The Face of Rosenfeld — page 223: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

216 LHE FACE OF ROSENFEL. be defied.’ ‘You don’t mean to defy me! You want something; what do you want?’ ‘ Your promise, yoursol- emn promise, that she shall not be harmed; else I am done.” ‘Harm? Whosaid harm? Youwrong me. [| do not wish her ill. J wish only to talk to her. Oh, I shall take excellent care of her! I shall be kind and gentle to her! Of that yon have my promise, Dye, old boy! Of that you may rest assured? ‘Old Jew, you smile! But Iam serious! This is no whim of mine. I'll hear your oath.” He swears it then—Felix Rosen- fel, the Jew, lays his hand in mine and swears he will not harm an innocent child. What next? We are on the ~oad, and there she is alone. Once we try. ‘Twice we try. Passers always. At last! My hand is waved. That is the signal. Third time wins! Sleigh stops. I hear nothing. Jam seized with a terror. I ought to look back, but no. J am a coward. I begin to run. What are you running from up the white road, in the cold, with the snow all about you, cur Dye? Go back and watch over that innocent child! Your cowardice killed your wife, ruined your hfe. Now what? Go back and watch over that innocent child! The Jew is merciless. The Jew is unscrupulous. What are his promises? What are his oaths? Go back and watch over that innocent child! It rings in your ears till you no longer dare goon. You turn back. Dye, the cow- ard, turns back. No Jewthere! Only the white, cold road and the dash of the water! What is this in the snow? A shawl! Her shawl! Look well at it, with straining eyes and a choking breath. Where is she? Where is she, coward! fool! dupe! idiot! where is she? Go to the cliff and look over; go close, close up, and Jook over, There! Do you hear that? That is the ©