"I do not forget it," replied Hyams, "but it has nothing to do with the case. You are both single, or rather you were both single, for now you are man and wife."
Leah, who had been sitting pale and agitated, burst into tears. Hannah's face was drawn and white. Her mother looked the least alarmed of the company.
"Droll person!" cried Malka, addressing Sam angrily in jargon. "What hast thou done?"
"Don't let us all go mad," said Samuel, bewildered. "How can a piece of fun, a joke, be a valid marriage?"
"The law takes no account of jokes," said old Hyams solemnly.
"Then why didn't you stop me?" asked Sam, exasperated.
"It was all done in a moment. I laughed myself; I had no time to think."
Sam brought his fist down on the table with a bang.
"Well, I'll never believe this! If this is Judaism——!"
"Hush!" said Malka angrily. "These are your English Jews, who make mock of holy things. I always said the son of a proselyte was——"