406 EAISIN
Happily no one remarked it anyway the "bass" had said nothing to him. And the memory of the unsuc- cessful "Hear, Israel" of two weeks ago and of to- day's "unto death" were mingled together, and lay heavily on his heart.
He would have liked to try the note once more as he walked, but the street was just then full of people, and he tried to refrain till he should reach home. Con- trary to his usual custom, he began taking rapid steps, and it looked as if he were running away from some- one. On reaching home, he put away his prayer-scarf without saying so much as good morning, recovered his breath after the quick walk, and began to sing, "He shall be our guide until death."
"That's right, you have so little time to sing in ! The day is too short for you!" exclaimed the cantoress, angrily. "It grates on the ears enough already !"
"How, it grates?" and the cantor's eyes opened wide with fright, "I sing a note, and you say 'it grates'? How can it grate?"
He looked at her imploringly, his eyes said: "Have pity on me ! Don't say, 'it grates' ! because if it does grate, I am miserable, I am done for!"
But the cantoress was much too busy and preoccupied with the dinner to sympathize and to understand how things stood with her husband, and went on :
"Of course it grates ! Why shouldn't it ? It deafens me. When you sing in the choir, I have to bear it, but when you begin by yourself what?"
The cantor had grown as white as chalk, and only just managed to say:
