“No.  David,” said Hannah firmly.  “There must be no more deceit.  What need have we to seek the sanction of any Rabbi?  If Jewish law cannot marry us without our hiding something, then I will have nothing to do with Jewish law.  You know my opinions:  I haven’t gone so deeply into religious questions as you have—­”

“Don’t be sarcastic,” he interrupted.

“I have always been sick to death of this eternal ceremony, this endless coil of laws winding round us and cramping our lives at every turn; and now it has become too oppressive to be borne any longer.  Why should we let it ruin our lives?  And why, if we determine to break from it, shall we pretend to keep to it?  What do you care for Judaism?  You eat triphas, you smoke on Shabbos when you want to—­”

“Yes, I know, perhaps I’m wrong.  But everybody does it now-a-days.  When I was a boy nobody dared be seen riding in a ’bus on Shabbos—­now you meet lots.  But all that is only old-fashioned Judaism.  There must be a God, else we shouldn’t be here, and it’s impossible to believe that Jesus was He.  A man must have some religion, and there isn’t anything better.  But that’s neither here nor there.  If you don’t care for my plan,” he concluded anxiously, “what’s yours?”

“Let us be married honestly by a Registrar.”

“Any way you like, dear,” he said readily, “so long as we are married—­and quickly.”

“As quickly as you like.”

He seized her disengaged hand and pressed it passionately.  “That’s my own darling Hannah.  Oh, if you could realize what I felt last night when you seemed to be drifting away from me.”

There was an interval of silence, each thinking excitedly.  Then David said: 

“But have you the courage to do this and remain in London?”

“I have courage for anything.  But, as you say, it might be better to travel.  It will be less of a break if we break away altogether—­change everything at once.  It sounds contradictory, but you understand what I mean.”

“Perfectly.  It is difficult to live a new life with all the old things round you.  Besides, why should we give our friends the chance to cold-shoulder us?  They will find all sorts of malicious reasons why we were not married in a Shool, and if they hit on the true one they may even regard our marriage as illegal.  Let us go to America, as I proposed.”

“Very well.  Do we go direct from London?”

“No, from Liverpool.”

“Then we can be married at Liverpool before sailing?”

“A good idea.  But when do we start?”

“At once.  To-night.  The sooner the better.”

He looked at her quickly.  “Do you mean it?” he said.  His heart beat violently as if it would burst.  Waves of dazzling color swam before his eyes.