"You know, mother and grandmother, that I have been very strong in my love for my own people, and very strong in my sympathies with them."
"Is it in the past tense?" asked Mrs. Lloyd.
"And very fixed in my prejudices against what was not Jewish; against what in your beliefs was contrary to mine."
"We all know that," said his mother a little bitterly.
"Is that in the past tense?" demanded Judy.
"I joined with my people in expecting the Messiah and hoping for him."
"Did you?" said his mother.
"I have changed," said David slowly. "I have been studying these things for some time past; I have studied and studied; and now I know. Our Messiah has come; our people did not know him, and—they lost him. I know now that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah."
A scream of startled rage from Judy broke in upon the closing utterances of this speech. She prevented everybody else.
"You do not mean to say that, David Bartholomew!" she exclaimed, jumping out of her chair and standing before him. "You don't mean it."