Chapter V: The Coming of Zillah

So Miss Lorm came, and took up her abode at the Government House as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and immediately aroused Raie’s anger by making great friends with the Princess; for Raie looked upon the Princess as her own especial property, and resented the addition of a third to share their walks and drives. She anticipated worse to follow, however, for the Princess, prior to her departure from Palestine, intended to visit Jerusalem, accompanied by Lionel and Patricia, so that she would be left to help Lady Montella entertain the guest. She sincerely hoped that Ferdinand would not come back until it were a thing of the past; she did not desire him to meet Zillah Lorm.

There was no denying that Zillah possessed an attractive personality, as well as a magnificent voice. She seemed to be able to draw people towards her with an almost magnetic power, and there were few who refused to be fascinated by her charms. Nevertheless, she did not improve on acquaintance, for there was a hardness in her nature which soon made itself felt. She had no sympathy with the poor and down-trodden, or with anyone whose sole aim was not success. Her one desire was to advance in the world, and her friends were chosen in accordance with this end. And this ambition sometimes manifested itself unpleasantly in her words, for she did not seek to disguise the trait.

Strangely enough, Raie was not the only one who regarded her with dislike. Little Julian manifested a distinct animosity from the very first day of her arrival, nor was he to be propitiated by caresses and presents. He began to cry directly she spoke to him, and screamed lustily for her to go away. His parents and nurses tried every means in their power to win him over, but in vain. He would not kiss Miss Lorm, neither would he allow her to touch him; all he could do was to look a picture of misery while she remained in the room.

He was only a baby, and his goodwill of no value at all; but he was Montella’s child, and Zillah felt piqued.

“Let me sing to him,” she suggested, as the boy hid his face on his mother’s shoulder. She was certain of conquering him by the dulcet tones of her voice.

But even the soothing notes of a lullaby were powerless to move the stubborn little heart. Julian fixed his round eyes on the singer for a moment, but soon looked away. Seeing that he was still obdurate, Zillah ceased in disgust; after all, it mattered little whether he condescended to kiss her or not.

“I have never seen baby behave like that before,” Patricia said, when the others had left the nursery. “I felt quite ashamed of him before Miss Lorm. How can you account for it, nurse?”

The nurse was at a loss for a reply, but Anne Whiteside came to the rescue.

“Oh, there’s no accounting for the likes and dislikes of children, my lady,” she replied easily. “I believe they can see further into a person’s character than we grown-ups can; it’s a sort of second sight, I think. Now, my Tom, he’s just the same. He took a dislike to the Arab boy who minds him when I’m up here, and no amount of coaxing would make him alter his mind. So all I could do was to send the boy away and get another; it wasn’t worth while making the lad ill on that account.”

“Certainly not,” was Patricia’s comment. “It is not the least use to try and force affection. How is your grandson, by the way? I have scarcely seen him since we came to Haifa.”

Nothing delighted Anne more than to discuss her boy.

“He’s doing fairly well, thank you, my lady,” she replied, with alacrity. “Of course, he found the heat trying at first, but he’s getting used to it now.”

“And is his brain more active than it was?”

“I’m afraid not, my lady; he’ll never be no better than a poor imbecile. Not that I’m complaining, though; there’s worse things than that.”

“You ought to let him sleep in the Cave of Elijah, Mrs. Whiteside,” advised Raie, suddenly appearing at the door. “Wouldn’t it make a sensation if he were to be cured!”

“Eh, miss!” The poor woman looked bewildered. “Is it a doctor’s treatment you mean?”

“No; the Cave of Elijah.” She smiled good-humouredly, not in the least realising the serious import of her words. “They say that all who are mentally diseased are cured by sleeping there over night. I suppose it’s after the style of Lourdes.”

“Oh! but it isn’t true, surely, miss?” Her form trembled like a leaf. “It can’t be true!”

“I can’t swear to it, but that is what tradition says. I think it is supposed to have to do with the influence of Elijah’s spirit on Mount Carmel. Mustaph, our guide at the hotel, said he actually knew someone who was cured.”

“How came you to hear of it, Raie?” asked Patricia, with surprise. She was sorry the girl had mentioned it to Anne, thereby raising false hopes.

“I heard of it when I was staying with the Princess: the cave is not far from the Mount Carmel Hotel.”

“And does the Princess believe in it?”

“She neither believes nor disbelieves, because it’s a sort of faith-cure. When I asked her, she answered by quoting Shakespeare: ‘_There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy._’ But the Carmelites evidently accept it as a fact.”

“It is not well to believe too much in such superstitions,” said Patricia thoughtfully. “I should advise you not to think about it, Anne.”

The nurse looked from the one to the other in a tremor of excitement. “Oh, but, my lady, if it should be true! If it should be true!” she cried, scarcely able to contain herself. “Think what it would mean to me to see my Tom growing in mind and body like other boys! Think what a comfort he would be to me in my old age. Surely if the cave is so near by it would be sinful not to try it. Maybe the Lord has brought me out to the Holy Land for this very purpose, else why should it happen that I should come to this very place?”

“If faith is wanted, you will not be found lacking,” her mistress said, with a sigh, as she handed her pet back to the under-nurse. “But if you are disappointed, Anne, remember that I warned you. Every countryside has its legends and superstitions. At Burstall Abbey we had a magic well.”

“I am sorry I have put the poor creature in such a state of excitement,” Raie said, as they left the nursery. “Surely, though, she would not be so foolhardy as to take her little boy to the cave? I would not spend a night there for all the gold of Ophir.”

“Anne will do anything if she thinks it is of God,” rejoined her friend, as she turned into her own room. “She seems to see the working of Providence in every event.”

Dinner that evening was considerably enlivened by the presence of Zillah Lorm, for coming direct from England, she had much to tell. Owing to her connection with influential Christian people she had evaded the Assimilation Act until a few weeks ago; but her origin having been eventually discovered, she had been given the option of taking the oath or leaving the country. Indeed, it was only by the prompt action on her behalf by a friendly peer that she had escaped the penalty meted out to such defaulters. Instead of viewing her position with anything approaching repentance, however, she seemed to regard it as a good joke. She was genuinely elated at having had the cleverness to defy the authorities for so long a time.

“It was Mrs. Athelstan Moore—the Countess of Chesterwood, I mean—who found me out,” she informed Lionel cheerfully. “You see, she had met me at your house and knew something about me; the others never dreamt that I was a Jewess. Of course, I took care to avoid all those who already knew.”

“I thought you had already taken the oath,” said Lady Montella, from the other side of the table. “Did you not give me to understand that such was the case?”

“Did I? I have forgotten.” Zillah looked up with an air of frankness. “To tell you the truth, I was very near taking it, but when it actually came to it, I couldn’t find it in my heart to give up all connection with things Jewish. Not that I care much for _Yiddishkeit_—I generally try to avoid it as much as I can; but as long as I was born a Jewess, I suppose I’d better die one too.”

“Was that your only reason for refusing to secede?” asked Lionel, with a curious smile. “That you might die a Jewess? Why not that you might live a Jewess too?”

Zillah gave a gesture of insouciance.

“To live is always more difficult than to die,” she returned lightly. “Besides, I could not make a _Brocha_[10] over the Sabbath candles to save my life. It is not in my nature to conform to that sort of thing.”

Footnote 10:

Blessing.

“But living in Israel, you will do as the Israelites do?”

“Certainly, as long as no great effort is expected of me. I should certainly not go out of my way to offend.”

“Your candour is refreshing,” said Lady Montella, scarcely knowing whether to be shocked or to admire, “and, unfortunately, your position is a common one amongst the Jews of to-day. So long as you do not actually renounce the faith, you, and those who adopt your standpoint, think you are fulfilling your whole duty to it. Why do you cling so ardently to the thought of dying a Jewess? Is it not because you cannot bear the thought of being separated from your own people at the last?”

“I suppose so,” Miss Lorm admitted. “It is just a sentiment, or else a prick of conscience. I am not sure which.”

“But our religion claims more of you than that,” the elder lady returned, with a touch of reproach. “People would not have to talk of the decadence of Judaism were it not for the neglect and lack of enthusiasm shown by many Jews. How I long for a grand revival—a rekindling of Judaism as it was in the days of old! Surely it ought to take place in this sacred land of our fathers. And when so opportune a time as now!”

Her eyes deepened with an intensity of feeling, and she became lost in thought. Zillah diverted the conversation into another channel, and began to speak of English affairs. She wished her ladyship were not quite so ardent a Jewess; she could not understand it at all.