The next morning they worked.  Nathan went out, locking the door after him, to execute two commissions.  He was to find out what the young Cohens were doing, and how far they were likely to prove worthy of the trust reposed in their father; and what Susan Merton was doing, and whether Meadows was courting her or not.  The latter part of Nathan’s task was terribly easy.

The young man came home late at night, locked the door, made a concerted signal, and was admitted to the senior presence.  He found him smoking his Eastern pipe.  Nathan with dejected air told him that he had good news; that the Cohens not only thought themselves wiser than their father, which was permissible, but openly declared it, which he, though young, had observed to be a trait confined to very great fools.

“It is well said, my son,” quoth Isaac, smoking calmly, “and the other business?”

“Oh, master!” said Nathan, “I bring still worse tidings of her.  She is a true Nazarite, a creature without faith.  She is betrothed to the man you hate, and whom I, for your sake, hate even to death.”

They spoke in an Eastern dialect, which I am paraphrasing here and translating there, according to the measure of my humble abilities.  Isaac sucked his pipe very fast; this news was a double blow to his feelings.  “If she be indeed a Nazarite without faith, let her go; but judge not the simple hastily.  First, let me know how far woman’s frailty is to blame; how far man’s guile—­for not for nothing was Crawley sent out to the mine by Meadows.  Let me consider;” and he smoked calmly again.

After a long silence, which Nathan was too respectful to break, the old man gave him his commission for to-morrow.  He was to try and discover why Susan Merton had written no letters for many months to George; and why she had betrothed herself to the foe.  “But reveal nothing in return,” said Isaac, “neither ask more than three questions of any one person, lest they say, ’Who is this that being a Jew asks many questions about a Nazarite maiden, and why asks he them?’”

At night Nathan returned full of intelligence.  She loved the young man Fielding.  She wrote letters to him and received letters from him, until gold was found in Australia.  But after this he wrote to her no more letters, wherefore her heart was troubled.

“Ah! and did she write to him?”

“Yes! but received no answer, nor any letter for many months.”

“Ah!"(puff!) (puff!)

“Then came a rumor that he was dead, and she mourned for him after the manner of her people many days.  Verily, master, I am vexed for the Nazarite maiden, for her tale is sad.  Then came a letter from Australia, that said he is not dead, but married to a stranger.  Then the maiden said:  ’Behold now this twelve months he writes not to me, this then is true’; and she bowed her head, and the color left her cheek.  Then this Meadows visited her, and consoled her day by day.  And there are those