Part 32 (1/2)

”I know it very well,” I replied, sorrowfully.

He said no more, and as Zeffen had just gone out to weep, he took little David on his knee, and looked at him for a long time. Sorle held little Esdras asleep in her arms. Safel took off the table-cloth and rolled up the napkins, to put them back in the closet.

”Yes,” said the sergeant. ”We must take care, Father Moses; we will talk about it another time.”

I looked at him with surprise; he emptied his pipe at the edge of the stove, and went out, making a sign for me to follow him. Zeffen came in, and I took a candle from her hand. The sergeant led me to his little room at the end of the pa.s.sage, shut the door, sat down on the foot of the bed, and said:

”Father Moses, do not be frightened--but the typhus has just broken out again in the city; five soldiers were taken to the hospital this morning; the commandant of the place, Moulin, is taken. I hear, too, of a woman and three children!”

He looked at me, and I felt cold all over.

”Yes,” said he, ”I have known this disease for a long time; we had it in Poland, in Russia, after the retreat, and in Germany. It always comes from poor nourishment.”

Then I could not help sobbing and exclaiming:

”Ah, tell me! What can I do? If I could give my life for my children, it would all be well! But what can I do?”

”To-morrow, Father Moses, I will bring you my portion of meat, and you shall have soup made of it for your children. Madame Sorle may take the piece at the market, or, if you prefer, I will bring it myself.

You shall have all my portions of fresh meat till the blockade is over, Father Moses.”

I was so moved by this, that I went to him and took his hand, saying:

”Sergeant, you are a n.o.ble man! Forgive me, I have thought evil of you.”

”What about?” said he, scowling.

”About the landwehr at the tile-kiln!”

”Ah, good! That is a different thing! I do not care about that,” said he. ”If you knew all the kaiserlichs that I have despatched these ten years, you would have thought more evil of me. But that is not what we are talking about; you accept, Father Moses?”

”And you, sergeant,” said I, ”what will you have to eat?”

”Do not be troubled about that; Sergeant Trubert has never been in want!”

I wanted to thank him. ”Good!” said he, ”that is all understood. I cannot give you a pike, or a fat goose, but a good soup in blockade times is worth something, too.”

He laughed and shook hands with me. As for myself I was quite overcome, and my eyes were full of tears.

”Let us go; good-night!” said he, as he led me to the door. ”It will all come out right! Tell Madame Sorle that it will all come out right!”

I blessed that man as I went out, and I told it all to Sorle, who was still more affected by it than myself. We could not refuse; it was for the children! and during the last week there had been nothing but horse-meat in the market.

So the next morning we had fresh meat to make soup for those poor little ones. But the dreadful malady was already upon us, Fritz! Now, when I think of it, after all these years, I am quite overcome.

However, I cannot complain; before going to take the bit of meat, I had consulted our old rabbi about the quality of this meat according to the law, and he had replied:

”The first law is to save Israel; but how can Israel be saved if the children perish?”