rgot his headache and the
gnawing at his stomach in the fervor of passionate prayer and in the
fascination of the ghostly figures weeping and wailing in the gloomy
synagogue, and once in imagination he saw the heavens open overhead
and God sitting on the judgment throne, invisible by excess of
dazzling light, and round him the four-winged cherubim and the fiery
wheels and the sacred creatures singing "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord
of Hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory." Then a great awe
brooded over the synagogue, and the vast forces of the universe seemed
concentred about it, as if all creation was awaiting in tense silence
for the terrible words of judgment. And then he felt some cool, sweet
scent sprinkled on his forehead, and, as from the far ends of the
world, he heard a voice that sounded like his father's asking him if
he felt better. He opened his eyes and smiled faintly, and said
nothing was the matter, but now his father insisted that he must go
home to eat. So, still dazed by the glories he had seen, he dragged
himself dreamily through the press of swaying, weeping worshippers,
over whom there still seemed to brood some vast, solemn awe, and came
outside into the little square and drew in a delicious breath of fresh
air, his eyes blinking at the sudden glare of sunlight and blue sky.
But the sense of awe was still with him, for the Ghetto was deserted,
the shops were shut, and a sacred hush of silence was over the stones
and the houses, only accentuated by the thunder of ceaseless prayer
from the synagogues. He walked towards the tall house with the nine
stories, then a great shame came over him. Surely he had given in too
early. He was already better, the air had revived him. No, he would
_not_ break his fast; he would while away a little time by walking,
and then he would go back to the synagogue. Yes, a brisk walk would
complete his recovery. There was no warder at the open gate; the
keepers of the Ghetto had taken a surreptitious holiday, aware that on
this day of days no watching was needed. The guardian barca lay moored
to a post unmanned. All was in keeping with the boy's sense of solemn
strangeness. But as he walked along the Cannaregio bank, and further
and further into the unknown city, a curious uneasiness and surprise
began to invade his soul. Everywhere, despite the vast awe
overbrooding the world, shops were open and people were going about
unconcernedly in the quaint alleys; babies laugh