“It will be for you a great blessing.” A few more words and he left.
Jack came in—it was surprising how dressing carefully and going clean-shaven modernized one’s appearance. Their features were very similar, yet the elder Levin had a patriarchal, almost oriental, appearance. Jack introduced Robert.
“Ah, yes, that is the Hamilton my son has been telling me about.” He spoke with a foreign, sing-song, balanced intonation and a slight lisp. He divided each word into its syllables, as though he were reading slowly out loud.
“Nu, sit down, Mr. Hamilton. You are just in time for supper. It’s too bad you couldn’t come Friday.”
Hamilton murmured something about not knowing it was so late.
“It is a great blessing,” remarked the rabbi, “to have a guest, so you must stay on my account.”
Mrs. Levin, short, plump and brown-eyed, with a brown wig, entered the room.
“Ah, we hear from you by Jackie a whole lot,” she said.
The doctor grinned good-naturedly, evident amused at the quaint old-world accent and manners of his parents.
“Now, you want I should tell you about the Jew,” said the rabbi, stroking his beard. “But take a seat first. The trouble is you come here for an hour or two hours and expect to learn everything about the Jews, like you learn a recipe for a sponge cake. You must study and read.”