She was comforted by his words; she drew strength from his strength; she looked at him in wonder as he began to laugh even while he was caressing her, and her wonder increased when she saw that his eyes fairly shone with humor.
"Have no fear, my heart," he said, "have not the slightest fear. I am going to meet them--not with javelin and spear; with something still more powerful, and with good temper for my shield."
"Aaron," she whispered, "are you sure there is no danger?"
"If I were not sure," he answered merrily, "I would remain snug in this room. I am not a man of war; I am a man of peace, and with peaceful weapons will I scatter the enemy. For your dear sake I would not expose myself to peril, for do I not know that if I were hurt your pain would be greater than mine? It is my joy to know it. You will remain quietly here?"
"I will, dear husband; but you will not go into the street?"
"I shall go no farther than the street door; I shall not need to go farther."
He stopped to fill his pipe and light it, and then, with tender kisses, and a smile on his lips, he left her.
When he made his appearance at the shop door there was a sudden hush, and a sudden scuttling away of the twenty or thirty children who had congregated to revile him. He remained stationary at the door, smoking his pipe and gazing benignantly at them.
Their fears of chastisement dispelled by his peaceful attitude, they stopped, looked over their shoulders, and slowly and warily came back, keeping, however, at a safe distance from him. They found their voices again.
"Jew? Jew! Jew!"