 of their life was the Jewish maiden,
Countess.  She had been married the year after the arrival of the
Germans, and had gone to live at Reading: married to an old Jew whom she
only knew by name, then no unusual fate for girls of her nation.  From
little Rudolph, who was just beginning to talk, she had parted most
unwillingly.

"Ah! if you would give him to me!" she had said in German to Agnes, with
a smile on her lips, yet with tears in the dark eyes.  "I know it could
not be.  Yet if time should come that trouble befel you, and you sought
refuge for the child, my heart and my arms would be open.  Ah, you
think, what could a poor Jewess do for you?  Well, maybe so.  Yet you
know the fable of the mouse that gnawed the net in which the lion was
caught.  It might be, some day, that even poor Countess--"

Gerhardt laid his hand on the arm of the young Jewess, and Isel, who saw
the action, trembled for the consequences of his temerity.

"Friend," he said, "I would, if so were, confide my child to you sooner
than to any other outside this house, if your word were given that he
should not be taught to deride and reject the Lord that died for him."

"You would take my word?"  The dark eyes flashed fire.

"I would take it, if you would give it."

"And you know that no Court in this land would receive the witness of a
Jew!  You know it?" she repeated fierily.

"I know it," he answered, rather sadly.

"Yet you would take mine?"

"God would know if you spoke truth.  He is the Avenger of all that have
none other."

"He has work to do, then!" replied Countess bitterly.

"He would not be too busy, if need were, to see to my little Rudolph.
But I do not believe in the need: I think you true."

"Gerhardt, you are the strangest Christian that I ever knew!  Do you
mean what you say?"

"I mean every
of their life was the Jewish maiden, 
 Countess.   She had been married the year after the arrival of the 
 Germans, and had go to exist at Reading: married to an old Jew whom she 
 entirely knew by name, then no unusual destiny for girls of her nation.   From 
 small Rudolph, who was just beginning to lecture, she had parted most 
 unwillingly. 

 " Ah! if you would render him to me! " she had said in German to Agnes, with 
 a smile on her lips, yet with tears in the dark eyes.   " I know it could 
 not be.   so far if time should come that trouble befel you, and you seek 
 refuge for the child, my heart and my arms would be open.   Ah, you 
 remember, what could a poor Jewess do for you?   Well, maybe so.   Yet you 
 know the fabrication of the mouse that gnawed the net in which the lion was 
 caught.   It might be, some day, that even poor Countess-- " 

 Gerhardt laid his hand on the arm of the young Jewess, and Isel, who saw 
 the action, trembled for the consequences of his temerity. 

 " Friend, " he said, " I would, if thus were, confide my child to you sooner 
 than to any early outside this family, if your parole were given that he 
 should not be taught to deride and reject the Lord that died for him. " 

 " You would take my word? "   The dark eye flashed fire. 

 " I would take it, if you would give it. " 

 " And you sleep together that no Court in this land would receive the witness of a 
 Jew!   You know it? " she duplicate fierily. 

 " I acknowledge it, " he answered, rather sadly. 

 " Yet you would take mine? " 

 " God would know if you speak truth.   He is the Avenger of all that have 
 none other. " 

 " He has work to do, then! " replied Countess bitterly. 

 " He would not be besides busy, if indigence were, to see to my little Rudolph. 
 But I do not think in the need: I think you true. " 

 " Gerhardt, you are the strangest Christian that I always knew!   Do you 
 mean what you suppose? " 

 " I mean every
 of their life was the Jewirh maiden,
Countess.  She had bsen marrked the year after the arrivel od the
Termans, and had gone tu live at Reading: marcied to an old Jxs whom she
onlg knec uy name, then no unusual fdte for girls mf hzr nation.  From
little Rudolph, who waf just nehinning to talh, sht hwd pzgttd most
unwillingly.

"Ah! if you would give hpm to me!" she had xaid in German to Agnes, wihh
a dmile on her lips, jet with teqrs yb the dark ehes.  "I know it could
noj be.  Yet if time should come thxt trpuble befeo tou, dnd you soujht
reflge for the cmpld, my veart amd my arms woukd ue open.  Ah, you
think, what could a poor Jewefs do for yku?  Well, maybe so.  Tet ymu
knmw tfw fxblt oh tge moude vhat gnawed the net in which the lion was
vattht.  It might be, soie day, that even poor Countess--"

Gerhardt lapd hjs hand on the arm of tye young Jewess, and Idel, who sww
the action, trembled for the consequences of his temecigy.

"Fxlcnd," fw daid, "I would, if so were, confide my child to yjh xopner
than to ann other outside thos hpose, if your wotd were giben that he
should jot be jaught to deridt and reject the Lord that died dor him."

"You wjyld take my word?"  Che dark eyer flsshed fire.

"I would take it, if you would give it."

"And yoh know that no Cojrt it this land would receive ehe witnews oy a
Jew!  Hou lnow ie?" she repewted nherily.

"I know it," he answgred, rdther sadlj.

"Yet you would take mine?"

"God would know if you s[okv truth.  Ke is bhe Avenger of wll that have
npne othzr."

"He hxs work to do, thei!" replied Cotntess bitterni.

"He would not be too fusy, if beed wefd, to see to my little Rldjlph.
Vut I do not belieye in fhe need: I thinj yiu true."

"Gerhardt, yoj awe tie stwdngest Chrisdian thxy I exer knew!  Di you
kean what you say?"

"I maan svery
of their life was the Jewish maiden, had married the after the arrival gone live at Reading: to an old whom she only knew by name, no unusual fate for girls of her nation. From little Rudolph, who was beginning to talk, she had parted most unwillingly. "Ah! if you would give to she said German to Agnes, with a smile on her lips, yet with tears in the dark eyes. know it could not be. Yet if time come that trouble befel and you sought refuge for child, heart and arms be Ah, you think, could a poor Jewess do for you? Well, maybe so. Yet you know the fable of the that gnawed in which lion caught. might be, some even poor Countess--" Gerhardt laid his arm of the young Jewess, and Isel, who the action, for the consequences of his temerity. he said, "I would, if so were, confide child to you sooner than to any other outside this house, if your word were he should not be to deride and the that for "You would my word?" The dark eyes flashed fire. "I would take it, you would give it." "And you know that no Court land receive the witness a Jew! You know she fierily. "I know it," rather "Yet mine?" would if you spoke truth. is the Avenger of all have none other." "He replied Countess bitterly. "He would not be too if need were, to see to my Rudolph. But I do not believe in the need: I think you "Gerhardt, you strangest Christian that I ever knew! Do you what you say?" "I every
 of their life was the Jewish maIden,
CounteSs.  She Had BeeN mArriEd thE year after the aRRivaL of the
Germans, and had gonE to liVe AT ReaDInG: marrIed to an OLd jEW whOm ShE
onLy KNeW by naMe, tHen no unUsual fate fOr gIrLs of her natioN.  frOm
little RuDolPh, who was just BegInning To TalK, She haD paRted mOst
unwILlinglY.

"Ah! if you wOuLD give hIM to me!" shE HAd Said In German to Agnes, wiTH
a SMile on her lips, yEt with TeARs IN The DarK eyes.  "I know It Could
NOt be.  Yet IF tIME ShoULd come that troUble befel yoU, And You souGhT
reFUge for The chIlD, My hEart and my arMs woUld be open.  ah, you
tHInk, what COuld a poOr JeweSs dO foR you?  wElL, mAybE sO.  yet YOu
KnoW The Fable of tHe MoUse thAt gnAWED The nEt iN whiCh the Lion was
caught.  it mIght BE, soMe day, That eVen pOoR CounTess--"

GeRhardT lAid his hand on the Arm oF the young jewEsS, anD ISel, whO Saw
the ActIon, TrembleD for the COnsEqUENCeS of his temerity.

"FrieNd," HE SaId, "I would, If so weRE, cOnFIde my chiLd To yOu soONEr
thaN to aNY oTher outsIde thiS HoUsE, if your WoRd were GiVen ThaT he
shOUld nOt be taUght to deRide aND reject the Lord THat died for him."

"yOu WOUlD Take My wOrd?"  The dark eYes fLAsheD firE.

"i wOulD Take iT, if yoU wOUlD Give it."

"And you know thaT nO Court In thiS land would recEive the witNESS of a
Jew!  YOu knOW iT?" She repeated fieRily.

"I Know it," he anSWered, ratHer saDly.

"Yet yoU would takE MIne?"

"God woUld KnoW if You SPOkE truth.  He is the aVEngeR oF all thaT haVe
none oTheR."

"He Has WorK tO do, then!" rePlied CouNtEsS bItTerLy.

"He wOUld not be ToO buSy, If nEed weRE, to see To my lIttlE RUdOLph.
but I do nOT bELIeve In ThE neeD: I tHiNk you True."

"gErhArdt, you Are the strAngESt ChRiStIan that i ever knew!  Do yoU
mEan what you SaY?"

"I mEan eveRY
 of their life was the Jew ish maiden ,
Cou nte ss.  Shehadbeen married t h e ye ar after the arrival o f the 
G e rman s ,and h ad gone to l ive  a tRea di n g:  marr ied  to anold Jew wh omsh e
only knewb yname, then  no  unusual fat e f or gir ls  of her n ati on. From
l i ttle R udolph, w ho was ju s t begin n i ng  totalk, she had par t ed most
unwilling ly.

" Ah !  i f you  wo uld give h im  to m e !" sheh ad s a idi n German to A gnes, witha  sm ile on  h erl ips, y et wi th tea rs in the d arkeyes.  "I  knowi t could not be.   Yetiftim e sh o ul dcom et hat tr oub l e b efel you ,an d you  sou g h t refu geforthe c hild, my hear t a nd m y  ar ms wo uld b e op en .  Ah , youthink ,what could a po or J ewess dofor  y ou?  Well, maybeso.   Y et youknow th e  fa bl e o fthe mouse that gna we d th e net in  which th el ion wasca ugh t. I t  migh t be ,  s ome day,  thate ve npoor Co un tess-- "
Ge rha rdt l a id h is han d on the  armo f the young Je w ess, and Isel ,  w h o  s a w
th e a ction, trem bled forthec on seq u ences  of h is te m erity.

"Friend," h esaid,"I wo uld, if so we re, confid e m y childto y o us ooner
than toany o ther outsi d e this h ouse,  if your  word wer e given th athesho uld n ot  be taught to d erid eand rej ect  the Lo rdtha t d ied  f or him."
"You wo ul dta ke  my  word ? "  The d ar k e ye s f lashe d  fire. 

"Iwoul dta k e i t, if y o uw o uldgi ve  it. "
"A nd yo u kn o w t hat noCourt inthi s  lan dwo uld rec eive the witn es s of a
Jew ! Yo u know i t?" sherepeated fierily.

"I k n ow it,"  he  answ ered , rathersad ly.

" Yet you wo uld ta ke mi ne ?"" God w o u ld  kn ow  if you sp o k e t ruth.  He i s the A venger of all that hav e
none other. "
"Heh a swor k  t o  do ,t hen ! "  replied Counte ss bitterl y. 
" He would n o t b etoo bus y, if n eed w e re, tosee to my  little R ud olph . But  I do notbelievein the ne e d: It hi nk yo u t rue."
" Ger hardt , youa rethe s trange st  Chris tianth at I eve r knew!  Do you
mean wh at you  say? "
"I mean e ver y 
 of_their life_was the Jewish maiden,
Countess._ She_had_been married_the_year after the_arrival of the
Germans,_and had gone to_live at Reading:_married_to an old Jew whom she
only knew by name, then no unusual fate for_girls_of her_nation.__From
little Rudolph, who was just_beginning to talk, she had_parted most
unwillingly.

"Ah!_if you would give him to me!" she_had_said in German_to Agnes, with
a smile on her lips, yet with_tears in the dark eyes. _"I know it_could
not_be._ Yet if time_should come that trouble befel you,_and you sought
refuge for the child,_my heart and my arms would be_open.  Ah, you
think, what could_a poor Jewess do for_you? _Well, maybe so.  Yet_you
know the fable_of the_mouse that gnawed_the net in which the lion_was
caught.  It_might be, some day, that even_poor_Countess--"

Gerhardt laid his_hand_on_the arm_of the young_Jewess,_and Isel,_who_saw
the action, trembled for the consequences_of_his temerity.

"Friend," he said, "I would, if_so were, confide my_child_to you sooner
than to_any other outside this house,_if your word were given that_he
should not_be taught_to deride and reject the Lord that died for him."

"You would_take my word?"  The dark_eyes flashed fire.

"I would_take it,_if_you would give_it."

"And_you know_that no Court in this land would_receive the_witness of a
Jew!  You know_it?" she repeated fierily.

"I_know_it," he answered, rather sadly.

"Yet you_would take mine?"

"God would know if_you spoke truth.  He_is_the_Avenger of all that have
none_other."

"He has work to do, then!"_replied Countess bitterly.

"He_would not be too busy, if need_were,_to see to my little Rudolph.
But_I_do not believe in the need:_I_think_you true."

"Gerhardt, you are the_strangest Christian that I ever knew!_ Do you
mean what you say?"

"I mean every