With such thoughts Israel hurried along, sometimes running at his utmost velocity, and then stopping dead short; sometimes shouting his imprecations at the pitch of his voice and beating his fist against the sharp aloes until it bled, and then whispering to himself in awe.
Would God not hear his prayer? God knew the child was very near and dear to him, and also that he was a lonely man."Have pity on a lonely man, O God!" he whispered."Let me keep my child;take all else that I have, everything, no matter what!
Only let me keep her--yes, just as she is, let me have her still!
Time was when I asked more of Thee, but now I am humble, and ask that alone."On his knees in a lonesome place, with the fierce sun beating down on his uncovered head, amid the blackened leaves left by the locust, he prayed this prayer, and then rose to his feet and ran.
When he got to Tetuan the white city was glistening under the setting sun.Then he thought of his Moorish jellab, and looked at himself, and saw that he was returning home like a beggar;and he remembered with what splendour he had started out.
Should he wait for the darkness, and creep into his house under the cover of it? If the thought had occurred an hour before he must have scouted it.Better to brave the looks of every face in Tetuan than be kept back one minute from Naomi.But now that he was so near he was afraid to go in; and now that he was so soon to learn the truth he dreaded to hear it.So he walked to and fro on the heath outside the town, paltering with himself, struggling with himself, eating out his heart with eagerness, trying to believe that he was waiting for the night.