“I am not,” said Countess shortly. “As to friends of the child’s parents, there are none such, save the God for whom they died, and in whose presence they stand to-night. I must keep mine oath. Unhurt in body, unhurt in soul, according to their conception thereof, and according to my power, will I bring the boy to his father at the coming of Messiah.”
“Wife, wouldst thou have the Cohen curse thee in the face of all Israel?”
“These rash vows!” exclaimed the Rabbi, in evident uneasiness. “Daughter, it is written in the Thorah that if any woman shall make a vow, her husband may establish it or make it void, if he do so in the day that he hear it; and the Blessed One (unto whom be praise!) shall forgive her, and she shall not perform the vow.”
“The vow was made before I was Leo’s wife.”
“Well, but in the day that he hath heard it, it is disallowed.”
“There is something else written in the Thorah, Cohen. ‘Every vow of a widow, or of her that is divorced, shall stand.’”
“Father Isaac! when didst thou read the Thorah? Women have no business to do any such thing.”
“It is there, whether they have or not.”
“Then it was thy father’s part to disallow it.”
“I told him of my vow, and he did not.”