“I’ve been a life long wanderer. Thou wouldst not reject one whom involuntary exile had robbed of tokens?”
“But I can not be free with an uncertified stranger. I’m afraid I err in tarrying here ’till now.”
“Hospitality is the boast of pious Hebrews who obey Him that ‘loveth the stranger in giving him food and raiment.’ Thou hast the Great Father’s law: ‘Love ye therefore the stranger, for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.’ Some have by hospitality unawares entertained angels, thou knowst.”
“I’d like to entertain an angel; are they ever so human-like as thou?” she smiled.
“Had I known the Esther of to-night long enough to convince her that my freedom was sincere, I’d say that she was a fine example of the union of the angelic in the human.”
The maiden laughed. The incense was agreeable, and the freedom of this feast-time justified her acceptance of this novel, bold flattery. Your proud, daring woman is very vulnerable to such assaults. The world often wonders why such women so often, after all, surrender; but that’s because the world does not appreciate the dexterity in such jousts of such skilled men of the world as Sir Charleroy; or how grateful to self-admiring beauties the admiration of superior intellects is.
“Well, will thou give me thy name?”
“Certainly. For to-night, Ahasuerus?”
“A presumptious jest, sir.”
“No, for I admire and respect Esther, that’s here.”