But if he killed himself, that would bring disgrace on the family--and little Schnapsie. Perhaps, too, Alfred would not marry her. Was there no way of slipping quietly out of existence? But then suicide was another deadly sin. If only that had really been his funeral procession! "O God, God of Israel, tell me what to do!" VIII A sudden inspiration leapt to his heart. She should not have to wait for his death to be happy; he would _live_ to see her happy. He would pretend that her marriage cost him no pang; indeed, would not truly the pang be swallowed up in the thought of her happiness? But _would_ she be happy? _Could_ she be happy with this alien? Ah, there was the chilling doubt! If a quarrel came, would not the man always throw it in her face that she was a Jewess? Well, that must be left to herself. She was old enough not to rush into misery. Through all these years he had taken her pensive brow as the seat of all wisdom, her tender eyes as the glow of all goodness, and he could not suddenly readjust himself to a contradictory conception. By the time she came in he had composed himself for his task. "Ah, my dear," he said, with a beaming smile, "I have heard the good news." The answering smile died out of her eyes. She looked frightened. "It's all right, little Schnapsie," he said roguishly. "So now I shall have seven sons-in-law. And Alfred the Second, eh?" "You have heard?" "Yes," he said, pinching her ear. "Thinks she can keep anything from her old father, does she?" "But do you know that he is a--a--" "A Christian? Of course. What's the difference, as long as he's a good man, eh?" He laughed noisily. Little Schnapsie looked more frightened than ever. Were her father's wits wandering at last? "But I thought--" "Thought I would want you to sacrifice yourself! No, no, my dear; we are not in India, where women are burnt alive to please their dead husbands." Little Schnapsie had an irrelevant vision of herself treading on diamonds and gold. She murmured, "Who told you?" "Leah." "Leah! But Leah is angry about it!" "So she is. She came to me in a tantrum, but I told her whatever little Schnapsie did was right." "Father!" With a sudden cry of belief and affection she fell on his neck and kissed him. "But isn't the darling old Jew shocked?" she said, half smiling, half weeping. Cunning lent him clairvoyance. "How much Judaism is there in your sisters' husbands?" he said. "And without the religion, what is the use of the race?" "Why, father, that's what I'm always preaching!" she cried, in astonishment. "Think what our Judaism was in the dear old Portsmouth days. What is the Sabbath here? A mockery. Not one of your sons-in-law closes his business. But there, when the Sabbath came in, how beautiful! Gradually it glided, glided; you heard the angel's wings. Then its shining presence was upon you, and a holy peace settled over the house."