essed too hard upon him.
While the match was still burning he mechanically noticed the Jew's
face, as it leaned over the paper near his own--not a handsome face, but
gentle and noble in its expression. Then the match went out; it dropped
from his hand, a tiny spark, into the grass, and for a moment
illuminated the blades among which it fell.

CHAPTER IV

The two men walked back over the bleak cliffs together, and for the
greater part of the way in silence; at last the curate spoke. He told
the Jew quite truly that he believed the vicar's wife had his jewel, and
that he supposed she must have come by it according to his worst
suspicions. 'But,' he added, 'I believe she is a good woman.'

The other looked at him in simple surprise. 'That is very curious,' he
said.

'Let us not try to find out her secret by prying; let us go to her
to-morrow, and tell her openly what we think. You fear that she will
deny her action; I have no such fear; and if she does not stand our
test, I give you my word for it, you shall not be the loser.'

'I have put my case in your hands,' said the Jew. 'I will do as you
say.'

They turned into the sleeping town; but when they reached the place of
parting the curate put his hand on the Jew's arm and said, 'I should not
have your forbearance. If some one unconnected with myself had wronged
me so, at the same time making profession of religion, I should think
she deserved both disgrace and punishment.'

'And that she shall have, but not from us,' he replied. 'The sin will
surely be visited on her and on her children.'

'Surely not on the children,' said the curate. 'You cannot believe that.
It would be unjust.'

'You have seen but little of the world if you do not know that such is
the law. The vagabond who sins from circumstances may have in him the
making of a saint, and his children may be saints; but with those who
sin in spite of the good around them it is not so. For them and for
their children is the curse.'

'God cannot punish the innocent for the guilty,' said the priest
passionately.

'Surely not; for that is the punishment--that they are not innocent. The
children of the proud are proud; the children of the cruel, cruel; and
the children of the dishonest are dishonest, unto the third and fourth
generation. Fight against it as they may, they cannot see the difference
between right and wrong; they can only, by struggling, come _nearer_ to
the light. Do you call this unj