no other weapons than those which nature had given her.

"It is more of contentment than I shall ever have," said Rebecca.
"Listen to me. If you will say to me that you will release him from
his promise, I will swear to you by the God whom we both worship, that
I will never become his wife--that he shall never touch me or speak to
me in love." She had risen before she made this proposal, and now stood
before Nina with one hand raised, with her blue eyes fixed upon Nina's
face, and a solemnity in her manner which for a while startled Nina
into silence. "You will believe my word, I am sure," said Rebecca.

"Yes, I would believe you," said Nina.

"Shall it be a bargain between us? Say so, and whatever is mine shall
be mine and yours too. Though a Jew may not make a Christian his wife,
a Jewish girl may love a Christian maiden; and then, Nina, we shall
both know that we have done our very best for him whom we both love
better than all the world beside."

Nina was again silent, considering the proposition that had been made
to her. There was one thing that she did not see; one point of view
in which the matter had not been presented to her. The cause for her
sacrifice had been made plain to her, but why was the sacrifice of the
other also to become necessary? By not yielding she might be able to
keep her lover to herself;