Certainly, living in the castle was not only pleasanter, but cheaper.
There was the splendid park before their windows, in which no Jew could
be seen again. For the first act of Wroblewski, after his
transmigration, had been the resurrection of the "notice board."
Stiegle, the boor, had striven against it, and had even asked the count
about it, but had been forced to give in. The flowers seemed to smell
sweeter in spring, and the arbors afforded a cooler shade in summer to
Herr von Wroblewski, since the board was in its old place.
The summer passed, and the anniversary of the count's introduction to
his inherited estates came, and was celebrated by a mass in the parish
church. Herr Stiegle distributed alms by request of the count, but the
donor's whereabouts none knew. A nobleman in the neighborhood reported
that he had seen the young couple in Verona, in the garden which
contains the grave of Juliet; that they looked very happy, and that the
servant addressed her as Madame la Comtesse. But the man had the
reputation of being a liar; so that even if he spoke the truth
accidentally this time, it was valueless without further confirmation,
for no one believed that Agenor could marry the Jewess.
Towards the end of November another anniversary occurred, the
particulars of which were firmly cemented in the memories of the
people. The old synagogue could scarcely contain the worshippers who
had assembled to attend the first celebration of Nathaniel's death. The
services over, young and old went to the cemetery and listened with
deep emotion to the prayer which Raphael delivered at the grave. "Amen!
Amen!" was echoed from all sides. Afterwards the throng viewed the
beautiful memorial stone erected there, and repeated the words carved
upon it, better than any eulogy--"The remembrance of the righteous
never faileth."
Between this grave and that of Nathaniel's wife was an empty place.
Weeds covered the narrow space, and thorn-bushes spread out their ugly
branches. Very few besides the elders and members of the burial guild
knew that this ground, too, had been dug up a year before, and
something buried there. Others suspected it, but no one asked, and of
the hundreds present not one mentioned Judith's name as long as they
were in the "Good Place."
"The name of the righteous never dies; but whoso dies in sin, that name
shall never be mentioned." Only when they had passed that gate which
separates the world of peace from that of battle did they curse the
outcast.
But one was silent. He paced by the side of the elders, his form erect,
his face set. Since his return, no one had seen a smile on his lips or
a tear in his eye. It was only when the procession passed the
Baranowski castle that his mouth quivered; and by the glance which he
gave towards the white building, which stood in the midst of the
leafless park, one could see his implacable hatred.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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