will than a wavering;
better a steadfast enemy than an uncertain friend; better a false belief than no
belief at all. What he despised most was indifference. He had longer reasons
than I can give you.«
    »Yet his knowledge was not narrow?« said Deronda, with a tacit reference to
the usual excuse for indecision - that it comes from knowing too much.
    »Narrow? no,« said Kalonymos, shaking his head with a compassionate smile.
»From his childhood upward, he drank in learning as easily as the plant sucks up
water. But he early took to medicine and theories about life and health. He
travelled to many countries, and spent much of his substance in seeing and
knowing. What he used to insist on was that the strength and wealth of mankind
depended on the balance of separateness and communication, and he was bitterly
against our people losing themselves among the Gentiles; It's no better, said
he, than the many sorts of grain going back from their variety into sameness. He
mingled all sorts of learning; and in that he was like our Arabic writers in the
golden time. We studied together, but he went beyond me. Though we were bosom
friends, and he poured himself out to me, we were as different as the inside and
the outside of the bowl. I stood up for no notions of my own: I took Charisi's
sayings as I took the shape of the trees: they were there, not to be disputed
about. It came to the same thing in both of us: we were both faithful Jews,
thankful not to be Gentiles. And since I was a ripe man, I have been what I am
now, for all but age - loving to wander, loving transactions, loving to behold
all things, and caring nothing about hardship. Charisi thought continually of
our people's future: he went with all his soul into that part of our religion:
I, not. So we have freedom, I am content. Our people wandered before they were
driven. Young man, when I am in the East, I lie much on deck and watch the
greater stars. The sight of them satisfies me. I know them as they rise, and
hunger not to know more. Charisi was satisfied with no sight, but pieced it out
with what had been before and what would come after. Yet we loved each other,
and as he said, we bound our love with duty; we solemnly pledged ourselves to
help and defend each other to the last. I have fulfilled my pledge