“Now, Doctor,” cried Mrs. Levice, “will you please impress it on her that I am not a lunatic and can be left alone without fear? She wishes to go Saturday night, but refuses to go with her father on the ground that I shall be left alone, as Mr. Arnold is out of town. Is not that being unnecessarily solicitous?”
“Without doubt. But,” he added, turning deferentially to Ruth, “in lieu of a better escort, how would I do, Miss Levice?”
“I do not understand.”
“Will you come with me Saturday night to see ‘Shylock’?”
To be candid, Ruth was embarrassed. The doctor had said neither “will you honor me” nor “will you please me,” but he had both pleased and honored her. She turned a pair of radiant eyes to her mother. “Come now, Mrs. Levice,” laughed Kemp, noting the action, “will you allow your little girl to go with me? Do not detain me with a refusal; it will be impossible to accept one now, and I shall not be around till then, you know. Good-morning.”
Unwittingly, the doctor had caused an excitement in the hearts both of mother and daughter. The latter was naturally surprised at his unexpected invitation, but surprise was soon obliterated by another and quite different feeling, which she kept rigorously to herself. Mrs. Levice was in a dilemma about it, and consulted her husband in the evening.
“By all means, let her go,” replied he; “why should you have had any misgivings about it? I am sure I am glad she is going.”
“But, Jules, you forget that none of our Jewish friends allow their girls to go out with strangers.”
“Is that part of our religion?”
“No; but custom is in itself a religion. People do talk so at every little innovation against convention.”