"What are you crying at? The mother didn't mean to make you cry."
She strained him contritely to her bosom, and kissed away his tears.
XII
The train for Switzerland started so early that Brum had no time to say his morning prayers; so, the carriage being to themselves, he donned his phylacteries and his praying-shawl with the blue stripes.
Zillah sat listening to the hour-long recitative with admiration of his memory.
Early in the hour she interrupted him to say: "How lucky I haven't to say all that! I should get tired."
"That's curious!" replied Brum. "I was just saying, 'Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, who hath not made me a woman.' But a woman has to pray, too, mother. Else why is there given a special form for the women to substitute?—'Who hath made me according to His will.'"
"Ah, that's only for learned women. Only learned women pray."
"Well, you'd like to pray the Benediction that comes next, mother, I know. Say it with me—do."
She repeated the Hebrew obediently, then asked: "What does it mean?"