The door opened, and Frank Marion came in. He was followed by Cragmore, who was going home with him to dinner.
"All alone?" asked Mr. Marion in surprise. "Where's David? We dropped in to invite him around to the watch-meeting to-night."
"He has just gone," answered Bethany. "I asked him, but he declined on account of a previous engagement. O, Cousin Frank," she exclaimed, "I do believe he is almost convinced of the truth of Christianity!"
She repeated the conversation that had just taken place.
"He has been fighting against that conviction for some time," answered Mr. Marion. "I had a talk with him last week."
"What do you suppose Rabbi Barthold would say if Mr. Herschel should become a Christian?" asked Bethany.
"Ah, I asked the old gentleman that very question yesterday," exclaimed Mr. Cragmore. "It astounded him at first. I could see that the mere thought of such apostasy in one he loves as dearly as his young David, wounded him sorely. O, it grieved him to the heart! But he is a noble soul, broad-minded and generous. He did not answer for a moment, and when he finally spoke I could see what an effort the words cost him:
"'David is a child no longer,' he said, slowly. 'He has a right to choose for himself. I would rather read the rites of burial over his dead body than to see him cut loose from the faith in which I have so carefully trained him; but no matter what course he pursues, I am sure of one thing, his absolute honesty of purpose. Whatever he does, will be from a deep conviction of right. I, who was denounced and misunderstood in my youth because I cast aside the weight of orthodoxy that bound me down spiritually, should be the last one to condemn the same independence of thought in others.'"
"Herschel would have less opposition to contend with than any Jew I know," remarked Mr. Marion.
"That little sister of his would be rather pleased than otherwise, and, I think, would soon follow his example."