Let us eat and drink together." So, partly by his importunity, but mainly in their bewilderment, yet against all rule and custom, they suffered themselves to go with him.
And when they were come into his house and were seated about his table in the patio, and he had washed his hands and taken the wine and blessed it, and passed it to all, and they had drunk together, he could not keep back his tongue from taunting them.Then when he had washed again and dipped the celery in the vinegar, and they had drunk of the wine once more, he taunted them afresh and laughed.
But nothing yet had they understood of his meaning, and they looked into each other's faces and asked, "What is it?""Wait! Only wait!" Israel answered."You shall see!"At that moment Ruth sent for him to her chamber, and he went in to her.
"I am a sorrowful woman," she said."Some evil is about to befall--I know it, I feel it."
But he only rallied her and laughed again, and prophesied joy on the morrow.Then, returning to the patio, where the passover cakes had been broken, he called for the supper, and bade his guests to eat and drink as much as their hearts desired.
They could do neither now, for the fear that possessed them at sight of Israel's frenzy.The three old usurers, Abraham, Judah, and Reuben, rose to go, but Israel cried, "Stay! Stay, and see what is come!"and under the very force of his will they yielded and sat down again.
Still Israel drank and laughed and derided them.In the wild torrent of his madness he called them by names they knew and by names they did not know-- Harpagon, Shylock, Bildad, Elihu--and at every new name he laughed again.And while he carried himself so in the outer court the slave woman Fatimah came from the inner room with word that the child was born.
At that Israel was like a man distraught.He leapt up from the table and faced full upon his guests, and cried, "Now you know what it is; and now you know why you are bidden to this supper! You are here to rejoice with me over my enemies! Drink! drink! Confusion to all of them!"And he lifted a winecup and drank himself.