Rachel. Sorry should I be to pain a true heart, and, most of all, that of my much-loved guest; but, still I must say, the gods that you worship are no gods.  There is but one God, and that is Jehovah.

Eudora. As I came near Jerusalem, I remembered your earnest words on that subject,—­as what that you ever uttered have I forgotten?  I remembered, too, how nearly out of patience I often felt with you for claiming your god to be the only God; and, so as I drew near, I felt a desire to know him better.  It being a time of worship in the temple, I went with a Jewish friend of mine up the hill, and entered the outer court, called, I believe, the Court of the Gentiles.  And, verily, I saw no god there.  Perchance he was in the temple itself.

Rachel. Yes, in the holy of holies:  in the farther apartment of that building which you saw rising amid all the courts, he dwells.

Eudora. I imagined that was his abode.  But wherein differs your worship from ours?  You have a temple; so have we.  You have priests clothed in sacred robes; so have we.  You have altars and sacrifices; so have we.  You have an oracle and prophets; so have we.  You go up to the dwelling-place of your God to worship and offer sacrifices; so do we.  Wherein, then, do we differ?

Rachel. If in nothing else, Eudora, yet in this:  we have but one temple and one God for our nation; you have many.  And again, you worship the work of men’s hands,—­images of wood and stone, that can neither see nor feel.

Rebecca (coming forward—­Jezebel approaches). My heart is moved within me; and though my sister, in her joy of seeing her friend, has left me standing apart, yet your voice has drawn me to you.

Eudora. Surely the sister of my friend shall be my sister:  would that I could say her God shall be my God!

Rebecca. Even so may it be!

Eudora. And my gods hers!

Rebecca. But that is impossible.

Eudora. Why?  Because, as she says, we have images for gods!  But this is not so.  Is Jupiter the thunderer confined to an image? or is Juno or any other deity?  Have we not many images of all the gods in many places, and are they not in them all?  Do not our armies go forth to war, and is not Jupiter with them and Mars also?  These images are but reminders of the gods, as my father’s statue is of him.

Rebecca. ’Tis true these many images and temples may not hold your gods more than our synagogues hold Jehovah; but as great an error is yours.  You worship what has no existence; your gods are creatures of fancy.  Your gods, too, are of various character, and not always agreed.  This goodly world is not the patch-work of many and different gods, but of one designing mind,—­one executing power; and that one, Jehovah.

Eudora. Your sister, in many hours of precious intercourse, has almost persuaded me to believe in but one God; but why, if there be but one, may not that one be our Jupiter, known as the father of gods and men, as well as your Jehovah?