The Scapegoat

years together. In the south-east corner of the Mellah he placed it, and he built it partly in the Moorish and partly in the English fashion, with an op

he floors, but sent for tables and chairs and couches out of England; and everything h

was doomed to be little better than a prison for his wife. In marrying Ruth he had enlarged the circle of his intimates by one faithful and loving soul, but in marrying him she had reduced even her friends to that number. Her father was dead; i

s heart-that Ruth might soon bear a child. Then would her solitude be broken by the dearest co

hope was of longer life, but the truth dawned upon him at last. Then, when he perceived that his wife was ashamed, a great tenderness came over him. He had been thinking of her; that a child would bring her solace, and meanwhile she had thought only of him, that a

e woman Rebecca met him again at the street-corner by his own house, and she lifted her gaunt finger into his face, and cried, "Israel ben

his hand to strike her. Her other predictions had passed him by, but this one had smitten him. H

hat was the worth of it, after all, that he had conquered the fate that had first beaten him down? What did it come to that the world was

reproached himself with a thousand offences, and sometimes he searched the Scriptures, that he might p

had been married to Israel, and that by the laws, both of their race and their cou

n came an order to him from the Governor, but still he paid no heed. At length he heard a feeb

m you!" she cried

d," he answered stoutly; "no,

comforted her at length, and said, "Look up, my dearest! look up! I am a proud man among

ead from his bosom and her eye

" she whispered hotly, "and s

Himself!" cried Israel; "an

the iron grating and the candles that hung above it, and she prayed: "O Lord, have pity on this Thy servant, and take away her reproach among women. Give her grace in Thine eyes, O Lord,

rking-places of the streets to deride me. Confound my enemies, O Lord, and rebuke their counsels. Remember Ruth, I beseech Thee, that she is patient and her heart is humbled. Give her children of Thy servant, and her first-born shall be sanctified unto Thee. Give her one c

ed into a command, for the Shereef was a prince of Islam in his own country, and in many provinces the believers paid him tribute. So in three days' time Israel was ready to set out on his journey, with men and mules at his door, and camels packed

this act also they will find offence. Promise me that if they make a mock at you for your husband's sake you will not see the

was blind, if they taunted her as one that was deaf, and if they questioned her conce

he came to do, he was sent back to Tetuan loaded with presents from the Shereef, and surrounded by s

eyes dim with tears of joy, her throat throbbing lik

pered; "I have som

ed; "I know it already.

toyed with the neck of his kaftan, and colou

had been heard, and the child

her. Long they stood together so, while he told her of the chances which had befallen him during his absence from her, and she told him of her sol

. Israel concluded that if it was a son it should be called David, and Ruth decided that if it was a daughter it should be called Naomi. And Ruth delighted to tell of how when it was weaned she should take it up to the synagogue and say, "O Lord: I am the woman that knelt before Thee praying. For this child I prayed, and Thou hast heard

es face to face, and he could not wait eight other days for the Feast of the circumcision. So he set a supper fit for a king: the fore-leg of a sheep and the fore-leg of an ox, the egg ro

among them were the three base usurers, Abraham Pigman, Judah ben Lolo, and Reuben Maliki. "They cursed me," he thought, "and I shall look on

and at his own table. But Israel was not to be gainsaid. He went out to them himself, and said, "Come, let bygones be bygones. It is the feast of our nation. Let us

nd they had drunk together, he could not keep back his tongue from taunting them. Then when he had washed again and dipped the celery in the vinegar, and they had drunk of

" Israel answered

t for him to her chambe

said. "Some evil is about to

, returning to the patio, where the passover cakes had been broken, he called for

e three old usurers, Abraham, Judah, and Reuben, rose to go, but Israel cried, "Stay! Stay,

and by names they did not know-Harpagon, Shylock, Bildad, Elihu-and at every new name he laughed again. And while he c

ied, "Now you know what it is; and now you know why you are bidden to this supper! You are here to rejoice

e out of the patio into the street; but he put

rose to a shrill cry. "You foretold the doom of God upon me, you brought me low, you made me ashamed: but behold how the Lord has lifted me up! You set your women to prophesy that God would

hing his arm. "It is a g

herless, and with none to show them mercy! She shall see the iniquity of their fathers remembered agains

riving them all out like sheep before him, dumbfounded and with their

went in to her hurriedly, and his enemies, by one impulse of

fear, and her lips moved,

with you, my dearest joy of

aid "The Lord has counted my prayer to me as s

in him, but he muttered out of his dr

the child has not uttered a cry, and it

rael growled, and he lifted t

prophetess had cursed him, the eyes of the child did not close, neither did their pupils diminish. Then his li

n if it were a son never could it s

mber, and they cried, "Peace! Peace!" And old Judah ben Lolo, the elder of the synagogue, grun

d bidden. Then he fell to laughing hideously and crying, "What matter? Every monkey is a gazelle to its mother!" But after that he staggered

and left him, muttering among themselves, "The Lord killeth and maketh alive, He bringeth low an