“Give up,” she repeated inexorably, “thy wife.”

“What sayest thou? My wife! But she is not my wife. Thou art my wife.”

“Even so. Give me up. Give me Gett [divorce].”

His breath failed, his heart thumped at the suggestion.

“Give thee Gett!” he whispered.

“Yes. Why didst thou not send me a bill of divorcement when I left thy home for this?”

He averted his face. “I thought of it,” he stammered. “And then——”

“And then?” He seemed to see a sardonic glitter in the gray eyes.

“I—I was afraid.”