Presently, however, he glanced at Taube, and remembered he was expounding the Torah to a woman! And he felt thankful no one had heard him.
"Take the letter, there is nothing in it for you," he said compassionately, and sat down again in his place.
"But it is my child's Torah, my Yitzchokel's letter, why mayn't I hear it? What does it matter if I don't understand? It is my own child!"
The Dayan turned coldly away.
When Taube reached home after this interview, she sat down at the table, took down the lamp from the wall, and looked silently at the letter by its smoky light.
She kissed the letter, but then it occurred to her that she was defiling it with her lips, she, a sinful woman!
She rose, took her husband's prayer-book from the bookshelf, and laid the letter between its leaves.
Then with trembling lips she kissed the covers of the book, and placed it once more in the bookcase.
THE SINNER
So that you should not suspect me of taking his part, I will write a short preface to my story.