Surely the day of her
marriage would come soon.
But now it seemed to her to be certain that the day of her marriage
would never come. All those expectations must be banished, and she must
look elsewhere--if elsewhere there might be any relief. She knew well
that if she would separate herself from the Jew, the pocket of her aunt
would be opened to relieve the distress of her father--would be opened
so far as to save the old man from perishing of want. Aunt Sophie, if
duly invoked, would not see her sister's husband die of starvation.
Nay, aunt Sophie would doubtless so far stretch her Christian charity
as to see that her niece was in some way fed, if that niece would be
duly obedient. Further still, aunt Sophie would accept her niece as
the very daughter of her house, as the rising mistress of her own
establishment, if that niece would only consent to love her son. Ziska
was there as a husband in Anton's place, if Ziska might only gain
acceptance.
But Nina, as she rose from her chair and walked backwards and forwards
through her chamber, telling herself all these things, clenched her
fist, and stamped her foot, as she swore to herself that she would
dare all that the saints could do to her, that she would face all the
terrors of the black dark river, before she would succumb to her cousin
Ziska.
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