"This world is a queer place, my Belasez, full of crooked lanes and crookeder men and women. Men are bad enough, I believe: but women!--" Beatrice could guess of what woman Abraham was especially thinking. "Is Cress come with thee, my father?" "No--not _here_," answered the old Jew, emphatically. "And he never can." "Why?" "Belasez, I have a sad tale to tell thee." "O my father! Is there anything wrong with Cress?" It was impossible to recognise Delecresse as uncle instead of brother. "Ay, child, wrong enough!" said Abraham sadly. "Is he so ill, my father?" "Ah, my Belasez, there is a leprosy of the soul, worse than that of the body. And there is no priest left in Israel who can purge that! Child, hast thou never wondered how Sir Piers de Rievaulx came to know of the damsel's marriage--she that is the Lady's daughter?" "Margaret? I never could tell how it was." "It was Delecresse who told him." "Delecresse!" "Ah, yes--may the God of Israel forgive him!" "But how did Delecresse know?" "I fancy he guessed it, partly--and perhaps subtly extracted some avowal from thee, in a way which thou didst not understand at the time." "But, Father, I could not have told him, even unwittingly, for I did not know it myself. I remember his asking me who Sir Richard was, as we passed through the hall,--yes, and he said to old Hamon that he owed him a grudge. He asked me, too, after that, if Sir Richard were attached to Margaret." "What didst thou say?" "That I thought it might be so; but I did not know." "Well! I am thankful thou couldst tell him no more. I suppose he pieced things together, and very likely jumped the last yard. Howbeit, he did it. My son, my only one! If there were an altar yet left in Israel, it should smoke with a hecatomb of lambs for him." "All Israelites would not think it wicked, my father. They think all Gentiles fair prey." "What, after they have eaten of their salt? Child, when the Lady had been kind to thee, I could not have touched a hair of any head she loved. Had the Messiah come that day, and all Gentiles been made our bond-slaves, I would have besought for her to fall to me, that I might free her without an instant's suspense." "Yes, my father, _thou_ wouldst," answered Beatrice, affectionately. "But I do not think thou ever didst hate Christians as some of our nation do." "Child, Belasez! how could I, when the best love of my white dove's heart had been given to a Christian and a Gentile? I loved her, more than thou canst imagine. But would my love have been true, had I hated what she loved best? Where is thy father, my darling?" Beatrice was just about to say that she could not tell, when she looked up and saw him. The greeting between Abraham and Bruno was very cordial now. Bruno smiled gravely when he heard of the further exploits of Licorice with the broom; but a very sad, almost stern, expression came into his eyes, when he was told the discovery concerning Delecresse.