The Return of the Rodmans
(Concluded.)
V.
RODMAN spent the whole day, almost, on the street, strolling around and observing. Towards evening, at about seven o'clock, he returned to his lodgings with the intention of entering his experiences and impressions into his note-book after the manner of the true "slummer."
When he entered, he found Miss Felsberg seated at the table, busy over her embroidery frame. To her right sat a man of about forty-five, with a short black beard, reading a newspaper and drinking tea. On the other side, sat a young man of about twenty-three, short of stature, his head bent over a book.
When Rodman entered, both men looked up from their reading.
"Our boarder," said the girl. "Mr.—Mr.—"
"Rodman, Harry Rodman."
"This is my father and brother, Mr. Rodman. Won't you sit down and get acquainted with them?" She brought him a chair. "I'll bring another glass of tea in a minute."
Rodman sat down and watched the deft, graceful movements of the girl as she poured the tea.
The two young men were soon engaged in conversation. The elder Mr. Felsberg, whose knowledge of English was very meager, continued reading his newspaper for a while and then retired. The young woman resumed her seat and embroidery frame.
As the two young men touched upon the ordinary indifferent topics with which all conversations begin, Rodman observed the other curiously. Jacob Felsberg’s features bore a close resemblance to his sister’s and his face bore the expression of intellectual concentration, but without the Polish of refinement which is acquired only in a life of leisure and tranquillity, and which so eminently characterized the apPearance of Rodman. His manner was rather gruff and energetic. He instantly
recognized that his new acquaintance was a cultivated man and warmed up to him a great deal more than was his wont with strangers.
Rodman passed the remark that he seldom drank tea.
"Tea-drinking is a custom we still preserve from Russia," replied Felsberg, whose diction was rather literary and still slightly tinged with a foreign accent. "We Jews assimilate a great many customs from our neighbors,—very often more than is good for us," he added.
"And yet," replied Rodman, "my impression of what I observed to-day is that the Jews remain wonderfully distinct in the midst of their neighbors. When I came into the Jewish quarter to-day, I seemed to enter a new world."
"Is this the first time you've been in the Jewish quarter?" Felsberg asked with interest.
"The first time. And I never imagined how little I knew of the Jews until to-day. And the first who made me feel my ignorance was your own sister."
The young woman looked up swiftly from her work. She flushed slightly and a rather puzzled expression appeared in her dark-brown eyes.
"You, Miriam?" asked her brother. "How was that?"
"I took the picture of a famous Jew in your room for your family doctor," Rodman answered, "and Miss Felsberg found that very amusing."
She thought she recognized in his tone a trace of a sense of injury; she flushed even deeper and looked at him with eyes so full of tender regret that Rodman felt wonderfully stirred and calmed at the same time.
"I hope I didn't hurt your feelings," she spoke.
"Not at all," he replied, "besides, I showed even greater ignorance later on. I didn't recognize the Jewish flag when I saw it and was called down for it by a newsboy from whom I bought a Jewish