The idea of _her_ giving charity, after the account of herself she had just heard, seemed ironical enough. She wished the transfer of the coin had taken place within eyeshot of Malka, then dismissed the thought as unworthy.
"You"ll come in and have a cup of tea with us, won"t you, after we"ve lodged the _Greeners_?" said Hannah. "Now don"t say no. It"ll brighten up my father to see Reb Moshe"s little girl."
Esther tacitly a.s.sented.
"I heard of all of you recently," she said, when they had hurried on a little farther. "I met your brother at the theatre."
Hannah"s face lit up.
"How long was that ago?" she inquired anxiously.
"I remember exactly. It was the night before the first _Seder_ night."
"Was he well?"
"Perfectly."
"Oh, I am so glad."
She told Esther of Levi"s strange failure to appear at the annual family festival. "My father went out to look for him. Our anxiety was intolerable. He did not return till half-past one in the morning. He was in a terrible state. "Well," we asked, "have you seen him?" "I have seen him," he answered. "He is dead.""
Esther grew pallid. Was this the sequel to the strange episode in Mr.
Henry Goldsmith"s library?
"Of course he wasn"t really dead," pursued Hannah, to Esther"s relief.
"My father would hardly speak a word more, but we gathered he had seen him doing something very dreadful, and that henceforth Levi would be dead to him. Since then we dare not speak his name. Please don"t refer to him at tea. I went to his rooms on the sly a few days afterwards, but he had left them, and since then I haven"t been able to hear anything of him. Sometimes I fancy he"s gone off to the Cape."
"More likely to the provinces with a band of strolling players. He told me he thought of throwing up the law for the boards, and I know you cannot make a beginning in London."
"Do you think that"s it?" said Hannah, looking relieved in her turn.
"I feel sure that"s the explanation, if he"s not in London. But what in Heaven"s name can your father have seen him doing?"
"Nothing very dreadful, depend upon it," said Hannah, a slight shade of bitterness crossing her wistful features. "I know he"s inclined to be wild, and he should never have been allowed to get the bit between his teeth; but I dare say it was only some ceremonial crime Levi was caught committing."
"Certainly; that would be it," said Esther. "He confessed to me that he was very _link_. Judging by your tone, you seem rather inclined that way yourself," she said, smiling and a little surprised.
"Do I? I don"t know," said Hannah simply. "Sometimes I think I"m very _froom_."
"Surely you know what you are?" persisted Esther.
Hannah shook her head.
"Well, you know whether you believe in Judaism or not?"
"I don"t know what I believe. I do everything a Jewess ought to do, I suppose. And yet, oh, I don"t know."
Esther"s smile faded; she looked at her companion with fresh interest.
Hannah"s face was full of brooding thought, and she had unconsciously come to a standstill.
"I wonder whether anybody understands herself," she said reflectively.
"Do you?"
Esther flushed at the abrupt question without knowing why.
"I--I don"t know," she stammered.
"No, I don"t think anybody does, quite," Hannah answered. "I feel sure I don"t; and yet--yes, I do. I must be a good Jewess; I must believe my life."
Somehow the tears came into her eyes; her face had the look of a saint. Esther"s eyes met hers in a strange subtle glance; then their souls were knit. They walked on rapidly.
"Well, I do hope you"ll hear from him soon," said Esther.
"It"s cruel of him not to write," replied Hannah, knowing she meant Levi; "he might easily send me a line in a disguised hand. But then, as Miriam Hyams always says, brothers are so selfish."
"Oh, how is Miss Hyams? I used to be in her cla.s.s."
"I could guess that from you still calling her Miss," said Hannah, with a gentle smile.
"Why, is she married?"
"No, no; I don"t mean that. She still lives with her brother and his wife; he married Sugarman the Shadchan"s daughter, you know."
"Bessie, wasn"t it?"
"Yes; they are a devoted couple, and I suspect Miriam is a little jealous; but she seems to enjoy herself, any way. I don"t think there is a piece at the theatres she can"t tell you about, and she makes Daniel take her to all the dances going."
"Is she still as pretty?" asked Esther. "I know all her girls used to rave over her and throw her in the faces of girls with ugly teachers.
She certainly knew how to dress."
"She dresses better than ever," said Hannah evasively.
"That sounds ominous," observed Esther laughingly.
"Oh, she"s good-looking enough! Her nose seems to have turned up more; but perhaps that"s an optical illusion; she talks so sarcastically nowadays that I seem to see it." Hannah smiled a little. "She doesn"t think much of Jewish young men. By the way, are you engaged yet, Esther?"
"What an idea!" murmured Esther, blushing beneath her spotted veil.
"Well, you"re very young," said Hannah, glancing down at the smaller figure with a sweet matronly smile.
"I shall never marry," Esther said in low tones.
"Don"t be ridiculous, Esther! There"s no happiness for a woman without it. You needn"t talk like Miriam Hyams--at least, not yet. Oh yes, I know what you"re thinking----"
"No, I"m not," faintly protested Esther.
"Yes, you are," said Hannah, smiling at the paradoxical denial. "But who"d have _me_? Ah, here are the _Greeners_!" and her smile softened to angelic tenderness.