Therefore, whatever the Court, which it will take three days to summon, may decide, in the meanwhile I have the right to give you, and those with you, shelter and provision in the guest-house.
As it chances, it is situated in that part of the village where dwell the lowest of our brethren, who are permitted to marry, so there you will find company of your own sex." "I shall be glad of it," answered Nehushta drily.

"Also I should call them the highest of the brethren, since marriage is a law of God, which God the Father has instituted, and God the Son has blessed." "I may not wrangle, I may not wrangle," replied Ithiel, declining the encounter; "but certainly, that is a lovely babe.Look.Its eyes are open and they are beautiful as flowers"; and again he bent down and kissed the child, then added with a groan of remorse, "Alas! sinner that I am, I am defiled; I must purify myself and do penance." "Why ?" asked Nehushta shortly.
"For two reasons: I have touched your dress, and I have given way to earthly passion and embraced a child--twice.

Therefore, according to our rule, I am defiled." Then Nehushta could bear it no more.
"Defiled! you puppet of a foolish rule! It is the sweet babe that is defiled! Look, you have fouled its garments with your grimy hand and made it weep by pricking it with your beard.

Would that your holy rule taught you how to handle children and to respect honest women who are their mothers, without whom there would be no Essenes." "I may not wrangle," said Ithiel, nervously; for now woman was appearing before him in a new light; not as an artful and a fickle, but as an angry creature, reckless of tongue and not easy to be answered.

"These matters are for the decision of the curators.