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JEW;
Gentile & Christian,
OR THF
CURSE OF MOREY
THE TEACHINGS OFTHE NAZARENE
AN IMAGINARY STUDY OF CREEDS.
CHAPTER II.
Israel Torriano stood on the Neapolitan shore,
looking into the darkling night, and catching
eagerly at the sparkling flashes of spray, which
the fitful gleams of the rising moon created on
the heaving waves. The slight manifestations
of beanty in the natural world attracted him, and
for it he would at any moment forget that other
world which man has created on earth; a world
in which he is momentarily, hourly, and daily
with the divine for human existence; even in its
utilitarian aims is a constant fusion of earth
and heaven; of love and hate; of selfishness and
devotion; of despotism and equalization. For
all these moral struggles there exist little sym
pathy in Israel; they appeared to him paltry,
egotistical and frivolous; while he could embrace
in thought the heavens, and wander among
those starry existences there beyond; yearning
to know the intentions of the Creator. Faugh !
what had h9 to do with the creature ? His own
crdatnre-necssities abhorrent to him, and to be
got rid of at the easiest. Could men and women
not walk the spiritual guise of being whose
very longings reach into infinite; for dream they
ndt of a life beyond ? Then why such gross
preparation here for that life?
Israel bad forgotten himself, those streaks of
pafle golden light were drawing him away from
thfe earth.
‘By heavens! Sir, can’t you see ?’ called some
one to him, stumbling over Israel towards the
shore; ‘and what! Jocopo, are you deaf?'
Israel gathered up his bodily self, and
clutched at the intruder.
‘Well, what do you want ? My friend, let me
alone, quick.'
Israel was in the first actual encounter of his life,
human pugnacity would have its way. He shook
the other, a tall, big man, and sent him sprall-
irig a couple of yards off.
The very moment Israel regained however his
serenity, he walked towards his unknown foe,
and helped him to rise.
The man said not a word, but hurried to the
sea, where a small coasting vessel lav alongside.
Three other men jumped from it and something
was handed to Israel’s antagonist, who rushed
off inland with it.
Israel went up to the three, they looked dar
ing and odd, not quite like the Neapolitans he
had seen, but of duskier color, as far as he could
observe in the struggling moonlight.
‘Where do you go to ? Do you stop here ?’ he
asked in his odd Italian.
•Oh! no, get away as quick as possible, all
rtong by Sardinia and the Balearics, we go to
Spain.’
•Where’s the pello?' meaning the money.
it this eCough?’ He reached them*
fonr gold pieces.
Their eyes sparkled, not because it was enough,
but because where it came from there might be
rnor^.
‘Well, well, sirs.’
Thev helned him in. Israel was evidently
inclined to leave the little luggage he had
brought to Naples, behind.
The sound of footsteps was approaching; the
men let go the rope hastily and the little craft
drifted out into the world of blue waters. What
car^d Israel Torriano, the great eastern banker,
if they were respectable people or not, with
whotn he was, they were in his eyes better a
thousand times than those detestably fussy
f.dks on the regular steamers whose belongings
were their gods. Anyhow, itf this smuggling-
beat, there were no boxes, no baggage, no
arrengements, no calls and orders, he lay down
in the bottom on a coarse woollen coverlet, and
indulged in the delicious sense that he had got
rid cf every-day life among men and could
think, speculate, and gaze as he chose* The
three men, and a boy they had with them,
crouched at the other end, handling their light
shell with the ease of clever mariners.
The boy began a Spanish baroarola, and one
of the men joined him, the rich mellow sounds
swam away into the air, and gave Israel a dreamy
idea that he was being carried to some haven of
riest ont of the world. There he lay, his wide
open eyes staring np into the moonlit skies, his
sonl entranced with anxious longings for that
beyond, where alone he would find the life of
his ‘Master,’ where alone he could mingle his
own existence with that of other higher exist
ences, where the body would not forever bo the
prominent portion, asking loudly to have its
wants supplied, and subduing the spirit by its
demands.
And poor Rebecca ? Ah ! while Israel Tcwiano
imagined only himself in connection with the
infinite, he forgot the finite, he forgot or did not
even think of the beautifully formed consin,
whose heart, brimfnl of the images of rich
Italian poetry, had had a glimpse of that earthly
heaven, ‘love’ between the sexas. Poor Rebecca
leant on her widow sill, and sent her heart’s
desires after that image that had risen before
her in such exqiusite manly beanty, and had
vanished as quickly. The whole world seemed
dark to her, Sarah called in vain, her father
rebuked her in vain; Rebecca sat on through
the night, and in that night a new life, a new
hope, a new rest struggled within her, and the
shut leaves of her sonl-life gently, gently un
folded and discovered as rich a c&liax as ever
was ownedjby mortal. Sweet, holy Rebecca, a
grace granted but to few was being given to th ee.
i Israel had fallen asleep in his boat; the air
had become stifling and sultry vapors had risen,
as ooming from volcanoes underneath, and had
impregnated the atmosphere witn sulphurous
particles. The moon hid away, the stars glim
mered but here and there, and man’s wicked
moods were in the ascendant
• Then the men in the oraft whispered to the
boy, who slid to the young Jaw’s side and rifled
his pockets; from it he brought a purse, whioh
they counted.
‘Not enough to take and throw them over
board.'
> ‘What then T Who was the handsome man ?
Suddenly, the boy jumped up; a paper on it
was written, 'Israel Torriano to Anton Torriano,
Paris.'
The boy eagerly said to the men:
‘I know who he is; they expected an Eastern
rioh man in Naples, where my ancle steals
when he can, and where my cousins beg, at the
Jews in the villa. It is hel It is hot Ma
estro it's a prize; let ns pinion him.’
**No, no, restore the parse, we shall see. Holy
mother Mary, auoh a fortane I
’Ah 11 like the Qipsies beet, they don’t praise
gods when they rob or mnrder; they do it
quietly, busineas-lik& Bah I I’m cleverer than 1
you three, I’m half a Gipsy, tho’ my father is the
privileged beggar at the monastry of Guiseppe,
and my mother the fortune-teller of the great
ladies in the Toledo. The padrone and the
padrona spend it between them, and I have to
shift for myself. But I don’t call upon Holy
mother Mary—bah ! ’
Israel moved uneasily; the men and boy drew
away from him, and by the time the young Jew
opened his eyes not the slightest trace was left
that he had been undergoing an examination at
their hands.
Aud the boat passed along over those Medi
terranean waves, that have seen the birth of the
greatest ancient nations, and have borne on
their eternally crested waves the Phoenician
navigators, the Greek colonists, tne Carthage-
nian merchants, the Roman world-conquorers,
the Moorish armies, the crusading knights, the
Venetian and Genoese ships of commerce, the
Popish subsidiaries, the Spanish gold-laden
vesseles, the French Republican forces, the En
glish men-of-war, and the last phase of national
development, the, floating flags of ‘United Italy.’
In what great human revolution have those
Mediteranean waves not had a share? What
tales of joy and anguish can they not tell ? And
now, while bearing along Israel Torriano, they
carried on their billows one of the few originally
thinking minds of modern times, a mind daring
enough to look for principles in teaching forms,
for truth in carrying them out, for purity and
equalization in the relations of life. Ah, for
those much dimmed humane lessons of Jesus
the Nazarene!
It was so easy for Israel to satisfy his wants,
that his pockets mostly supplied them; he rose,
as the morning breeze was wafted towards him,
and regardless of those near him, stood up in
real adoration, stretching his arms to the great
spiritural power whose signs men ignore,
though they can perceive them daily and hourly
for their enlightenment; though they shine
brightly in the faint morning flush, and softer
in the evening’s dusky red.
The day wore on; it became hot, and still the
boat was swiftly borne along by eastern winds.
The men had evidently altered their course they
held aloof from all signs of land, and were steer
ing round the southern points of the island of
Sardinia; here thev calculated whether their
provisions were snflieient for a certain number
of days, and then communicated with Israel.
Would he share with them ? They had bread,
figs, salt meat, onions, and wine. Israel looked
at the bread and the figs and turned from the
rest, but necessity sways the universe, and be
fore the day was out tiis insufferable thirst had
made him taste for the first time in his life the
fermented liquor of the Spanish grape. His
milk, dates, and bread were gone, and he had
humbly to own that it is a duty to maintain ex
istence !
The winds were propitious, and the small ves
sel fled towards Spain. Israel had resigned
himself to the hospitality of the mariners, and
now and then, what with Italian and Spanish,
entered into conversation with them.
He found they were smugglers, hardy, nn
compromising rogues, to whom a small business
in the matter of doing away with a few specimens
of humanity was nothing; who understood little
of his visions when he expanded on the loveli
ness of the sea view around them, and who were
devoid of all other religious or moral knowledge,
but that of devoutly crossing themselves before
an image of Santa Maria madre. The boy, how
ever, pressed close to him, and looked up into
his face confidingly, the natnral cunning of his
mind giving away before a genuine touch of
greatness.
Days passed; they ran at last into a small creek
in the south of Andalusia, not far from Malaga.
Violent consultations had been going on in a
jargon Israel did not understand. The boy had
taken no part, be had od,1v listened attentively.
In the gray of the morning the parry stepped
on Spanish soil; with a rush two of the men threw
themselves on Israel, pinioned and cagged him,
and thrust him back into the boat. The boy was
sent off somewhere at full speed. It w&s not very
comfortable to be in such a position, but Israel,
though in actual pain, bore it resignedly; to him
recurred forever and ever greater suff erings,more
exquisite tortures. What was he, that his life
should be free from them? God’s sky was still
above him, consoling, refreshing, and inexpres-
sedly charming in its mute, infinite expanse.
The whole hot day the rich Jew lay at the mer
cy of some Spanish smugglers, exhausted by
thirst and huDg9r; towards night, peculiar pro
longed whistles were heard. Suddenly, tbe boy
ran up and was immediately followed by a posse
of odd-looking—Spanish gipsies.
Again consultations, angry whisperings, final
ly complete understanding. Israel was oarried
off on a litter. The boy slipped from his mas
ters and suddenly joined the group. He went
up to the litter, stroked Israel’s hands, wiped
the cold perspiration from his forehead, and
drew the gag from his mouth slily, making a
sign to him not to speak. Then he passed some
pieces of bread dtoped in wine between his lips,
and, under some strange emotion, kissed the
pinioned hands. Such a look rewarded him!
The boy put his fingers on his lips and hasten
ed to the side of the bearers, who were j ust baw
ling out wbat he was doing there. He remain
ed, however, master of the situation; a threat
ening movement with his fist showed that he
knew too much to be treated badly.
It was complete night; they had traversed hil
ly ground, that became wilder and more roman
tic in appearance as they proceeded.
A long, low whistle, once, twice, thrice; they
broke upon a gipsy camp. What a characteris
tic scene! Half a dozen loosely raised tents,un
der the shadows cf almost tropical trees; large
chestnuts, a few date, palms and olive corpses
shrouded the camp from view. Big aloes and
cactuses stretched their priekly arms like an en-
tertwining hedge around it, and the soent of a
thousand sweet heath plants and wild flowers
impregnated the air. Low, glimmering fires
burnt here and there; dusky groups of children
and women stood about, and men lay negligent
ly by the fires, smoking and sulkily chatting to
gether. The procession was received quietly
enough, and Israel taken to one of the largest
tents; it had evidently bean prepared; there was
only an old woman crouching on the floor within.
‘The blessed child of Israel is come,’ she croon
ed; ’but he has sorrow in his horoscope, sorrow
for others, for the women wherever he goes.’
‘Hold your noise, mother,’ broke out the most
important of the men, ‘and attend to bnsiness.
This man wants looking after.’
‘May I do it?’ said the boy, who had pressed
with the others into the tent. ‘Come now, let
me do it; I gave the information who he was, I
have a right to it.’
‘Threaten, yon young braggard; be off, or I
will chnok you in the well.’
‘No you won’t—remembsr Zillah.’
‘Wretched, insolent little brute! I’ll aot let
yon come here again.’
‘Who’ll do the smuggling information ?’
‘Imp!’ the man walked away, bnt turned around
again; ‘Mother, let Pedro be with thee.’
‘Pedro is the right hand of the tribe—young,
sly, and wily Pedro—the Neapolitan serpent
Pedro, thy horosoope is entangled in his,’ mum
bled the old woman.
‘I know it.’
‘How ?’
‘Something here,’ laying his hand nn his heart,
‘gavea big jump when I saw him; I knew he
would be my master and I should be hia slave.’
‘Great is his name, great is his aoal, great i«
his power—Pedro, greater still is the evil he will
cause to the women —till the last will be like the
first and he will be no more a snare to them. He
is the ohosen one of a race, not our own, bat I
see him in my big horesoope. He is none o
us, he will bring sorrow here, tell them to take
him away.’ ,
•But; mother, the money for his ransom.
‘Never mind, take him away; evil is coming,
hot, red hot; take him away, he is holy, he will
enrse onr camp, onr tribe; he’ll bring sorrow,
mnrder and death—away!’ The old woman rush
ed from the tent howling hideously.
‘She’s mad again; all the better. I can attend
on bim. O’i, he’s fainted. Master, sweet mas
ter; I’ll wait, qn you, never, never, never to leave
y °The boy gently and softly nursed Israel, and
at last heard a sigh; Israel opened his eyes; felt
hia loosened hands; saw Pedro kneeling
him, and w'h an inward blessing laid his hand
on the boyl®ead. That moment bought the
boy’s soul.
‘Senor. ij
saved. Te
Naz irene.
‘I will.’
Israel I.
have cast k?
in the worl<j|
and starved ••
numerable
whose frown
In what may, your life shall be
he about Him whom yon call the
keep me with yon.’
mo, the man whose word could
down, made the money-market
ictnate, altered the price cf corn,
[lions, stopped the work in in-
.nnfactories. works and mines,
nuuoa ^juld have beggared homes, sent
men to suicide and women adrift, perhaps to in
famy, as knowing nothing better to do, driven
children to refuges, asylums, and work-houses
—Israel TorriAno lay in the Spanish gyps/ tent
at the mercy d*f the gipsy boy. .
Capital, thol mover of human and mechanical
forces; thou despot of mankind; what art thou
in the abstrao* ? Nothing without application,
the application of the energies thou canst buy.
A medium thou art, and wilt be forever, what
ever man may make of thee now. Thou art not
a primary force, not original power; only that
which will buy both and set them going. Art
thou much ? V /Art thou little ? Little in. thyself,
incomprehensibly great in thy application, thou
hast become the arbiter of the fates of men. Did
he who invented thee, dream that thy .power
would once reign absolute over the civilization
of mankind? And wilt thou ever dwindle back
to thy insignificance,making room for something
more real, more moral, more substantial—the
combined, not the bought action of hundreds
and thousands ?
The answer is hidden in the womb or time.
Israel rested a day, nursed by Pedro; the old
woman did not appear again; but now and then
the same middle-aged man who had given the
boy leave to stay, put in his head to see that the
two were right, and that the rich prize was there.
For hours the next day Israel slept soundly;
watched over tenderly. Pedro had washed his
wrists with sweet oil, and had brought fresh figs,
dates, new milk and cakes. In the evening Is
rael sat up and was nearly himself again. . .
Pedro had gone, evidently to make inquiries
in the camp. Suddenly, he rushed in flashed
and excited.
■Maestro, wilt thou see Zillah? she dances to
night.’
‘And who is Zillah ?’
<Our queen, our beautiful queen. When she
dances the stars shine brighter, for they want
to grace her dance; the moon hides herself, for
Zillah is sweeter than she; ihe air is full of soft
sounds to praise her; the camp'is gat’iered
around; the men are shouting, the women ap
plauding, the ohildren clapping their hands;and
I, poor Pedro, the gipsy spy, I feel that Zillah
is a beauty, and that a beautiful woman can make
one mad.’
•Why Pedt f'.hou dreamest.’
‘No, I do i tL dream, but I could cry.’
‘Cry ?’ si 1
‘Yes, cry; * when Zillah dances the Taran
tella my braiji-iwims, my heart beats. I could
fall at her ffbur« nd sa y» ‘ X am thv slave -’ Save
me, maest;^ ( -.Jbon you speak of Him up there,
I forpet qjG' 3 - come *o- ni g ht an,i t9U
me wliai ic atr KJahs.’
‘But you say’I must not stir; that they have
taked me prisoner here.’
‘Ha, ha,’ laughed Pedro; ‘why, maestro, you
may come into the camp when you are well. You
couldn’t stir if you would; every outlet is watch
ed, every path sure. You'll have to be raDSom-
ed. Hush, here he comes.’
The man put in his head: ‘Mayest come out
when thou wilt, stranger; we 11 talk to-morrow.
Israel’s feet were not yet steady, and his gait
a little nncertain. The long days in the cram
ped boat, the little food lie had taken, the wea
ry yesterday, when pinnioned tightly, he had
been carried on the litter by the gipsies over
rough,nnknown roads,had had some eff ict upon
him; but onoe a few steps out of the tent, his
natural independance returned.
The assembly was ready, and the gipsies were
holding their seanct.
‘Come along, there at the back under the tree,
you can see her. Don’t go close to her, you
might frighten her.’
Zillah was dancing with her castagnettes grace
fully and slowly; she began in measured rounds,
every movement told on those around her, every
sweep of her figure, every step of her feet sent
the men into ecstacies; she bent low, she rose
np, Bhe swept backward, sbe leant forward; the
castagnettes sounded, her feet quickened—her
arms aloft, her long tresses hanging almost to
the ground, her svelte figure in a curve,she was
the image of impassioned graoe—her face smil
ed, but alone bore no trace of passion. She dan
ced to please others, not herself; that wild, mad
dance bad awakened no echo in her heart; she
danced it unconsciously, and understood not its
power over others. Qiicker, madder, quicker,
madder, round, up, down, low, high, backward,
forward—quicker,quicker,quicker ;with a bound
she twisted round, leant back her head and caught
sight of a stranger’s dark figure, and a quiet,
mournful, noble face.
She dropped her castagnettes and hid her face
—it was dyed scarlet.
The man who seemed to be most powerful,
rose from the ground and tonohed her.
‘Art ill, Zillah ?’
‘No, no; why have strangers here?’
‘Where?’ j
‘Below therb, under the tree.’
But Pedro, panting with excitement, had har
ried up to Israel: ‘Come away to the tent,’ he
said, and draged him on; Israel was gone, no
stranger was found. ^ ^ ^
‘Zillah wants to see you to-night,' said Padro
to Israel next morning. Til take you; talk to
her as you talk to me—Bhe is very good. And
the old’un will be here booh. Look you, maes
tro, he will want muoh money, for I told him
who you were before I knew I did wrong; don’t
beaDgry with me. Will you take me with you
when yon are ransomed ?
‘But I shall never be ransomed.'
‘Not ransomed; not yon, the rioh Jew ? Bat
here he is.’
The man in authority entered.
•Sit down, stranger,’ he said; ‘we want few
words. West wilt thou pay to be released ? We
have treated thee well, but thou art prisoner all
the same. We know that thon art rich; very
rioh. Thou mightest not know Spanish meney,
put it in French—say two hundred thousand
*™Why tempt thee with so muoh T I’ll be pri
soner. I’ll stay here.'
•Oh yon Jaw, no Christian would say that.
‘Art thon a Christian t Dost thou know what
the word means?’
•No, and don’t oare; but he would pay.
•Why?’
•To be free.' ... ,
•I don’t oare to be free; freedom u everywhere,
if one likes.’
‘But thou art expeoted in Pans.
•How dost thou know ?'
•I do.’
‘Very well, wbat then?
‘Man, thon must know thy worth. Thon art
made of gold, precious gold. Thy very name is
gold—thy breath is gold. Thon art wanted for
thy gold.’
‘And if I am ?’
‘Why, let them know thon must have money.’
‘Never. I’ll ask no man for money.’
‘But it is thine.’
‘I know nothing of it.’
‘Suppose we kill thee ?’
•Do.’
‘Dost not fear death ?’
‘No.’
‘What art thou? Jews fear death; we had one
before, he paid up jollily.’
‘I am a Jew, a Nszarene.’
‘Then thou art not of the faith, I know; some
thing new, I suppose. Art tbou a branch of ur,
of the Zincalo, the Gitano, or the Manusch?
Man alive, thou drivest me mad. Rich, rioh,
rich till you may wallow in gold; young and
handsome, and doesn’t care to be free, doesn’t
even care to live! What dost call thy faith ?’
‘I am a Nazarene.’
‘They must be odd people; what do they do
with their money ?'
‘Their Master said it was no use for earth and
worse than useless for heaven, Give it to the
poor.’ *
‘Then give me thine.’
‘Thou dost not want it; and, besides, I own
nothing.’
‘Israel Torriano owns nothing ?’
‘Oh, thou knowest my name. Look at me,
here I stand, as thou sayest, Israel Torriano;say
what do I own ? Nothing but a body for this
life and a sonl for the other.’
‘A rouI, what’s that ?’
‘I’ll stop and teach thee; better than the ran
som.’
‘Better than two hundred thousand francs! nev
er. There, thou art a wheedler; why my tribe
will think me a fool. Think of it by to-morrow,
hard times may be coming.’
‘Let them.’
The gipsy left the tent, shaking his head and
mumbling: ‘A soul better than a ransom; won
der what it is. Pedro, Pedro, come here.’
Pedro came. ‘Look, thou Neapolitan vagrant,
don’t get taken up with the Jew’s fancy for a
thing he calls a soul, in bis funny Italian talk.
Thou wert always a dreamer and a spy, and I’ll
hang thee to the next tree if I find thee at tricks.
The Gitana-mother doesn’t like thy eyes.’
‘Pray, Senor Grandezza, and when didst find
Pedro napping ? Who brought the Jew ? Bah,
must grow wiser before thou threaten Pedro.
I’d get the lot into prison if I liked, but for Zil
lah.’
‘Wretch.’
‘Same to the Senor.’
* * * * *
*
The Andalusian night lay stilly on the earth;
the tropical air was filled with wonderful rich
essences, that distilled through the luxurious
vegetation, and enslaved men’s senses; big fire
flies hovered over the dark foliage and sward,
the rapacious southern night-bird was heard, as
he swung himself from hiB layer up into the
dark vaults of the heavens, looking for prey; be
yond, on the brows of the lower ranges of the
* Sierra Nevada, io their fastness, the hungry howl
of a lonely wolf could be discerned, and here
and there a few wild Andalusian horses, mules,
and goats would troop by to enj iy their freedom
from taming restraint. The South claimed its
right to natural beauty, enriched as_ it was by
the vivifying power of strong solar influence.
The sun here called forth a higher pc-nerative
power in the earth, from the earth arose tho ex
halations of this exuberant vegetation, and back
again they fell in dew and shower, fructifying
bv their own changing evaporation.
'Pedro had crept to the tent of his protege
who was lyin g, quietly before it, unstirred by
anv emotional thoughts; the p_’st and future of
his own life were blanks to him, his imagina
tive powers ever concentrated themselves on
present contemplation. Perhaps there passed
just slightly through his memory the noble fig
ure of Rebecca, as he had S9en her last near her
window. Certainly Jerusalem and its surround
ings were inc irporated with his ideas; but all
remembrance vanished before this glorious An
dalusian night. „ ,
•Senor, Zllah waits; come talk to her all about
you and the Nazarene,’
Israel and Pedro softly went across the heath
to a spot Pedro indicated; there, on a little knoll
behind protecting cactuses, at her feet a small
gurgling rivulet, sat Zillah, the admired Gipsy
Queen.
‘Comest thou to a Gitana?’ she said in broken
Italian. , ,
‘Why not, the Gentile was dear to our Mas
ter?’
‘Who was thy Master?’
‘He who taught my Jewish race the way ot
love, of sympathy, of mutual hundredfold for
giveness; He who said that chastity lives in a
thought, and godliness often in undeclared pur
pose; He who judged us according to our ac
knowledged faultiness, not by our own right
eous standard; He who in prophetic words spoke
to the multitudes from Mount Olivet by the
Galilean seas, near river Jordan, on the way-
side to the Samarian woman, and lastly from
the cross to the thief; He who is distorted by
men that profess to own Him, who is unknown
as yet to millions that may know Him one day ;
He who loves you, and me, and all, all sinning,
humanity. Oh, Gitana, lovely as thou art, danoa
that dance no more; it is unohaste thought.
Come now, listen to me.’
‘Thou makest the tears come into my eyes;
what am I that I should do other than my own?
Pedro knows that I love the sun, the moon, and
the stars, and that we sit and apeak ti the riv
ulet. Pedro knows how am watched, how
simple is mv life; and thou sayest I do wrong
when I danoe to amuse my people. Who is thy
God? mine is all about me,—Ha who created
my own fair country, my Spain.
•You are right, Zillah; God, both mine and
thine, is in all around ns; but If we cannot im
agine the Creator beyond His oreations, then we
draw Him down to ns. Come, Bit down, both
of yon. I will teach you.’
Israel took tho plaoe on the knoll, Zillah and
Pedro sat below him at his fast, and both, half-
bred Spanish and Itiliaa gipsies as they were,
listened earnestly to every word.
What a teaoher, this Israel Torraino, the great
eastern banker! Teaching a Rips J g«l and boy,
making them know God in His works, and com
prehend His loving kindness i-a ^ying sent the
Nazirene to give us the greatest lesson of hu
manity. The higher the theme went the more
impassioned beoame Israel, until ho rose11n u
exoitsment, and towering abo™ “f
sent torth poetio sentences of adoration to the
Southern skies.
‘We must go,’said Pedro. , ,
•Already? answered Z llah. *
tho Tarantella no more, good Israel, come here
to-morrow and teach again.’
‘If you wish it’ . ... , ..
•Yes. yes,’answered Zillah, With *
Pedro and Israel retired first; ZtUah followed
them slowly and reluctantly. Suddenly she
was stopped by the Gitana-mother.
‘Where hast been, birdy?’ ,
‘In the night air, to oatoh the breath of life.
‘Take oare; wolves are about, human wolves,
with floe faces to devour fair maidens. Remem
ber, remember thy bethothed, the Hungarian
Cinganno ohief is ooming. Eimembar thy
bond.' ,
‘I own no bond to any man*
‘What! rebellion i already.’
‘The stars teach me to own only Him wno
made them, as master.’
Strange to say, the Gitana-mother fell ill
hurling the most fearful execrations against
some one in her delirium. Tue head
of tbe tribe, the one who had bargained
with Israel, had disappeared on a mysteri
ous mission. The young J ew. waited upon
by Pedro, like a shadow, was allowed to roam
about freely, bnt Whenever he had wandered a
little too far, a giply would abruptly stand be
fore him, emerging from some hiding-place. Is
rael knew he was watched; what of it? If he
was to go forth from here, well it would be don e;
money should never buy him off.
He brought the gipsy children around him,
and spoke to them kindly, talked gently of the
Great Spirit, and made their big black eyes
dance with delight at his tales of the. far off
conntry. The children would rush to him.
‘ Mother thrashed me,because I would not fetch
the fowls of the Alcalde in the next village,’whim
pered a big boy one day.
‘Why wonld’st tbou not ?’
‘ Because you said, what other people owned
was their property, and I must ask them to give
it. I did ast-the Alcalde for the fowls, and he
would not give them, but threw a stick at me, so
I rushed home and told mother.’
‘ Dost thou see the beautiful sky?’
‘Yes, it’s very blue to-day.’
‘It smiles because thou wert good and
wonld’st not Bin against the law.’
• Do men-others in the towns—never take
fowls from Alcaldes?’
‘They do, fowls and other things.’
‘ Does the sky not thunder then ?’
• Do you know what thunders? A little voice
in there, in their breasts, that shakes them, be
cause they have not dealt by their neighbors as
they would be dealt by; that voice would speak
loud, but they won’t listen. Don’t take whai
thy neighbor has, but give what thon hast’
‘That seems funny to Gitana children, who
are just taught the other way. But I like you
much, von have soft eyes and a beamifal face,
and are never in a passion or cross. Dost thou
come from the spirits ?’
‘I wish I did.’
‘Queen Zillah says you are her God’s child,
and He will take you up to live with Him.’
• Q oeen Z ; Hah shouldn’t say so. 0 ur G od had
only one child, and He lives with Him now.’
‘ Oh tell ns about Him.’
Then Israel would sit under the shade of the
big southern chestnuts, and have a score of gip
sy children around him, telling them of the
Nazarene, who walked about the foreign contry
healing the sick, pardoning the evil, and loving
little ohildren. They would press to him and
often whisper:
‘ Teach mother, she scolds if I do not run and
hide in the village to take the things. Mother
will learn, too.’
Bat the mothers and fathers fought shy of Is
rael; they would not learn; they hal tasted the
unwholesome sweet fruits of wild wilfulness.
Zillan was at the try sting-pi ace, sitting below
the knoll, for that was sscred to Israel. The
Gitana’s color came and went, her baud played
tremblingly with a massive gold chain she wore
her eyes were moist, her foot kept faint measure
to her quick, shifting thoughts. Zillah, be
trothed somehow to tho great Hungarian Cingan
no Chief, revolted at the idea to be his wife, to
dress smartly for his pleasure, to dance grace
fully for his delight, to be the show-piece of the
tribe. The earnest words of the stranger tingled
in her ears, his persuasive teaching had opened
a new world in her soul. Ou, why wm she a
poor uo*angbt Gitana girl? She had never
known father and mother! the powerful elder
mother of the tribe took authority over her, but
eves? she dared notsav much. Evirvone in the
oahip locked npor, Zillah as something beyond
their k«n, as somebody to be loved, fondled, and
respected. Zdish had been spoiled, rude hal
b^eo the awakening from such indulgence to a
real life of thought, idea, religion, and hopeless
aff ‘ction !
Israel, Isra6i, and Israel again, was before her,
morn, noon, and night. Might sne hav3 touch
ed his band, misht she have smoothed bis hair,
might she have kissed the hem of his garment!
Like a lov’ng chil d she thought. Zillah, it was
as something else, thou wiuldst have done it.
Wha' was the use of the new teaching if it made
her so unhappy? Why should she know the
Groat Spirit and Hi3 crucified Son, it they
could not help her to another outward life?
Oh. it was misery, to have longings she could
not satisfy. It was misery to live ont of her
self. R-ib«cca, the Jewess, had speedi'y fonnd
an inner life, a oproaohing to a solution of her
doubts and aspirations, but poor Zillah, there
was no foundation to build on, and like a wiy-
wird reed. Zi'lah, the Gitana Q leen, swayed
backward and forward in the stormy atmosphere
of unanswered love.
Israel came; Zillah rose, as if obedient to her
master.
• Z bah, why so smart to-day? Why that gold
chain ?’
‘The mother made me wear it'
‘The mother? Hast thon not a father?’
‘No, no, no, Israel, thou kindly teacher, teaoh
me no’mora; thou wilt go awiy some day, awiy
into the great world, seeking thy ma’e in person
and spirit. I, poor Z llah, shall be left here with
the vast sky and the big trees, with the cry of
the night-bird and tbe howl of the wolf. I shall
have no one to tell my thonghts; may be my be
trothed will drag me to the other country. 0a,
leave me an ignorant Zingara, as I have been,
dancing the Tarantella ’
«Not dancing the Tarantella, Zillah, it is
wicked - ’
‘Why? I am not wicked.’
‘ Because it makes men think wicked, unholy
thonghts. Why shouldst thou be the cause of
them? Zillah, thou art chaste, remain so; give
thy heart to the Spirit, adore Him, find your new
life in your own S9lf, and flee the w lys of men.
‘ How ean I? Shall I go with thee ?’ she said,
hesitatingly and under her breath.
‘ How oanst thou ? I am an errant being, go
ing here and the-e seeking my Master’s ohildren
on this earth, and if I cannot find them? Ah,
then
Pedro ran up: ‘Oh, here yon are; coma maes
tro, he, ihe head, has returned, and wants to
confer with you; quick, quick, before he find*
yon; and oh, Z Hah, witi him has come the
great Cinganno Chief from U ngaria, to take these
away; come after us slowly. In au hour they
will be all drunk at the welcome feast, oozno
back then, I have much to say to you both.’
Israel w&> in his tent; the ohief put in his
head: . .
‘I’ve been in Paris, I’reseon the rich T orruno.
I’ve told him thou art hare. Ha w mid not be
lieve me u ale is thou didst write. He said thou
couldst travel like a mooaroh, thou couldst not
fall into the hands of the soum of the earth, the
gipsey; bnt if thou wilt sand word he will pay
the money. Write, I want to go back; I hare
friends here who need me. I have treated thee
better than I should have others, only the Q.-
tana mother made ma.'
‘I shall not write, I shall not pay; whenever I
leave this camp I shall leave it as I am.’
•Tuna never wilt, we'll kill thee first. Wjat
have a prize and no ransom ? Waara would be
the sense and reason ?'
‘Dost thou think thou dos right?'
‘What is right but every man's advantage? I
know tbe Jaw, I know the Ohristiau; they do r -
other, only they color it over by fiae talk at
cunning ways.’
‘Dost not know the Great Spirit V