The ghetto could not understand him, nobody could understand him,
but it was clear a rare and precious visitor had come to their
rescue, and he was implored by a number of elderly, dirty, but very
intelligent-looking old men to stay with them and preserve them
until their safety was assured.
They could not understand him, but they did their utmost to
entertain him and assure him of their gratitude. They seemed to
consider him as a representative of the British Government, and
foreign intervention on their behalf is one of those unfortunate
fixed ideas that no persecuted Jews seem able to abandon.
Benham found himself, refreshed and tended, sitting beside a wood
fire in an inner chamber richly flavoured by humanity and listening
to a discourse in evil but understandable German. It was a
discourse upon the wrongs and the greatness of the Jewish people--
and it was delivered by a compact middle-aged man with a big black
beard and long-lashed but animated eyes. Beside him a very old man
dozed and nodded approval. A number of other men crowded the
apartment, including several who had helped to hold off the rioters
from the court.
Pages:
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506