Children of the Ghetto

serious.'

The earnestness of his tones arrested the attention of the company. The laughter ceased.

'What do you mean?' said Samuel. He understood the Yiddish which old Hyams almost invariably used, though he did not speak it himself. Contrariwise, old Hyams understood much more English than he spoke.

'You have married Hannah Jacobs.'

There was a painful silence, dim recollections surging in everybody's brain.

'Married Hannah Jacobs!' repeated Samuel incredulously.

'Yes,' affirmed old Hyams. 'What you have done constitutes a marriage according to Jewish law. You have pledged yourself to her in the presence of two witnesses.'

There was another tense silence. Samuel broke it with a boisterous laugh.

'No, no, old fellow,' he said; 'you don't have me like that!'

The tension was relaxed. Everybody joined in the laugh with a feeling of indescribable relief. Facetious old Hyams had gone near scoring one. Hannah smilingly plucked off the glittering bauble from her finger and slid it on to Leah's. Hyams alone remained grave. 'Laugh away!' he said. 'You will soon find I am right. Such is our law.'

'May be,' said Samuel, constrained to seriousness despite himself. 'But you forget that I am already engaged to Leah.'

'I do not forget it,' replied Hyams, 'but it has nothing to do with the case. You are both single, or rather you were both single, for now you are man and wife.'

Leah, who had been sitting pale and agitated, burst into tears. Hannah's face was drawn and white. Her mother looked the least alarmed of the company.

'Droll person!' cried Malka, addressing Sam angrily in jargon. 'What hast thou done?'

'Don't let us all go mad,' said Samuel, bewildered. 'How can a piece of fun, a joke, be a valid marriage?'

'The law takes no account of jokes,' said old Hyams solemnly.

'Then why didn't you stop me?' asked Sam, exasperated.

'It was all done in a moment. I laughed myself; I had no time to think.'

Sam brought his fist down on the table with a bang.

'Well, I'll never believe this! If this is Judaism--!'

'Hush!' said Malka angrily. 'These are your English Jews, who make mock of holy things. I always said the son of a proselyte was--'

'Look here, mother,' put in Michael soothingly. 'Don't let us make a fuss before we know the truth. Send for some one who is likely to know.' He played agitatedly with his complex pocket-knife.

'Yes, Hannah's father, Reb Shemuel is just the man,' cried Milly Phillips.

'I told you my husband was gone to Manchester for a day or two,' Mrs. Jacobs reminded her.

'There's the Maggid of the Sons of the Covenant,' said one of the company. 'I'll go and fetch him.'

The stooping, black-bearded Maggid was brought. When he arrived, it was evident from his look that he knew all and brought confirmation of their worst fears. He explained the law at great length, and cited precedent upon precedent. When he ceased, Leah's sobs alone broke the silence. Samuel's face was white. The merry gathering had been turned to a wedding party.

'You rogue!' burst forth Malka at last. 'You planned all this-you thought my Leah didn't have enough money, and that Reb Shemuel will heap you up gold in the hands. But you don't take me in like this.'

'May this piece of bread choke me if I had the slightest iota of intention!' cried Samuel passionately, for the thought of what Leah might think was like fire in his veins. He turned appealingly to the Maggid; 'but there must be some way out of this, surely there must be some way out. I know you Maggidim can split hairs. Can't you make one of your clever distinctions even when there's more than a trifle concerned?' There was a savage impatience about the bridegroom which boded ill for the Law.

'Of course there's a way out,' said the Maggid calmly. 'Only one way, but a very broad and simple one.'

'What's that?' everybody asked breathlessly.

'He must give her Gett!'

'Of course!' shouted Sam in a voice of thunder. 'I divorce her at once.' He guffawed hysterically: 'What a pack of fools we are! Good old Jewish law!'

Leah's sobs ceased. Everybody except Mrs. Jacobs was smiling once more. Half a dozen, hands grasped the Maggid's; half a dozen others thumped him on the back. He was pushed into a chair. They gave him a glass of brandy, they heaped a plate with fried fish. Verily the Maggid, who was in truth sore ahungered, was in luck's way. He blessed Providence and the Jewish Marriage Law.

'But you had better not reckon that a divorce,' he warned them between two mouthfuls. 'You had better go to Reb Shemuel, the maiden's father, and let him arrange the Gett beyond reach of cavil.'

'But Reb Shemuel is away,' said Mrs. Jacobs.

'And I must go away, too, by the first train to-morrow,' said Sam. 'However, there's no hurry. I'll arrange to run up to town again in a fortnight or so, and then Reb Shemuel shall see that we are properly untied. You don't mind being my wife for a fortnight, I hope, Miss Jacobs?' asked Sam, winking gleefully at Leah. She smiled back at him and they laughed together over the danger they had just escaped. Hannah laughed too, in contemptuous amusement at the rigidity of Jewish Law.

'I'll tell you what, Sam, can't you come back for next Saturday week?' said Leah.

'Why?' asked Sam. 'What's on?'

'The Purim Ball at the Club. As you've got to come back to give Hannah Gett, you might as well come in time to take me to the ball.'

'Right you are,' said Sam cheerfully.

Leah clapped her hands. 'Oh that will be jolly,' she said. 'And we'll take Hannah with us,' she added as an afterthought.

'Is that by way of compensation for losing my husband?' Hannah asked with a smile.

Leah gave a happy laugh, and turned the new ring on her finger in delighted contemplation.

'All's well that ends well,' said Sam. 'Through this joke Leah will be the belle of the Purim Ball. I think I deserve another piece of plaice, Leah, for that compliment. As for you, Mr. Maggid, you're a saint and a Talmud sage!'

The Maggid's face was brightened by a smile. He intoned the grace with unction when the meal ended, and everybody joined in heartily at the specifically vocal portions. Then the Maggid left, and the cards were brought out.

It is inadvisable to play cards before fried fish, because it is well known that you may lose, and losing may ruffle your temper, and you may call your partner an ass, or your partner may call you an ass. To-night the greatest good humor prevailed, though several pounds changed hands. They played Loo, 'Klobbiyos,' Napoleon, Vingt-et-un, and especially Brag. Solo whist had not yet come in to drive everything else out. Old Hyams did not spiel, because he could not afford to, and Hannah Jacobs because she did not care to. These and a few other guests left early. But the family party stayed late. On a warm green table, under a cheerful gas light, with brandy and whiskey and sweets and fruit to hand, with no trains or busses to catch, what wonder if the light-hearted assembly played far into the new day?

Meanwhile the Redeemed Son slept peacefully in his crib with his legs curled up, and his little fists clenched beneath the coverlet.

CHAPTER V. THE PAUPER ALIEN.

Moses Ansell married mainly because all men are mortal. He knew he would die and he wanted an heir. Not to inherit anything, but to say Kaddish for him. Kaddish is the