Ah! if he would but take that other one as his
bride, he should have everything, and his father's blessing--and then
he would be the first instead of the last among his people." Such was
the purpose of Stephen Trendellsohn towards his son; but this, his real
purpose, did not hinder him from threatening worse things. To prevent
the marriage was his great object; and if threats would prevent it, why
should he not use them?
But now he had conceived the idea that Nina was deceiving his son--that
Nina was in truth holding back the deed with some view which he could
hardly fathom. Ziska Zamenoy had declared, with all the emphasis in
his power, that the document was, to the best of his belief, in Nina's
hands; and though Ziska's emphasis would not have gone far in
convincing the Jew, had the Jew's mind been turned in the other
direction, now it had its effect. "And who gave it her?" Trendellsohn
had asked. "Ah, there you must excuse me," Ziska had answered; "though,
indeed, I could not tell you if I would. But we have nothing to do with
the matter.
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