man, I
cannot tell whom. And she kept begging me pitifully to tell Bruno--to
let Bruno know the moment he should come home: he would never, never
leave her in prison; he would be sure to rescue her. I asked Licorice
if Anegay had come of her own will, for I was very much afraid lest some
force had been used to bring her. But she assured me that my daughter
had returned of her own free will, only a little reluctantly, lest her
husband should not approve it. There had been no force whatever, only a
little gentle persuasion. And--fool that I was!--I believed it at the
time. It was not until all was over that I heard the real truth. What
good could come of telling Bruno then? It would be simply to make him
miserable to no purpose. And yet--Go on, my son."

And Abraham returned to his former position.

"Then," continued Bruno, "Isabel pressed the child Rosia harder. She
told her that she felt certain she knew where Anegay was, and she must
tell it to her. At last the child burst into tears. `Oh, don't ask
me!' she said, `for I did love her so much! I cannot believe what
Licorice says, that she is gone to Satan because she believed in the
Nazarene. I am sure she went to God.' `But is she dead, Rosia?' cried
Isabel. And the child said, `She is dead. She died yesterday
morning.'"

Bruno paused, apparently to recover his composure.

"I went back at once to this house. I saw that Licorice instantly read
in my face that I had heard the truth: and she tried to brazen it out no
longer. Yes, it was true, she said in answer to my passionate charges:
Anegay was dead. I should see her if I would, to convince me. So I
passed into an inner chamber, and there I found her lying, my own fair
darling, white and still, with the lips sealed for ever which could have
told so much--"

Bruno nearly broke down, and he had to wait for a minute before he could
proceed.

"I stood up from my dead, and I demanded of Licorice why she had done
this cruel thing. And she said, `Why! How little does a Christian know
the heart of a Jew! Canst thou not guess that in our eyes it is a
degradation for a daughter of Israel to be looked on by such as you
Gentiles--that for one of you so much as to touch her hand is pollution
that only blood can wipe away? Why! I wanted to revenge myself on
thee, and if it were not too late, to save the child's soul. Thou canst
hang me now, if thou wilt: I have had my revenge!' And I said,
`Licor