"*c 
 
 V
 
 Joachim's Daughter 
 
 Of filLl/, j,JER4By, LQS ANGELES
 
 JOACHIM'S 
 DAUGHTER 
 
 A Story of the time of 
 Herod the Great 
 
 KING OF THE JEWS 
 
 By 
 WILLIAM C. HICKS 
 
 PETERS & ALGER, PUBLISHERS 
 
 Benton Harbor, Mich. 
 
 MDCCCCIII.
 
 Copyrighted, 1908, by WM. C. HICKS 
 All rights reserved. 
 
 Published July, 1903
 
 Principal Characters 
 
 JOACHIM, Jewish Patriarch 
 
 JOSEPH, the Friend of Joachim 
 
 PANTHERA, a Roman Soldier 
 
 HABABLI HILLEL; Jewish Teacher 
 
 RABBI JUDAS, a Priest 
 
 SIMON GATZOR, Merchant of Hebron 
 
 HEROD THE GREAT, " King of the Jews " 
 
 SOLON HAI, the Wizard of Jerusalem 
 
 MELSACH, COSTA, Minions of Solon Hai 
 
 MARY, Daughter of Joachim 
 
 ALTA GATZOR, Daughter of Simon Gatzor 
 
 2130192
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 I. The Magi . . . . 
 
 II. The Spy .... 
 
 III. The Wizard of Jerusalem 
 
 IV. A Perfect Man 
 
 V. The Abduction . 
 
 VI. A Race for Life . 
 
 VII. The Horseback Duel . 
 
 VIII. Back to the Camp 
 
 IX. A Fixed Gulf 
 
 X. An Apt Rogue 
 
 XI. A Friend of the King . . 
 
 XII. The Temptation . 
 
 XIII. The Prisoner 
 
 XIV. Hababli Hillel 
 
 XV. The Mighty Precepts 
 
 XVI. Jerusalem .... 
 
 XVII. A Seat of Learning 
 
 XVIII. A Story of Revenge 
 
 XIX. Preparation for the Inquisition 
 
 XX. Judgment Seat Degradation 
 
 XXI. The Betrothal The Warning 
 
 XXII. Living or Dead, I will Return 
 
 XXIII. A Conspiracy 
 
 vii 
 
 9 
 
 18 
 
 27 
 
 36 
 
 45 
 
 54 
 
 63 
 
 72 
 
 80 
 
 87 
 
 97 
 
 107 
 
 118 
 
 129 
 
 139 
 
 148 
 
 157 
 
 167 
 
 188 
 
 196 
 
 206 
 
 214 
 
 221
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER. 
 
 XXIV. The Seance Necromancy 
 
 XXV. The King's Visitor . 
 
 XXVI. The Refinement of Torture 
 
 XXVII. Chamber of Death . 
 
 XX VIII. A Strange Invitation 
 
 XXIX. The Sorceress . . . . 
 
 XXX. Antonia and Oblivion 
 
 XXXI. Egypt, India A Vision . 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 231 
 241 
 248 
 258 
 270 
 277 
 286 
 295
 
 Joachim's Daughter 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE MAGI. 
 
 "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be 
 blessed. Amen, my child ! This was the promise made of 
 God unto our fathers to which, serving him at all 
 times, his people hope to come." 
 
 "Father dear, thine eyes are dim with looking; thine 
 ears are dull from listening; thou hast waited long for 
 the anointed." 
 
 "Truly hast thou spoken, daughter of Anna, yet we 
 may not be weary. His promise is sure and steadfast 
 Child of my heart ! Moreover, to give his people strong 
 consolation, he made oath by himself, and he could 
 swear by no greater 'That unto him every knee shall 
 bow and every tongue confess !' ' 
 
 An expression of exalted grandeur rested upon the 
 countenance of the aged patriarch, who uttered these 
 words. 
 
 The child-woman, reclining at his feet, raised her- 
 self from this posture and looked lovingly, tenderly and 
 anxiously into the face of her venerable companion. 
 
 With fixed features and wistful eyes the man gazed 
 toward the eastern horizon, as though he would realize.
 
 io Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 out of the cloudless sky, the presence of the one antici- 
 pated; while the maid, just budding into womanhood, 
 supported herself against his knee. 
 
 Beneath the rich, light robes that adorned her body 
 could be traced the voluptuous, graceful lines of a 
 well-moulded figure. 
 
 Daintiest feet imaginable, laced in crimson leather 
 sandals, peeped from under the loose, purple, outer gar- 
 ment. Her exquisitely shaped dimpled hand toyed with 
 a golden tassel suspended from an elaborately wrought 
 girdle of the same material, which confined the folds of 
 her elegant attire about the lithesome waist. 
 
 A silver circlet, of intricate design, held the auburn 
 tresses back from an ideal forehead, permitting the 
 glossy locks to fall in waves over the rounded shoulders. 
 Save this slender, gleaming wire, no ornament adorned 
 her hair. 
 
 The artful hand of the Grecian sculptor, in his palm- 
 iest days, could not have carved a more beautifully sym- 
 metrical neck than the one exposed to view beneath an 
 upturned face of striking loveliness. Although an oval, 
 there were strong lines that indicated a lofty charac- 
 ter and noble aspirations ; a loving, melting expression 
 about the eyes, now with dilated pupils eclipsing the 
 deep blue of the iris, voiced the intense sympathy that 
 was a part of this maiden's nature. The aquiline nose, 
 the dark, luminous eyes, delicately chisled mouth and 
 the peculiar contour of the cheek and chin, proclaimed 
 the maid a daughter of Israel, of the tribe of Judah. 
 
 The upturned eyes, distended nostrils and parted, 
 rosy lips combined to give to the features of the beauti- 
 ful creature an aspect of much interest and concern ; 
 and to heighten and deepen the glow coming from the 
 countenance of this divinely lovely Israelitish maiden.
 
 The Magi. n 
 
 On the velvety green sward, fresh, and as yet, untar- 
 nished by the scorching heat of mid-summer, was 
 spread an eastern rug of ample dimensions and curious 
 workmanship, which afforded the two a resting place. 
 
 Before their vision stretched the valley of Escol, with 
 its grape vines, its olive trees and other herbage green 
 with life and freshness. At one side was the ancient 
 Kirjath Arba Hebron at one time the home of king 
 David. 
 
 Nigh where they were seated stood, also, the giant 
 oak of the Seer, with its mighty branches, under which, 
 the father of this peculiar and strange people, entertain- 
 ed angels. A spot overflowing with sacred memories 
 in the land of ancient Israel. 
 
 Far distant to the west could be seen the mountains 
 of Judea ;and, close at hand, a clump of Terebinth trees, 
 their evergreen foliage tinged with purple and red. 
 Three oblong tents from which emerged persons, who 
 appeared to be acting in the capacity of attendants, 
 afforded life to the scene and completed the picture. 
 
 A bright, beautiful spring morning greeted these per- 
 sons as the sun rose in welcome accord with the cloud- 
 less sky; sending its golden gleams trickling through 
 the morning air; lending an entrancing touch to the 
 magnificent prospect. 
 
 The land of promise which Moses beheld with long- 
 ing eyes, as he gazed from Pisga's mountain ! The 
 wonderful land flowing with milk and honey! 
 
 The spot could be seen where was the cave of Mach- 
 pelah in the field owned by Ephron the Hittite, the 
 son of Zohar, to whom was weighed and paid four hun- 
 dred shekels of silver current money with the merchant 
 in order that afterwards those who should own and 
 possess the land might have a place to bury their dead.
 
 12 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 A portion of earth, by its tender associations made 
 sacred in the history of Israel, where Abraham, Isaac 
 and Jacob ; Sarah, Rebecca and Leah were laid to rest. 
 
 It was day dawn, the sun not more than an hour high 
 a clear spring morning peculiar to the land of Judea. 
 
 Shielding his eyes with his hand, the man scaned 
 the distance towards the east and south. A massive 
 gold signet ring sparkled on one of his fingers. Every- 
 thing about these personages bore testimony of wealth, 
 refinement and culture. 
 
 There was a certain noblesse about the bearing and 
 demeanor of the man, whi-h could not fail to attract 
 more than ordinary passing interest and attention. His 
 venerable appearance was heightened by a luxurious 
 growth of hair, which was scrupulously well kept, and 
 a long white beard, especially noticeable, falling as it 
 did, in graceful lines to the waist. 
 
 Beneath the loose, eastern gown could be observed a 
 close fitting tunic, of fine twined linen, trimmed with 
 purple and gold in curiously wrought figures. A tur- 
 ban covered his head, from which hung a frill of light 
 material, shielding the neck. The feet were shod with 
 strong, well fitting leather sandals, held to their places 
 by thongs of the same material. 
 
 At the door of one of the tents stood 
 another man, who was clothed in similar cos- 
 tume, and who had the appearance of being 
 somewhat younger. This person seemed to be silently 
 contemplating the watching ones, as if to anticipate 
 their wants. He was evidently in authority over the 
 camp and its equipment, as from time to time he direct- 
 ed, in a quiet manner, the movements and doings of 
 the servants who made up the rest of the company. 
 
 The tents were pitched in a field in close proximity
 
 The Magi. 13 
 
 to the road, that wound along among the hills toward 
 the city of Jerusalem. To the east a short distance, 
 three miles or less, lay the city of Hebron with its new 
 wall, which Herod had recently finished by the compul- 
 sory labor of his countrymen. 
 
 "Joseph, come hither!" 
 
 The person standing at the door of the tent came for- 
 ward promptly in obedience to the request made by the 
 older man. 
 
 "Age hath not dimmed thy sight. Look toward the 
 south. Behold, the sun hath already arisen. My soul 
 yearns for their presence." 
 
 "Thy servant, Joachim, beloved of the Lord !" 
 
 Joseph made a low obeisance before the patriarch, 
 then turned and looked in the direction indicated. 
 
 "What seest thou?" sharply enquired Joachim. 
 
 "The dust of travelers, not more than a Sabbath 
 day's journey," quietly answered Joseph. 
 
 "Salute thy father with a kiss, thou precious gift 
 from the Lord," murmured Joachim, addressing the 
 maiden, as he bent fondly over to receive the caress. 
 "Thou may'st leave me daughter," he continued. 
 "Abide thou in thy tent until thy father summon thee." 
 
 The maid arose obediently and went toward the place 
 indicated by her father. 
 
 Joseph looked after her, as did, also, his 
 companion, until she disappeared within the opening of 
 the white-walled tent and was hidden from their view. 
 
 "Thy daughter, Mary, is already a woman," observ- 
 ed Joseph, in a voice, as if the fact had entered his mind 
 for the first time. 
 
 "Thou hast spoken my very thought. The tender 
 mercy of the Lord be about her at all times." 
 
 "Amen ! Amen !" fervently ejaculated Joseph in
 
 14 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 response to the invocation, as they resumed, once more, 
 their watching and waiting. 
 
 Two other men, who likewise were of mature age 
 and priestly bearing, were now plainly visable, a short 
 distance away, approaching on horseback. They were 
 clothed in very light grayish woolen costumes. These 
 robes commenced by forming a turban for the head, 
 from thence falling in folds over the shoulders. A 
 slit through the gown allowed freedom for the 
 arms, which were sleeved with linen. The costumes 
 were drawn about the waist by means of a belt or cord 
 from underneath. Their feet were sandaled. Their 
 limbs were covered with close fitting gray apparently 
 of the same material as their outer garments. The 
 animals, on which they were seated, were saddled with 
 light leather girdles with pummels, from which hung 
 strong leather stirrups and to which the bridle reins 
 were loosely tied. 
 
 The horses were strong, lithe limbed, well broken, of 
 the Arabian breed, kind in disposition and tractable; 
 in color almost matching the robes of their masters, 
 who were armed with short whips, with which they 
 guided the movements of these faithful animals. 
 
 Emerging from a sharp bend of the road, in the 
 rear of them, could be seen two camels, each loaded 
 with large packs, followed by two servants, dressed in 
 white tunics and turbans, who were running along, 
 bare footed and bare limbed, after these ancient burden 
 bearers of the east. 
 
 The horsemen had discovered the tents and were 
 urging their animals into a sharp trot, which quickly 
 brought them abreast of where the two men awaited 
 their arrival. Dismounting they turned the animals 
 out to feed on the luxuriant grass by the wayside, while
 
 The Magi. 15 
 
 they advanced toward the place occupied by Joachim. 
 
 Raising their hands above their heads, they proceed- 
 ed to prostrate themselves to the ground before the 
 Jewish patriarch. 
 
 "My brethren !" he exclaimed. 
 
 "Beloved of the Lord !" they answered in one voice, 
 raising their faces from the earth. 
 
 Joachim, with outstretch hands, hastened toward the 
 prostrate men. 
 
 "Arise, my kinsmen. The Lord be with thee. Let 
 his mercy be over all within thy gates !" 
 
 The men arose at once, each in turn embracing 
 Joachim, saluting him with a kiss. 
 
 Joachim enquired as to whether they had partaken 
 of the morning meal, and when assured that they had. 
 he pointed to the large mat and invited the new- 
 comers to be seated. To this invitation they promptly 
 acquiesced and seated themselves so that each faced 
 inward. 
 
 The servants, in the meantime, had arrived and, with- 
 out waiting for orders, proceeded to select a 
 place to pitch an equal number of tents at a convenient 
 distance from the others. In a very short time the 
 vicinity took on the appearance of a tented village. 
 
 Whatever was the nature of the business bringing 
 these venerable men together, there was nothing in 
 the way, apparently, to hinder or delay its transaction ; 
 and it looked very much as though there had been a 
 preconcerted arrangement which had led to this 
 assembling. 
 
 There could not have been a fairer or clearer 
 day had it been ordered or made on purpose. The 
 pearly blue covering of heaven; the green sward 
 of mother earth, with its fresh scent arising from
 
 1 6 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 the morning dew ; the murmuring ripple of brooklets, as 
 they trickled down their way toward the Dead Sea; 
 the musical warble of myriads of sweet tongued song- 
 sters, letting their melodies swell with cheerful pipe as 
 the morning ushered in the day all nature, seemed to 
 have conspired to do her best and utmost to assist in 
 making harmony for this meeting. 
 
 A number of papyrus rolls were produced and spread 
 on the mat in the vacant center space. On these was 
 written in Greek, Hebrew and other languages of the 
 time, the subject matter which was to engage the atten- 
 tion of these scholars. 
 
 Animation and interest were displayed on the coun- 
 tenances of these men as they consulted, compared and 
 examined, in a most circumspect manner, the records 
 before them. From time to time minutes and copious 
 notes, of the results of their investigations, w r ere made 
 and entered on the margins of the rolls or on tablets 
 prepared for the purpose. 
 
 Capably and quietly, as though they were mere mov- 
 ing automatons, the Arab servants, having secured the 
 animals and provided for their necessities and com- 
 forts, proceeded to erect a canopy over the place where 
 the persons, about whom the interest is centering, were 
 seated. 
 
 Four upright poles were placed in the ground at 
 short distances from the corners of the rug, the two on 
 the west side reaching somewhat higher than those on 
 the east. Horizontal poles, running north and south, 
 were fastened to these uprights near their tops and 
 sheets of cotton were stretched over them. This simple 
 arrangement served admirably in protecting the visi- 
 tors and their host from the increasing heat. As soon 
 as this kindly service was completed the servants with-
 
 The Magi. 17 
 
 drew, betaking themselves to the shelter of their own 
 tents. 
 
 The men under the canopy removed their turbans, 
 exposing sunburned skins of a nut-brown color, there 
 was no hint of the ebony or shining black of the negro, 
 but that swarthy, berry-stained tinge of the Malay or 
 Hindoo. That they were ripe in years was apparent 
 to even the most casual observer. Each head was sil- 
 very white and their flowing beards were tinged with 
 gray. Venerable features, imposing deportment and 
 grave, earnest conversation all bore testimony to the 
 evident fact that age and experience had been attained. 
 
 Their dark, thoughtful eyes w r ere constantly bent on 
 the rolls before them, intently scanning the characters 
 thereon. As they conversed together, the stern and 
 harder lines, which marked their fine faces, gradually 
 softened and blended into expressions of benevolence, 
 brotherly kindness and beneficience, which rarely can 
 be counterfeited by the hypocrite or knave, and are only 
 to be attained with certainty where the heart is right 
 and the soul is true.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE SPY. 
 
 During the time, in which these scenes are laid, a wide 
 spread belief prevailed, not only among the Hebrews, 
 but in all the countries of western Asia, setting forth 
 that a mighty prince would soon come who would 
 deliver the people from the exactions of that mistress 
 of the world the Roman Republic. The rich and the 
 poor; the strong and the weak; the freeman and the 
 bondman ; the cultured and the unlearned shared in this 
 accredited opinion to such an extent that a general 
 state of unrest and feverish excitement had been 
 created. 
 
 Through this ever growing unquietness actual out- 
 breaks had occurred in the western Asiatic provinces; 
 and, although such disturbances were speedily crushed 
 and the leaders slain, their theories and prophecies were 
 listened to and hailed with avidity as, from time to 
 time, they were proclaimed by others. 
 
 Augustus and the Roman Senate governed the Ro- 
 man dependencies and the temple of Janus had been 
 closed for some time. The great empire had no wars 
 upon its hands the world, in theory, was at peace. 
 So long as there was no open rebellion or sedition, the 
 Emperor paid but little attention to these rumors of a 
 deliverer; in fact, the belief was rather encouraged 
 than otherwise as it afforded the people occupation. 
 
 18
 
 The Spy. 19 
 
 While interested in the investigation and interpretation 
 of the prophecies contained in their sacred writings, 
 they were not apt to be engaged in other and more dan- 
 gerous pursuits. Moreover, astrologers and necro- 
 mancers were seldom warriors from such there was 
 little to fear. The people must have something to 
 afford them instruction and amusement. 
 
 Rome had, long ago, discovered that nothing allowed 
 the chains to bind so lightly as encouragement of an 
 indulgence in religious superstition. This prediction, 
 of the advent of a mighty prince, was included under 
 the head of superstitions and so long as the wise men 
 and soothsayers, of the time, went no further than to 
 make unfulfilled prophecies they were tolerated and 
 unmolested. 
 
 The ambition of Augustus was satisfied to govern 
 well the territory already acquired. Although intro- 
 ducing this spirit of toleration, as well as judicious, 
 moderation and wisdom, into the councils of these peo- 
 ple and nations of diverse aspirations, he afforded his 
 subjects, to say the least, a doubtful security in the pur- 
 suit of their own pleasures, pastimes and convictions. 
 
 From the foundation of the world, an uninterrupted 
 series of rumors, more or less vague and curious, had 
 prepared these Asiatic tribes, many of whom were 
 descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, for the com- 
 ing of a king and conqueror. It was a son of univer- 
 sal proposition to Jew and Greek, to the bond and the 
 free, and, in fact, had invaded all parts of the great 
 Empire, both east and west. In Judea the growth of 
 this sentiment had attained such proportions as to 
 exclude nearly all other considerations in the religious 
 system of this devoted and exclusive people The 
 ancient oracles, predicting the advent of the Messiah,
 
 2O Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 were consulted and sought after with the intensity of 
 desperation born of this hope and expectation. 
 
 It was he who would deliver them from Roman 
 bondage ; through him they would become the head of 
 all nations; his might and power would overcome all 
 opposition. On the throne of his father, David, he 
 would order and establish his own kingdom, and all 
 kingdoms should serve and obey him. He it would be 
 who should make of his enemies his footstool, he would 
 reign under the whole heavens, and of his government 
 there should be no end. He would be the stone, cut 
 out without hands, that would smite the image of 
 Nebuchadnezzar on its iron-clay feet, and break them 
 to pieces so that all the iron, the brass, the silver or 
 the gold in any way left of the Babylonian, Medo-Per- 
 sian, Greek or Roman empires would be crushed and 
 destroyed. 
 
 A time of trouble was portrayed, before this could 
 be consummated, after which would be ushered in the 
 reign of peace. From Jerusalem, the city of the great 
 king, the law would issue and govern all the nations, 
 tongues and peoples of the earth. 
 
 The Mazdean prophecies of Persia had also pene- 
 trated Palestine, and the name of Zoroaster had be- 
 come, in many places, as familiar as that of Moses. 
 During the captivity the people had become more or 
 less familiar with the writings of this sage and seer. 
 
 The last things, and the end of the world, were 
 relegated to the close of a long period of time, when a 
 new Saoshyant is to be born, and a new, incorruptable 
 world to begin. Ormuzd should summon together, for 
 a final, decisive struggle, all the powers, in order to 
 break forever the strength of evil. By his mighty aid 
 the faithful should become victorious over all their
 
 The Spy. 21 
 
 enemies. This would be the last appeal of Ormuzd to 
 mankind. Then should the sun shine forth in the reful- 
 gence of its glory, and no evil power ever again disturb 
 the peaceful fellowship, of the faithful, of Ormuzd and 
 his angels. 
 
 An intoxication, of divine delirium was produced by, 
 this religious exaltation, which led the people to hope 
 against hope and which blinded them somewhat in 
 their otherwise skillful methods of promoting traffic 
 and fortunes. These sublime visions and sacred writ- 
 ings had for them a charm that nothing could set aside 
 or divert. 
 
 Augustus had found it convenient to maintain a sem- 
 blance of friendship for Herod, the Idumean tyrant, 
 whom Antony had caused to be recognized by the 
 Roman Senate as "The King of the Jews." His very 
 race was hateful to this people. He belonged to a 
 country, and an age, in which human life was of no par- 
 ticular value; and a people among whom death was 
 given and accepted with almost perfect indifference. 
 His cruel power over human life was never spared by 
 this monster; the dearest ties of kindred were never 
 allowed to interfere with his bloodthirsty purposes. 
 There were absolutely no exemptions. 
 
 For over thirty years this scourge had wrung from 
 a suffering people the substance of their productions 
 by dreadful exactions and enormous taxes. This trea- 
 sure, drawn through his tax-gatherers, he used, as a 
 profligate, to pension poets at Rome; for the distribu- 
 tion of prizes at the Olympian games; and to reward 
 and endow his cruel emissaries who performed his 
 bidding and obeyed his commands; at the same 
 time he lost no opportunity, or excuse, to bring into
 
 22 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 contempt the institutions held dear by this unfortunate 
 nation. 
 
 The Sanhedrin was outraged and set at defiance ; the 
 high priesthood was degraded; the laws of the nation 
 were despised; fear and terror held sway over those 
 who maintained a semblance of respect for the ancient 
 worship of the fathers. The only relief afforded this 
 tryant cursed people was the faraway protection 
 accorded them by Augustus and the Senate. 
 
 Herod, as if to add insult to injury, had embellished 
 the temple and caused it to be rebuilt where war, age 
 or decay had placed their mar upon the edifice. In its 
 holy offices were placed creatures of his own making, 
 to minister the rites and ceremonies of the people he 
 represented. 
 
 A system of espionage was practiced upon the rich 
 and opulent so quietly, silently, yet with such unerring 
 certainity, that no movement which would or might 
 interfere with his designs could be begun, which was 
 not invariably crushed in its incipiency ; or, if permitted 
 to gain any headway it was only for the purpose of 
 involving a larger number, that they might fall a prey 
 to his vengence and avarice. 
 
 The prosperous had ever before them the dread 
 object ksson of death and confiscation. 
 
 It was the rendezvous of the wise men; a meeting 
 of the Magi the prophets of the time. The tablets, 
 skins, parchments and rolls in their possession were 
 covered with written characters familiar to these sages. 
 
 The times, and dividing of time, were measured, 
 adjusted, compared and arranged to accommodate the
 
 The Spy. 23 
 
 interpretations placed upon the prophecies concerning 
 them. These earnest, studious men, engaged and 
 interested in this, to them, pursuit of timely knowledge 
 and wisdom, were oblivious to their surroundings and 
 to all occurrences beyond their near vicinity. 
 
 A ringing certainty permeated their inquiries and 
 investigations, into the subject matter pertaining to 
 the appearance of this great deliverer, which would not 
 allow any question bordering on the realm of doubt. 
 The testimony in their possession showed the time to 
 be at hand. The kingdom was nigh the consumma- 
 tion of the age, and the ushering in of a new dispensa- 
 tion was assured. 
 
 About the eyes of Joachim a supernatural brightness 
 was noticeable, and his venerable face shone with the 
 light of hope within his heart, as he expressed himself : 
 
 "Of the seed of David shall he be raised up who 
 shall rule the people in righteousness. Behold the 
 man whose name is The Branch. A king shall reign 
 and prosper, and shall execute justice and judgment 
 in the earth. Judah shall be saved and Israel shall 
 dwell safely." 
 
 As to the event itself, and its close proximity, there 
 was a unanimity of opinion, but they disagreed as to 
 the manner of its accomplishment. 
 
 One ventured that the prince would burst upon an 
 astonished world ; a warrior accompanied by an invin- 
 cible army of horse and foot, armed and equipped for 
 the fray, incontestable in power and unconquerable in 
 his march of conquest. 
 
 Another believed that this personage would descend 
 from among the clouds, surrounded by a host of mighty 
 angels, with banners and music ; that the sound of his 
 voice would waken the dead; that the faithful would
 
 24 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 meet the deliverer and accompany him, sharing in the 
 glory of victory over death, hades and gehenna. 
 
 And yet another opinion received much considera- 
 tion and thought. A child shall be born, who shall be 
 a light to lighten every man that cometh into the world. 
 He it shall be who shall save and exalt the people of 
 Israel and be the hope of the world. 
 
 Herod was charged with establishing within the 
 sacred precincts of the Holy of Holies, the abomination 
 that maketh desolate. The sum of all sacrilegious vil- 
 lany had been performed in the profanation of the sanc- 
 tuary at Jerusalem, and the time must be ripe for the 
 destruction of such wickedness. 
 
 "Surely the Lord would no longer withhold his 
 hand." 
 
 This conference lasted all the morning, and the sun 
 was nearing the meridian, when a solitary horseman 
 might have been seen approaching, who came from the 
 south by way of the wilderness. 
 
 On coming in view of the place of the meeting, he 
 drew rein and quickly dismounted. Leading the horse 
 to a shady place, where the rocks completely hid the 
 animal, the new arrival secured his beast out of sight 
 an.d hearing of the persons on the other side of the 
 roadway. Casting his outer garment on the ground 
 near by, he drew his girdle closer about his waist and 
 immediately proceeded to move out toward the road 
 leading to the encampment. 
 
 At his left side, thrust into his girdle, was a pecul- 
 iarly formed instrument, shaped more like a cleaver 
 than a sword. Placing his hand on the hilt of this ugly 
 and formidable weapon, he carefully wormed his way 
 along, with cat-like stealth and caution toward the 
 canopy.
 
 The Spy. 25 
 
 A fierce, greedy, covetuous glitter sparkled with 
 snake-like glint from his eyes while a malignant, sar- 
 donic expression overspread his swarthy, black fea- 
 tures producing an unmistakable impression as to 
 the evil character of this man. He was clothed in a 
 close fitting, greenish colored tunic, which blended with 
 the surrounding verdure; without his movements it 
 would have been difficult to discover his presence even 
 at a short distance. 
 
 Swiftly, but nevertheless carefully, he made his way 
 in the direction of the cotton canopy, from where the 
 voices of the occupants distinctly reached him as he 
 occasionally paused to reconnoiter, in evident concern 
 lest the servants discovered his approach. 
 
 During one of these halts, while protected by the 
 shelter of a clump of shrubbery, the curtain door of one 
 of the tents was raised and, for a moment, the beauti- 
 ful face and form of the damsel, called Mary, was 
 exposed to view. 
 
 Instantly the gaze of the intruder was fastened upon 
 this vision of angelic perfection. The hot breath of 
 passion seethed through his distended nostrils; his 
 bosom heaved his feet fairly rooted themselves into 
 the earth as he craned his body forward to drink in 
 the voluptuous beauty of the maiden, whose 
 wavy tresses were falling gracefully over her 
 shoulders of alabaster whiteness; and whose 
 face was radiant with womanly comeliness and unaf- 
 fected modesty. 
 
 For only a short time she stood at the door of the 
 tent looking toward the place where her father was 
 engaged, then she disappeared within, unconscious of 
 any threatening danger, either to herself or those she 
 loved.
 
 26 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "How beautiful!" exclaimed the man in a hissing 
 undertone, as if surprised and overcome with wonder. 
 
 A swift run brought him so close to the back of the 
 shelter, where the Magi consulted together, that he 
 could have touched the curtain with his hand had he 
 so minded. Quietly drawing the weapon from his 
 girdle, he noiselessly slit a small hole in the cotton par- 
 tition, through which he peered at the persons who 
 composed the party on the other side. 
 
 The spy paid but little attention to the conversation, 
 now perfectly audible, he made, however, such obser- 
 vations as were by him deemed necessary and sufficient. 
 After a searching glance in the direction of the tents,, 
 where the servants seemed to be sleeping, he withdrew 
 as silently as he had approached. Gathering his dis- 
 carded garment from the ground he mounted his horse 
 and rode away in the direction from which he had 
 come.
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE WIZARD OF JERUSALEM. 
 
 When a safe distance separated him from the scene, 
 just described, the solitary horseman urged his beast 
 into a brisk canter. This pace soon carried him beyond 
 danger of discovery, and brought him to a path, wind- 
 ing among huge rocks. He drew rein and guided the 
 horse into the narrow, devious way. The rugged char- 
 acter of the path compelled him to advance slowly and 
 with care until, at last, he was forced to dismount. 
 
 After moving for some distance in this manner, indi- 
 cation, of the presence of others in the vicinity, was 
 given by the neigh of a horse. Turning at the base of 
 a rocky eminence, flanking a level acre or more of 
 ground, these others were revealed three men stand- 
 ing near a tent which had been erected in the shelter of 
 the rocks, while their horses grazed within this natural 
 enclosure. 
 
 They wore costumes similar to that of the spy, who 
 rapidly approached. This, and their actions, made it 
 plain that they all belonged to the same party, and 
 that the coming of the new arrival was expected. 
 
 Giving his animal liberty, that it might graze with 
 the other horses, the spy made his way directly toward 
 where the men silently waited; one, the chief, stand- 
 ing somewhat in front of the other two. The new- 
 comer singled out this man and saluted him in the 
 eastern manner. 
 
 27
 
 28 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "Sheik," he murmured, "Solan Hai behold thy 
 servant !" 
 
 "Melsach thy feet are swift. Hast thou accom- 
 plished the thing whereunto thou wast sent?" Solan 
 Hai looked keenly into the immobile countenance of 
 his messenger. 
 
 "Thy servant hath obeyed thy commands," answered 
 Melsach, returning the gaze of his questioner. 
 
 "'Tis well, thou child of the desert! Tell us, what 
 sawest thou !" 
 
 "Four sheiks, in conference gray bearded and wise 
 visaged, six tents, horses and camels, to thy servant's 
 mind, not more than eight people." 
 
 "Thou observed Joachim, of Jerusalem, the one of 
 whom thou wast especially charged?" 
 
 "He it was who led the conference. Prated most 
 about the 'deliverer' and against Herod." 
 
 "Hah! The king forgets not a compliment of the 
 kind. Knowest thou the very spot where he may be 
 found?" 
 
 "Were it dark as Tophet, I could guide thee thither." 
 
 "'Tis well, Melsach, Son of the East. Thou and thy 
 companions may rest until I call thee." 
 
 Leaving the chieftain alone, the three other men be- 
 took themselves to the shade of the tent, which was 
 pitched close to where the interview had taken place. 
 
 Solan Hai was of short stature and powerful build, 
 the shoulders stooped in such manner as to give him 
 the appearance of a hunchback; bowed, hollow chest; 
 extraordinarily long arms and prodigiously large 
 hands. His face was not so dark and swarthy as those 
 of his companions, but more of a sallow color with thin, 
 chisled features, heavy brows and a large beaked nose. 
 The brow was knit and a sinister expression was over
 
 The Wizard of Jerusalem. 29 
 
 the face of this creature, like a terrible pall. An abun- 
 dant crop of brownish red hair helped to make him a 
 grotesque object, of the genus homo. His uncouth vis- 
 age portrayed the very essence of villiany; his huge 
 body was supported on a pair of bowed limbs ; feet of 
 enormous dimensions were attached thereto in propor- 
 tion to his hands. These abnormal appendages were 
 encased in rough fitting sandals laced over close drawn 
 leggings. 
 
 There could be no mistake the mark of Cain had 
 been born with this monster. Commiseration and 
 pity were as far removed from his nature as the east 
 is separated from the west. There was in his vocabu- 
 lary no word that did not reverberate with supreme 
 human selfishness. His herculean build and muscular 
 strength, combined with his cunning craft and a certain 
 deceitfulness, gave him power over those attached to 
 his fortunes, men reckless to every danger, whom he 
 controlled and governed with an iron hand. 
 
 Notwithstanding his hugh, uncouth and apparently, 
 deformed body, there was a tiger like activity about his 
 movements that made him a terrible and dangerous 
 antagonist. He was armed with the same kind of a 
 weapon as his companion, Melsach, except that the 
 instrument was much heavier and more formidable in 
 appearance. 
 
 Seating himself on a convenient rock, the chief fell 
 into meditation, and, while forming plans of operation, 
 he chuckled to himself as though the matter in hand 
 afforded him a vast amount of satisfaction. 
 
 "The friend of Herod must be the enemy of the 
 rest of mankind ha ! ha ! ha ! If Joachim escapes, my 
 beautiful head is in danger he'll not, No! No! The 
 order is that he is not to see Jerusalem never again,
 
 30 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 no never." He clinched his huge hands and shrugged 
 his broad shoulders. 
 
 "The belongings in his possession are to be ours, 
 and five hundred shekels of gold as a gift. Ah! the 
 gift shall be mine !" His lip dropped and his face pro- 
 truded forward as a look of fiendish anticipation shot 
 across his diabolical features. 
 
 "Must not molest the Persian wizards. Augh ! As 
 if a life or two could make any manner of difference. 
 Forsooth! They must be allowed a safe conduct. 
 Herod is a great master so let it be!" Arising he 
 shambled over to where the others were engaged. 
 
 One of them was occupied in preparing a meal, while 
 the other two had a skin spread between them and were 
 indulging in the ancient pastime of shaking dice for 
 pieces of silver. 
 
 "Men," said the ruffian, interrupting the game, "we 
 must watch the road until the Persian sheiks return 
 and pass by this way. This way they came and this 
 way they will return. As soon as they are safe on the 
 way we shall overtake the tents of Joachim. See to it, 
 he finds a funeral at Hebron. It is fitting his body be 
 laid in the sepulchre of his fathers. Our dear kinsman 
 is Joachim. He is well stricken in years. The demons 
 are waiting to carry his soul to Abraham's bosom. I 
 have said !" 
 
 "So be it !" responded, in chorus, the three who had 
 listened to this harangue. 
 
 The two gamblers resumed their play as if the tak- 
 ing of life was a small matter quickly disposed of, 
 while their companion resumed the preparation of the 
 meal. 
 
 Melsach kept to himself the knowledge of the dam- 
 sel, who was in the company of the prophets. Although
 
 The Wizard of Jerusalem. 31 
 
 he was interested in the game, still his mind wandered 
 to the beautiful vision he had beheld on that day. To 
 which party she belonged whether the Persian or 
 Hebrew, he had no means of determining. If to the 
 one which might be expected to pass this way, within 
 a day or two, at the farthest, it was a grave question, 
 with even him, as to any interferance with the safe 
 conduct afforded them by the sheik. 
 
 "Thou hast won, son of a dog!" 
 
 "True, thou art fairer than the average, else thou 
 would'st have cheated. I was thinking," answered the 
 absent minded Melsach. 
 
 "Knaves indulge not with profit in such pastime. By 
 the king of the Jews, art thou turned sage ! Hast the 
 smell of the prophets made thee expect the great deliv- 
 erer ! If thou art tired, let us quit, luck is with thee at 
 every turn." 
 
 The meal at this juncture was announced as being in 
 readiness and waiting. The men gathered around the 
 repast of baked, crushed cereals, which was accom- 
 panied with wine from a leather bottle, from which 
 each drank in turn. The repast was dispatched in silence 
 and without comment. 
 
 Whatever designs Melsach had, if any, affecting the 
 damsel called Mary, were covered up and kept within 
 his own breast. 
 
 There was a short consultation among the men. 
 
 Melsach entered into the plans of the sheik with ala- 
 crity. He was the first of the four to take up the duty 
 of sentinel, and, from a commanding position, watched 
 the road leading south from the camp of the prophets 
 toward the wilderness. Here he waited patiently, and 
 carefully noted everything which occurred during the
 
 32 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 day until relieved by one of his companions late in the 
 afternoon. 
 
 However and from wherever these personages had 
 received their information, they were conversant with 
 the fact that these wise men were to meet. Within a 
 day, or at most two days, they would separate, the men 
 from the East returning to their homes in Arabia, Baby- 
 lon or Persia. It mattered little as to their final 
 destination, or the country from whence they came. 
 
 The Partheans and the Medians were the enemies 
 of Rome. To the bandits, all persons from the east 
 were Persians, as all from the west were Romans. 
 From some higher quarter they had evidently been 
 ordered to give these eastern personages a safe conduct 
 toward Arabia, to which order there was a compelling 
 power demanding obedience. 
 
 Melsach, himself, was not quite certain that it would 
 be prudent to interfere with these travelers if the 
 woman should be in their company. But he had deter- 
 mined if possible to assure himself of this fact, hence 
 his willingness to assume and perform the tiresome 
 duty of sentinel. Interest, in this matter, was consum- 
 ing him, nothing must pass without his notice. What 
 he might do should she pass by this way was 
 not defined but, that he would do something which 
 would effect the welfare of Mary, admitted of no man- 
 ner of doubt. 
 
 As the sun was setting behind the hills his compan- 
 ion joined him, the one of the dice game. He imparted 
 the information toMelsach, that, by order of Solan Hai, 
 it would be necessary to take up a station near the pub- 
 lic way, so there could be no possibility of these persons 
 passing through the night without the information 
 reaching the chieftain. The two men walked along
 
 The Wizard of Jerusalem. 33 
 
 in company for a short distance toward the new watch- 
 ing place before Melsach accepted his relief. 
 
 'Thou hast always been my friend," spoke Melsach, 
 abruptly addressing his companion. 
 
 "Speakest thou with doubt, Melsach? Were we not 
 raised by the same Idumean mother?" 
 
 "Truly, but " hesitatingly, "dost thou not fear 
 Solan Hai, who communes with the dead and hath a 
 familiar spirit?" 
 
 The two stopped in their journey, faced each other 
 and, of a verity, a look of consternation and fear over- 
 spread the features of the man addressed by Melsach, 
 as his mind was refreshed as to the supposed attributes 
 and powers of Solan Hai, the wizard. 
 
 "Hist!" whispered the bandit, as he looked around 
 expecting to behold the form of his chieftain, whose 
 dread presence held a spell over the lives of these igno- 
 rant, dark minded men. 
 
 "Hist! The very winds obey him. The prince of 
 the power of the air will carry him our every word !" 
 
 To add solemnity, weird and startling, to this 
 admonition the gentle wind at evening twilight sighed 
 among the rocks, whispering to the superstitious, untu- 
 tored mind a warning of the dire consequences certain 
 to follow the first intimation of disloyalty. 
 
 An awed silence lay for a moment between the two, 
 then Melsach recovered from his momentary dread and 
 returned to the subject uppermost in his thoughts. 
 
 "My brother, if there be a woman with the company 
 as they pass by, withold the information except to the 
 son of thy mother. This is a small favor between us." 
 
 "Ah, my brother, we may not do such a thing. Surely 
 the wizard will divine the whole matter, and know of 
 a certainty as to all the persons."
 
 34 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "Thou fool!" cried Melsach, impatiently. "If so, 
 why should he send us to watch? Could he not do 
 some of his divining without the trouble of watching? 
 Bah!" and he spat out to show his contempt. "Thou 
 must do it, my share of Joachim's belongings shall be 
 thine; they say he carries rich treasure with him 
 always." This appeal overcame the man's superstition, 
 aroused his avaricious cupidity and sealed the arrange- 
 ment. 
 
 "I'll do as thou hast suggested," he said slowly, 
 "but" 
 
 "But, nothing ?' hastily interrupted Melsach. "Con- 
 sequences shall rest on my head, shall be laid at my 
 door, thou shalt be exonerated in all things and 
 rewarded. Lay thy hand on thy brother's thigh and 
 swear thou wilt be true to me, thy friend, in this 
 thing." 
 
 The two men placed their knees together, crossed 
 their arms and placed their hands on each other's 
 thighs. 
 
 "Swear!" exclaimed Melsach. 
 
 "I swear," answered the man compelled by the force 
 of Melsach's energy, "ever to be true to the son of our 
 mother, Eloheim protect and keep me true to this vow." 
 
 "Amen! Eloheim guard thee, my brother," 
 responded Melsach. 
 
 This queer mixture of superstition and unconsum- 
 mated deviltry satisfied Melsach. Leaving his brother 
 he returned with all speed to the camp on the green 
 sward within the hills. 
 
 Solan Hai, the wizard, was still awake when Mel- 
 sach drew near, while the other member of this band 
 lay stretched on the ground, snoring in ignorance and
 
 The Wizard of Jerusalem. 35 
 
 oblivion of every thing that might be occurring about 
 him. 
 
 The pale moonlight only served to deepen the shad- 
 ows that reached their grotesque lengths across the 
 grass. The uncanny appearance of the place caused 
 Melsach to quicken his pace until he came in sight of 
 his sheik, who was walking to and fro before the tent 
 muttering something to himself. The bandit could not 
 resist the temptation to linger in the shadow and listen 
 to the soliloquy of his master. 
 
 "Listen to the sound of the wretch's sleep!" and he 
 paused to gaze on the prostrate slumberer. "Dost thy 
 soul wander midst the shades of hades, or in the realms 
 of the blessed. The wizard knows neither fear nor 
 love. I hate even these slaves, who, dog like, fondle the 
 hand which strikes. Still there is something about this 
 mission, something about this gray bearded Joachim, 
 that makes my knees quake and my heart sick as it 
 presses on my soul." 
 
 "I was in fever. Thirst and the pains of gehenna 
 racked my deformed body. Thy hands, of them all, 
 oh, Joachim, ministered to my comfort. All ! All ! 
 Curse them; laughed, jeered, mocked at my calamity. 
 Thou alone turned in unto me. Thou alone gave me 
 succor and comfort. Herod wills thy death. Irony of 
 fate, the wizard, Solan Hai, must be thy executioner. 
 The one thou nursed back, back from hell ; the reptile 
 thou didst warm into life must bite thee. The snake 
 thou didst take within the warmth of thy breast must 
 fasten its fangs into thy vitals. Bah! It is but its 
 nature! The sum and substance of all villany is to 
 betrav and strike a benefactor."
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 A PERFECT MAN. 
 
 "Thou here, Melsach, thou dog's son?" exclaimed 
 the wizard fiercely. 
 
 "Thy servant, oh sheik!" answered Melsach, as he 
 prostrated himself before the brute rendered insane by 
 anger, because of having been discovered in a moment 
 of weakness. "Be not angry with thy friend. He who 
 hath always been ready to serve and obey thee," pleaded 
 the cringing wretch, as he ventured to look up into the 
 face of the furious chief frowning over him. 
 
 "Arise," commanded the wizard. Grasping Melsach 
 by the wrist he fairly whirled him to his feet, swinging 
 him around so that the moonbeams shone directly on 
 the pallid features of the thoroughly terrified eavesdrop- 
 per who had brought on his own head the wrath of 
 offended dignity. 
 
 Solan Hai knew that his minion had been listening, 
 true to his nature, playing the spy. The wizard could 
 not be deceived. This show of fierceness was by no 
 means assumed, it was real. He gazed into the face 
 of Melsach, with a murderous glitter in his eyes, as if 
 he would penetrate the very soul of the man. 
 
 "Tell me, Melsach," he demanded with terrible ear- 
 nestness, "the secrets of thy soul. Keep not back one 
 jot nor tittle." 
 
 Poor Melsach was fully persuaded that the wizard 
 knew all, everything, of his plans pertaining to the 
 
 36
 
 A Perfect Man. 37 
 
 damsel ; and in his abject fear, was about to blurt out 
 the whole matter, as to his discovery at the camp of the 
 prophets. Before he had recovered enough to do this, 
 however, the wizard continued : 
 
 "Tell me, thou didst hear me speak of Joachim?" 
 
 "'Tis true. I could not forebear without wads to 
 stop my ears," Melsach answered with a return of his 
 reckless indifference. 
 
 "Hark thee, Melsach, friend of Solan Hai." A 
 marked change came over the demeanor of the superior 
 with an unwonted kindliness in the tone of voice 
 strange to the ears of the slave. "Hitherto, thou hast 
 been my companion. Henceforth, thou shalt be my 
 friend. Solan Hai hath never prayed for favors from 
 any living man. Dost thou understand, Melsach?" and 
 the grasp in which the chief had held his confederate 
 was loosened, though he still continued to gaze into 
 the face of the man. 
 
 "Thy servant would be thy servant only," promptly 
 answered the man, pleased with the turn things had 
 taken. 
 
 "Thou wilt then grant my request more readily. The 
 wishes and commands of Herod must be obeyed. 
 Joachim must die. Thou wast a bandit condemned to 
 the cross. The night before the time set for thy exe- 
 cution, liberty was bestowed upon thee. A slave, whose 
 only fault lay in his resemblance to thee, was hung 
 between earth and heaven in thy stead. Thou hast not 
 forgotten?" 
 
 "Could I ever forget, Oh, my master !" and Melsach 
 shivered even in the balmy air of the mild night. 
 
 "This is the first time, for fifteen years, and more, that 
 ever the matter hath been referred to by thy chieftain." 
 
 "True, my benefactor."
 
 38 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "Thou would'st cancel the obligation?" 
 
 "If thy slave could be so fortunate." 
 
 "Harken, son of my choice! Thou must act in my 
 stead, in my place. Art thou listening?" 
 
 Melsach bowed low to conceal the satisfaction that 
 might be betrayed, should Solan Hai see his face. 
 
 "Each particular word is treasured in my soul," he 
 said suavely. "To do thy worst bidding shall be thy 
 servant's greatest pleasure." 
 
 Solan Hai turned abruptly away. With quick strides 
 he measured the distance to the outskirts of the little 
 camp. Returning, he paused before Melsach and began 
 speaking, half to the waiting man and half to his own 
 perturbed self. 
 
 "I cannot, no ! no ! I cannot face that mighty man. 
 Oh ! Joachim, son of the morning to my soul, thy fin- 
 gers were so cool ; thy presence so kindly and compas- 
 sionate; thy face the only thing on earth that ever spoke 
 peace to my soul, no! no! no!" And he placed his 
 hands before his face as if he would shut from his 
 vision some horrid scene. 
 
 "Melsach! Thou shalt represent me. I cannot, 
 I cannot, I will not do this thing." 
 
 It began to dawn upon the mind of Melsach that he 
 was being suddenly advanced into the favor and good 
 graces of Solan Hai. His natural discretion was 
 brought into requisition and he coolly waited for the 
 further development of the matter which so strangely 
 agitated this remarkable person. 
 
 After standing for a short time with bowed head 
 Solan looked up and, turning again to Melsach, hastily 
 made known his wishes. 
 
 "Thou wilt take charge of this mission. When the 
 Magi have passed, take thy brother and this sluggard,"
 
 A Perfect Man. 39 
 
 pointing to the prostrate man, "and attack Joachim's 
 camp. There are two servants beside the priest. Thou 
 wilt have but little trouble in securing the plunder, 
 enough to satisfy thy companions. Thy friend shall 
 reward thee with his own hand. When thou comest 
 into the tent of the patriarch, or if thou mayst fall upon 
 him by the way, then shalt thou seek cause against his 
 life and smite him unto death." 
 
 "The plunder secured, why not let him escape ?" ques- 
 tioned Melsach, grown bold as he listened to the unfold- 
 ing of Solan's plans. 
 
 "Herod wills it otherwise," was the moody reply. 
 "He is already dead." 
 
 "His fault, Oh, Sheik?" 
 
 "He is of the house and lineage of David, who was 
 the son of Abraham, who was the friend of God. He 
 is the owner of large warehouses at Jerusalem, Jerico 
 and Damascus filled with the richest merchandise of 
 the east. This graybeard hath been a thrifty trader. 
 Herod cannot live and brook such a combination." The 
 scorn in the speaker's eyes blended well with the sarcas- 
 tic tone of his voice as he enumerated the reasons for 
 which Herod deemed it meet that Joachim should die. 
 
 "If he be so rich and the Jews learn of his death, 
 will they not set up a clamor that will bring down 
 inquiries and vengeance from Ceasar and the Roman 
 Senate?" objected Melsach. 
 
 "We must care for that. Confiscation must follow 
 death. Thou, and thy companions, shall witness to his 
 sedition and rebellion, in the matter of this Deliverer, 
 who is to be king instead of Herod ; that he conferred 
 and consorted with the enemies of Rome, the Parthians 
 and others; that he used his vast possessions for such 
 purposes, all of which acts and doings are well known,
 
 4O Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 so that Jerusalem shall cry out with acquisition against 
 his name until it shall be a by-word and a hissing. Fail 
 not thou in thy part. The rest leave to the wizard. Go, 
 seek repose. Thou canst not tell what a day may bring 
 forth." 
 
 Solan Hai had regained his composure and he evid- 
 ently had said all that he cared to say for the present. 
 
 After a glance, into the unfathomable features of the 
 sheik, Melsach again bo\ved himself to the ground and 
 turned away. He could scarcely help disclosing to 
 his chief the satisfaction afforded him by this arrange- 
 ment. He chuckled to himself, in a very delirium of 
 delight, as he grasped the good fortune which was 
 working toward placing within his power the beautiful 
 maiden, the memory of whom filled his mind with 
 unholy passion and desire. 
 
 To have accomplished this, he would have plunged 
 his poinard into the breast of the wizard with as little 
 hesitancy as it might require to strike down an innocent 
 and defenseless father, and rob him of the most precious 
 jewel of all his vast possessions. 
 
 Pulling a skin from out the tent and rolling it into 
 a pillow he was soon wrapped in uneasy slumber, while 
 Solan Hai continued to walk and muse in the pale 
 moonlight watches of the night. At last he too, fairly 
 exhausted by the raging conflict troubling his soul, 
 sought repose within the tent. 
 
 Long before the dawn Melsach had joined his 
 brother, who had watched faithfully through the night. 
 As yet the travelers had not passed on their return 
 journey. An interval was improved, by Melsach, in 
 skillfully arousing the energy and cupidity of his 
 brother, but not a word was said as to the conference 
 with the wizard the night before.
 
 A Perfect Man. 41 
 
 When Solan Hai awoke, in the morning, he made 
 inquiries as to the whereabouts of his lieutenant. When 
 he learned that Melsach had joined his brother in the 
 watches, of the morning, he rubbed his hands with glee. 
 
 \Yith the assistance of the remaining man, three of 
 the horses were made ready for a journey. When this 
 was finished Solan took two of the animals, and order- 
 ing his companion to bring the other, set out toward 
 the highway. They moved slowly and with caution, 
 the first glimmering of the new day was barely visible 
 as they started on the journey. The chieftain was act- 
 ing to lose the least time. To have the animals conven- 
 ient would serve this purpose. As they approached the 
 highway, one of the watchers was observed hastening 
 toward them. It proved to be Melsach, who on seeing 
 the horses, quickened his pace. Coming to a place where 
 the more even pathway would permit him to mount 
 safely he awaited his master.' 
 
 "The sheiks have passed. They are now well out of 
 sight," was his greeting as the two men came up to 
 him. 
 
 "'Tis well, my son, mount at once." 
 
 Melsach did so and secured the lead line of the other 
 horse. The other man hesitated as he saw this move- 
 ment of his companion. 
 
 "Mount and follow Melsach," ordered the leader 
 briefly. The reason of, or for, the conduct of the wizard, 
 in thus remaining behind was, of course, a mystery to 
 the bandit. Yet, he obeyed the command forthwith, 
 and asked no questions, made no complaints, nor did he 
 presume to offer any suggestions, it was sufficient for 
 him to know that before him lay the path which led to 
 plunder and booty. 
 
 Solan Hai stood and gazed after the men as they
 
 42 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 passed quickly out of sight. Muttering something to 
 himself he turned back toward the place he had recently 
 left, to wait the return of these heartless robbers bent 
 on their murderous undertaking. 
 
 Reaching the place where his brother was waiting 
 Melsach paused for a moment until the former was in 
 the saddle, then he started, leading for the place he had 
 visited on the day previous. Melsach had been careful 
 to note with his own eyes the number of people in the 
 company of those from the east. The maid was not 
 among them. He concluded that she must be in some 
 way related to Joachim. He remembered the locality 
 where the tent was situated and his mind dwelt on the 
 spot as though it held a magnetic charm. 
 
 There was no conversation among the men. Mel- 
 sach was occupied with his own plans. He would seize 
 the damsel, and fly with her to the mountains. Solan 
 Hai would be satisfied, no doubt, if the prophet were 
 dispatched. As soon as his prize was safely secured 
 be did not anticipated any danger in returning to the 
 service of Solan Hai. 
 
 The other two were silently wheting their avarice on 
 the hope of much booty, Joachim was reputed to be a 
 very rich person, and they had heard, that he always 
 carried much wealth about with him. 
 
 Before he dawn Joachim's eastern visitors had 
 struck their tents and departed as quietly as they had 
 come. The two servants who cared for the belongings 
 of the patriarch were also alert and busy with the pre- 
 parations for their own return journey toward Jerusa- 
 lem.
 
 A Perfect Man. 43 
 
 The camp of the Magi, made sacred and endeared to 
 these men by association and brotherly communion, was 
 a thing of the past. Joachim and the lovely Mary were. 
 seated in the only tent standing, prepared to undertake 
 the journey that was before them. The two servants 
 directed and assisted by Joseph were moving about 
 packing the faithful camel and strapping the outfit 
 together. 
 
 The gray of the dawn was slowly merging into day. 
 A horseman approached Joseph, a splendid specimen 
 of matured manhood. There was not the slightest trace 
 of the Jew about him, either in figure, form, feature or 
 movement. That he was not a native of Judea, or, in 
 fact, any of the Jewish provinces was apparent. 
 Although a man young in years there was a bearing 
 about him which bespoke experience and confidence, a 
 firmness in his every movement and gesture, that 
 marked the traveler accustomed to the company and 
 association of refined people. An open frankness beamed 
 from his countenance which would have accorded him 
 favor at once, and which went far to introduce him to 
 the good opinion and graces of all with whom he came 
 in contact. 
 
 About his carriage was the erectness which can be 
 attained only through military training. The self-con- 
 sciousness of true manhood was his, as well as, the bub- 
 bling buoyancy of youthful hope and aspiration ; justi- 
 fiable pride in good breeding and correct manners ; pro- 
 found respect for things esteemed sacred ; patient appre- 
 ciation of the rights of others, which always prints its 
 seal on the truly noble man ; consideration for the help- 
 less and weak, with whom the checkered woof of life 
 might bring him in contact ; all these elements of force- 
 ful character were exemplified in an acquaintance with.
 
 44 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 this handsome being, who now appeared before Joseph, 
 who could not resist the temptation to gaze earnestly at 
 the new-comer. 
 
 The Jew knew him to be a stranger and an alien to 
 the commonwealth of Israel, but could not help being 
 impressed with the clear cut face ; the broad, high fore- 
 head, above sparkling eyes of liquid blue; the nose, 
 slightly of Roman shape, and lips, of form, that 
 mothers love to taste in fond caress, and women hang 
 upon as nectar from the gods. The hair, a glossy amber, 
 fell in waves from his head, which was protected by a 
 light helmet, such as those worn by the Roman cavalry. 
 He looked like those whom Joseph had heard of, as 
 inhabitants of the distant isles of the sea. 
 
 The face, clean shaven, showed the chin and jaws 
 firm set as those of one who, gentle as the summer wind, 
 yet knew his rights and, knowing, dared maintain them. 
 A toga of the Roman fashion fell in graceful folds from 
 his left shoulder leaving the sword arm bare. Beneath 
 the toga a silk and gold embroidered tunic covered his 
 body. Heavy gold bracelets encircled his wrists and on 
 the left arm was held a brightly burnished shield, while 
 from a metal belt hung the Roman short sword. In 
 color the toga was royal purple bound in gleaming 
 white; the hose were bright yellow, with sandals, of 
 most exquisite workmanship, laced above the ankles. 
 The broad shoulders, muscular arms and firm limbs 
 gave to Joseph the impression of the most perfect man 
 he had ever beheld.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE ABDUCTION. 
 
 "A soldier of the Roman legion, thy friend greeteth 
 thee," and the new arrival bowed respectfully before 
 Joseph. 
 
 "Thou art welcome. Whatsoever thy servant can 
 command is at thy bidding. Our camp is broken. I 
 fear thou wilt find but scant entertainment." 
 
 "I refreshed myself as we traveled. It was a hard 
 journey from Jerusalem to this place and it was accom- 
 plished in a brief time. A little provender, good sir, 
 for my horse would be acceptable." With this request 
 the stranger placed his hand, in an affectionate caress, 
 on the neck of his noble animal. 
 
 Joseph at once turned to the attendants and directed 
 one of them as to the care of the beast. This kindly 
 office performed his attention was once more given to 
 the guest. 
 
 "Thou wilt partake of some food, I pray thee." 
 
 "Tell me first, am I speaking to Joachim, of Jerusa- 
 lem, or canst thou tell me where he may be found?" 
 
 "Joachim, blessed of God, and friend of his race,"' 
 said Joseph devoutly, "is well stricken in years. With 
 his daughter he rests in yonder tent," pointing toward 
 the place. 
 
 "I am intrusted with an important message to be 
 delivered to his own hand," the stranger said. "It 
 
 45
 
 46 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 concerns his personal safety; admits of no delay; and, 
 requires his immediate attention." 
 
 There was something about the last remark that con- 
 veyed a command to Joseph; and which impelled him 
 to repare at once to the tent, followed by the message 
 bearer. Indicating that he would inform Joachim, 
 Joseph left the man standing without, while he entered. 
 
 Shortly the tent door was drawn aside and the 
 stranger bidden to enter. Obeying promptly, he stepped 
 within, his feet sinking into the velvet of the costly 
 rug placed before Joachim, who was seated immedi- 
 ately in front of the entrance. Mary remained near 
 her father. 
 
 The new-comer removed his helmet and stood uncov- 
 ered before the Jewish patriarch, whom he saluted with 
 courtly grace and demeanor, giving a charm to the 
 meeting that did not pass unnoticed by Joseph, who 
 stood in such a position as to observe everything occur- 
 ring during the interview. 
 
 The eyes of the visitor wandered from 
 the face of the aged man before him, to the revelation 
 of loveliness he beheld in the daughter. An expression 
 of surprise and pleasure suffused the face of Joachim's 
 guest. At the same time, the dark fringed eyelids of 
 the maiden drooped in sudden, unexplainable confu- 
 sion, and swiftly the rich blood mantled her cheek. For 
 some reason, equally perplexing and obscure, Joseph 
 could not restrain a sigh, as he was irresi stably com- 
 pelled to mentally note these uninterpreted manifesta- 
 tions on the part of these two young persons, who now 
 saw each other for the first time. 
 
 "My son," were the first words that greeted the 
 ears of the soldier as he returned his gaze to Joachim,
 
 The Abduction. 47 
 
 "thou art welcome. Joseph tells me thou hast a mes- 
 sage for thy servant, Joachim." 
 
 "Father, venerable sir, I have been charged with this 
 message, with instructions to deliver it to thee in 
 person." 
 
 Placing his hand in his girdle he drew forth a papy- 
 rus, folded and scented, which he handed to Joachim. 
 
 To Mary the tones of this man's speech held a 
 dreamy harmony, the like of which she had not heard 
 before. She had not ventured to look again into the 
 soldier's face, but with bowed head caught herself list- 
 ening, intensely interested, to the melodious vibration 
 of his musical utterance. 
 
 The patriarch received the epistle, opened it, 
 and scrutinized its contents, then again looked 
 up at the bearer, closely studying the face of his 
 guest. 
 
 "Caius Panthera, was it also the name of thy 
 father?" asked Joachim. 
 
 Again the clear voice broke the stillness of the beau- 
 tiful morning. 
 
 "It gives me pleasure to say, I bear my father's 
 name," said the young man, warmly. 
 
 "He fell at Actium?" 
 
 "Alas, yes," said Panthera, sadly, 'and the East lost 
 its dream of empire." 
 
 "I was younger then," replied Joachim. "I knew thy 
 father well. A brave, true man he was. Thou art the 
 very image of his person." 
 
 "So my mother bears witness," and Panthera again 
 bent his courtly head. 
 
 "Knowest thou the contents of this letter?" Joachim 
 asked.
 
 48 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "Only as to its urgency, and that it was to be placed 
 in thy hands with all dispatch." 
 
 "How long since thou left Jerusalem?" 
 
 "Half the night watches were past before thy ser- 
 vant started upon the journey." 
 
 "Thou hast made most excellent time. Joseph, let 
 thine ear hearken to the message of our friend and 
 handmaiden." Joseph started, as if from a dream. He, 
 too, had been an attentive listener to the answers of the 
 cultured and kindly mannered messenger, who now 
 stepped aside as if to leave the tent. 
 
 "Hold, my son!" exclaimed Joachim, "it is meet 
 thou shouldst know what spurred thee on thy journey." 
 
 "To serve the one, whose message I bore, was suffi- 
 cient," said Panthera, proudly. 
 
 "Listen ! Thou shalt be the judge." Thus importuned 
 the messenger lingered within the tent. Joachim read : 
 
 "In the night, at Jerusalem : 
 
 " 'Joachim, well beloved. Peace be unto thee : By 
 the hand of Caius Panthera, a trusted friend, I send 
 this warning. 
 
 " 'Thou hast been accused before my brother who 
 seeks thy life. Jerusalem is stirred, through the baser 
 sort, and by some mysterious influence a potent spell 
 hath turned men's minds against thee. This, I am 
 afraid, will work thee ill and end in death. Fly ! There 
 is safety for thee only in Rome and by the grace of the 
 ruler, Augustus. 
 
 " Tare thee well. Thine in bonds, 
 
 SALOME/ ' 
 
 "What sayest thou, Panthera? Peradventure thou
 
 The Abduction. 49 
 
 art the friend of Herod?" said Joachim, in a bewildered 
 tone. 
 
 A resentful flush dyed the cheek of the 
 soldier, but he answered with gentle dignity. 
 
 "I, I am the friend of those who deal justly, love 
 mercy, and honor the rights of men." 
 
 "A strange sentiment coming from a soldier of 
 Rome. Yet, one worthy of thy sire. Child !" turning 
 suddenly with a look of concern, as he thought of 
 Mary, "Dost thou fear the Lord hath forsaken thy 
 father?" 
 
 Mary was gazing at him with every evidence of fear 
 in her blanched face. Joachim held out his arms and 
 she fairly ran to his embrace. 
 
 "Child of my soul !" and he folded her close to his 
 heart. 
 
 "If He be for us, who may be against us? Trust 
 him, his arm is not shortened, that he cannot save. His 
 ear is not closed, that he heareth not the cry of his 
 people. Hitherto, hath he been with his servant, thy 
 father, all the days of his life, nor will he forsake him 
 in the hour of death. I will arise and go to Jerusalem. 
 The Lord will raise up friends in my hour of need." 
 
 "Amen ! The mercy of the Lord sustain thee and 
 thine," fervently ejaculated Joseph, who comprehended 
 the danger threatening his beloved friend and kinsman. 
 
 Panthera. the soldier, through a strange premonition 
 of impending danger, threatening his new found 
 'acquaintances, instinctively felt the security of his 
 shield, and placed his hand on the hilt of his good two- 
 edged Damascus blade. 
 
 Silence fell upon the group. This lasted for only a 
 moment, but during that time Panthera did not resist 
 the privilege of watching the beautiful maid, pillowed
 
 50 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 on the breast of her father. Her shapely arms were 
 thrown fondly about his neck, as she was comforted by 
 his whispered consolation of faith. 
 
 The stillness was broken by the cry of a wounded 
 animal ; a dispairing wail ending in a moan of extreme, 
 agonized suffering. It was the cry of the camel, which, 
 if ever heard, can never be forgotten. Every person in 
 the tent was electrified and amazed by the dire and mel- 
 ancholy sound, and all simultaneously made for the 
 outer air. Joseph was the first to pass out, followed 
 immediately by the soldier. 
 
 A most astonishing scene met their horrified eyes. 
 Three strange men were in charge of the baggage. The 
 servants were making some show of resistance, but in 
 a feeble way. The burdened camel had been ham- 
 strung with one of the cleaver like weapons in the 
 hands of the intruders. 
 
 As Joseph and Panthera came upon the 
 scene one of the servants was prostrated with a blow 
 on the head ; the other was dodging those aimed at him, 
 with the agility of a monkey, and, at the same time, 
 calling for help at the top of his nasal voice. 
 
 The Roman comprehended the situation instantly. 
 There was no doubt, in his mind, as to the mission of 
 these men. Banditti, bent on plunder, with little or no 
 compunction as to adding murder should it become 
 expedient or necessary. Springing past Joseph, he drew 
 his sword and bounded toward the scene of strife. 
 
 "Hold!" he commanded, as soon as near enough to 
 be heard. This surprised the men, who were following 
 the servant, and, before their astonishment subsided, the 
 sword point of Panthera had pierced the neck of one of 
 the marauders. The man fell to the ground with a 
 groan, but his companion, quickly recovering himself,
 
 The Abduction. 51 
 
 * 
 
 made a wicked lunge at the head of the soldier, which 
 was skillfully warded away with the trusty shield. 
 
 The combatants faced each other for a moment, then 
 the assailant rushed madly at the intrepid young man 
 before him, as though to bear him to the earth by the 
 very impetuosity of the attack. The soldier was a 
 master in defense and, although his opponent was a 
 much more powerful man, it was evident, from the 
 commencement, that the skill of the former would more 
 than equal the brute force of the latter. Yet, it was 
 a dangerous equality, blow succeeded blow, thrust and 
 cut followed each other in rapid succession. 
 
 The bewildered servant looked on in amazement, as 
 did Joseph, except that the latter neared the scene 
 of the fight, and, as he did so, the intention came to his 
 mind of assisting, if possible, the generous stranger 
 who was thus placing his life in peril. 
 
 It dawned upon the bandit, at last, that there was no 
 certainty of his succeeding with pushing the battle. 
 He changed his tactics to cautious maneuvers and, in 
 this manner, became a more dangerous foe. He was 
 twice wounded and suffering 1 from loss of 
 blood. This goaded him to renewed vigilence and care. 
 Realizing the danger of defeat, he cried out to his com- 
 panion for assistance. 
 
 The third bandit was no where to be seen, but his 
 struggling companion supposed him to be near at hand, 
 perhaps engaging the attention of the meddlesome ser- 
 vants. The soldier now changed his methods, also, 
 forcing the ruffian to fight, in turn, on the defensive, 
 pressing his adversary back, step by step. At the same 
 time he was pleased to see Joseph coming up behind the 
 robber, armed with a large sized cudgel. Panthera now 
 rushed the ruffian back to still more engage his atten-
 
 52 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 tion, until Joseph might administer a blow that would 
 either disarm, or place him at such a disadvantage as 
 to end the battle. The blow descended, with 
 all the force at Joseph's command, across the 
 calf of the robber's leg, tumbling him in a heap upon 
 the ground. 
 
 Before the soldier could have dispatched the brute at 
 his feet, had he been so minded, the piercing scream of 
 a woman broke upon his hearing. Both he and Joseph 
 started in consternation, scarcely able to tell, from the 
 sound, the direction from whence it came. For an 
 instant they waited motionless. Then the sound of a 
 horse's feet, in a swift gallop, clattering toward the 
 wilderness road was heard. 
 
 "My master's child is stolen!" exclaimed Joseph in 
 a voice of dispair, as he ran toward the tent. 
 
 The bandit lay where he had fallen, too 
 much beaten to offer further menace to the camp. 
 
 "Help me with my horse!" cried Panthera to the 
 servent as, sheathing his sword, he ran toward where 
 the animal was feeding. 
 
 The man had collected his wits by this time and was 
 the willing assistant in the preparation for the chase. 
 
 Disrobing himself of the toga, which he threw to the 
 servant, Caius Panthera adjusted anew the shield and 
 pulled his sword belt a trifle tighter. He mounted, 
 patted the animal quietly on the neck, to quell the 
 excitement incident to the hasty manner in which the 
 high strung, nervous creature had been prepared for 
 the race, and whirled about in the direction of the echo- 
 ing hoofs. 
 
 His erect, secure carriage in the saddle showed him to 
 be no novice in horsemanship, as the splendid beast
 
 The Abduction. 53 
 
 sprang forward. The roadway reached, Panthera saw, 
 considerably in advance, the dust of the fugitive. 
 
 "Steady, Dion, steady, thou hast served thy master 
 well. Fail not now." The horse seemed to understand 
 and answer back the tones of his master's voice. The 
 muscles grew tense ; the veins swelled, till their network 
 stood out over the entire body, as the Arabian bred 
 animal sprang away. 
 
 Looking ahead, Panthera saw the horseman before 
 him with a burden supported on one arm. The soldier 
 had no doubt it was the fainting form of the beautiful 
 Jewish maiden. The dust rolled from between pursuer 
 and pursued; Panthera distinguished the color of the 
 maiden's robe, Joseph had divined the truth. Joachim's 
 daughter had been stolen. She who had filled the mind 
 and charmed the soul of her father's guest, as he beheld 
 her, but a short time before, folded in the arms of the 
 patriarch. 
 
 It was Melsach, the bandit lieutenant of Solan Hai, 
 who had succeeded in obtaining possession of the maid, 
 with half a Jewish mile the start of Panthera, the 
 Roman. 
 
 Dion shook his magnificent head impatiently and 
 chafed the bit. Panthera bent over, seeing a twisted 
 strap about the bridle, he slipped a buckle into place, 
 for a second losing sight of the object of his chase, 
 when he looked up both horse and riders had disap- 
 peared.
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 A RACE FOR LIFE. 
 
 The Roman bent over his horse's neck and urged the 
 faithful animal to its utmost speed, in morti- 
 fication and chagrin at having allowed himself, 
 to lose sight of the ones he was pursuing. 
 It occurred to him, however, that, in all probability, 
 the bandit had turned into one of the frequent cross 
 ways, the chances were in favor of the direction toward 
 the mountains. His surmise proved to be correct, as, 
 on arriving at where a narrow crossroad intersected the 
 main thoroughfare, Panthera saw, at a much less dis- 
 tance than he had expected, the daring horseman with 
 his precious burden. 
 
 Melsach was riding at a moderate pace and had, in 
 some way, succeeded in shifting Mary to the back of 
 the saddle. She appeared to be strapped to 
 the conscienceless scoundrel and could have seen the 
 soldier following, had it not been for a shawl thrown 
 over her head. 
 
 Panthera was near enough to observe these details 
 with distinctness. He judged that the hands of the 
 maid were secured and her outcries prevented by some 
 means. That the miscreant had premeditatedly pre- 
 pared himself, for the expedition, seemed certain from 
 the ease with which he had managed the flight. The 
 horse he bestrode was cf the ancient, noble Arabian 
 
 54
 
 A Race for Life. 55 
 
 race, exceedingly well developed, fine limbs; bony and 
 far apart, beautiful head, with small, pointed ears, the 
 slick, clean body a mass of well groomed muscular 
 fibre; which gave the animal the strength, endur- 
 ance and fleetness of his time honored progenitors. An 
 animal very similar to the one on which was mounted 
 the Roman soldier, so that the race, for the life and 
 safety of the maiden, bade fair to be a test of endurance 
 between the magnificent brutes. 
 
 The new adjustment of his burden gave the fleeing 
 wretch free use of his arms and much better use of his 
 body and limbs. He was an excellent horseman, and 
 rode as though he had been born in the saddle. He 
 had slackened his headlong pace and was riding at an 
 easy canter, apparently, endeavoring to rest and give 
 his horse the breathing spell necessary under the double 
 load. 
 
 Panthera took advantage of this and gained rapidly. 
 He was unobserved until the sound of Dion's hoofs 
 roused Melsach from his fancied security. He turned 
 sharply and beheld the bright uniform of the Roman 
 legionary and the glitter of the shield held at his side. 
 Surprise at the near proximity of the apparition made 
 the bandit lose his self possession and he 
 drove his spiked heels into the flank of the horse. The 
 poor creature, unused to such treatment, reared and 
 then stumbled, giving Melsach a trial of all his skill in 
 bringing the animal under control. The soldier never 
 wavered, but momentarily gained on the bandit. 
 
 "Dion, thott art swift, swift as the wind !" he cried. 
 "Spare not thy limbs, my good Dion!" and he patted 
 the arched neck with caressing hand. 
 
 Again Melsach turned in the saddle to look and 
 beheld the determination in the face of his foe.
 
 56 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 Panthera snatched his sword from its scabbard, and 
 the bright weapon scinctillated in the rays of the sun. 
 This movement was promptly and defiantly answered 
 by Melsach, who drew the Arabian shaped scimiter and, 
 as he still pushed forward, flourished it over his head in 
 true eastern bravado. 
 
 Neither again sheathed their weapons, but held them 
 ready for use. 
 
 The way was gradually becoming more of an 
 incline, and the horse in advance gave signs of tiring 
 under the strain of carrying double. He was dripping 
 with moisture and the foam flecked sides throbbed with 
 labored breathing, but the faithful creature still bent 
 willingly to the task and needed no urging from his 
 master. 
 
 A crisis must shortly ensue, the horses were only a 
 few lengths apart, each galloping madly up the steep 
 highway. 
 
 Dropping the lines upon the neck of his sure footed 
 animal, Melsach quickly unloosened the contrivance 
 holding the maid and swung her lightly over his arm. 
 The movement turned her face toward the soldier and 
 her abundant hair, imconfined, swept downward, reach- 
 ing nearly to the ground. The shawl had become disen- 
 gaged in the performance of this feat and, placing his 
 scimiter between his teeth, Melsach skillfully gathered 
 the fluttering folds together and, with a dexterous 
 whirl, sent the garment over his head, so that it fell 
 almost at the feet of the oncoming horse. Panthera, 
 on the alert, anticipated this ruse and held a steady rein 
 on Dion, who passed the bright object without fear or 
 notice. 
 
 The soldier was now within speaking distance. 
 
 "Hold!" he thundered. "Hold! I say."
 
 A Race for Life. 57 
 
 Mary lay across the pommel of the saddle, helpless, 
 and, as far as Panthera could judge, unconscious; the 
 fair, round neck uncovered, resting on the arm of Mel- 
 sach. He drew rein as this peremptory command 
 reached him. 
 
 "Dost thou want her beautiful head to fall?" he 
 answered, at the same time drawing his murderous 
 scimiter frightfully near the throat of his motionless 
 victim. A gag had been cruellv forced into her mouth ; 
 
 o o J 
 
 this farther evidence of Melsach's forethought becoming 
 evident as the ruffian turned to speak. 
 
 The soldier shuddered as he realized the dastardly 
 cowardice of the diabolical threat. Instinctively he 
 pulled his rein, fearing the wretch might let the knife 
 drop on the delicate flesh. Speechless horror seized 
 him as he comprehended the dreadful alternative 
 offered. Still he dared not hesitate. Forward he must 
 go. Melsach'had placed a few paces between them, 
 while Panthera hesitated. 
 
 Pressing his knees into the steaming sides of his 
 
 horse. Dion's master once more leaned forward. He, 
 
 dropped the rein upon the horse's neck. With a 
 
 short, sharp dash the intervening space was covered. 
 
 Panthera had resolved to throw himself between the 
 
 and the knife, rather than let her feel its cruel 
 
 "Hold thy hand!" he shouted. "Let the fight be 
 between thee and me. .Spare her! Let it be my life 
 
 'line. Let us finish it like men." 
 The horses were walking now, side by side, while 
 Panthera boldly glared into the maddened face of his 
 onist. who, thus appealed to, flourished his wea- 
 pon in a wild, devilish manner, gloating over his advan- 
 tage.
 
 58 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!" A snarling, guttural laugh 
 was his only reply. 
 
 "Surely thou wouldst not stain thy soul with her 
 innocent blood !" he exclaimed, desperately, interposing 
 his shield so as to protect the threatened neck. 
 
 "No! Ten thousand times no!" shouted the bandit. 
 
 He drew his horse suddenly to one side, compelling 
 Panthera to draw back, and the two men were facing 
 each other. 
 
 "I possess her by right ! Will establish it by might !" 
 yelled Melsach, livid from rage. "I love her. She 
 shall know and worship me, she shall witness the 
 power of my arm ; she shall be mine ! mine ! only mine ! 
 Thou white livered dog, shalt thou do battle for thy 
 life? Thou mayest swear by the mother who gave 
 thee birth ! Thou wilt never pass this way again 
 Awake! light of mine eyes, messenger of my soul. 
 Look at thy lover, who dares the world for thee !" 
 
 Loosening the gag he flung it in the face of Pan- 
 thera, who had listened in horrified silence to this 
 unholy outburst of inordinate passion. Seeing the 
 spellbound attitude of the soldier, Melsach again began 
 speaking. 
 
 "My love shall behold the battle !" he cried, violently. 
 "She shall be the wager. She shall know that all who 
 come between us shall make their bed in dust ; shall sink 
 to the lowest hell. Thou mayest pass whence thou 
 came, but if thou follow me farther, by thine own gods, 
 thou hast not another hour to live. The die is cast. 
 Thou mayest fly or fight." 
 
 Panthera lifted his head in scornful disdain at the 
 alternative offered him. 
 
 "I will fight." He said, unspeakable contempt filling 
 his eyes as he gazed at the passion swayed ruffian.
 
 A Race for Life. 59 
 
 "Then say thy prayers and follow me." 
 
 Without more ado Melsach turned off the road and 
 cantered along a by-path. Panthera followed promptly. 
 A short distance was traversed and the horsemen came 
 into a level amphitheater, admirably adapted for a 
 duel. 
 
 Melsach untied the hands of Mary, she was free, 
 except from the bonds of fear. As the bands slipped 
 from her wrists, consciousness slowly returned. She 
 looked around on the desolate rocky place, in a weary 
 dazed sort of way, until her eyes took in the form of 
 the soldier, who was restraining his horse, as the 
 animal impatiently pawed the ground. 
 
 "Where am I?" Mary questioned, placing her hand 
 to her head in a distracted way. 
 
 "With thy lord/' answered the ruffian as he lifted 
 her from the saddle, and proceeded to carry her to 
 where a pile of stone and rocks offered a partial shelter 
 from the sun. 
 
 She sank weakly to the hard seat and her eyes 
 wandered in search of the form that, a moment ago, had 
 met her vision. Gradually memory asserted its sway, 
 and the distressed daughter of Joachim remembered 
 every detail at the scene of the abduction. She called 
 to mind, clearly and vividly, the scimiter as, with one 
 stroke, it cleaved the back of the tent from top to 
 bottom. The next instant a stranger had entered and, 
 without waiting, grasped her in his arms. Throwing 
 a shawl over her head he had half dragged, 
 half carried her out of the tent, notwithstanding her 
 outcries and struggles. 
 
 The last thing she had seen, as the shawl 
 was thrown over her head, was the horror stricken 
 countenance of her aged parent as he attempted to
 
 60 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 interfere in her behalf. She shut her eyes and moaned 
 in dispair as these consecutive thoughts flashed through 
 her mind with bewildering rapidity and impressive 
 force. 
 
 "Where am I?" she again muttered to herself as one 
 recovering from a hideous nightmare. She raised her 
 head, throbbing with pain, and looked up, only to have 
 a horror of darkness, green and black, float before her 
 obscured vision. Still she did not wholly lose her 
 senses. Pressing her head against the cool rock, she 
 prayed the God of her father to sustain her. Then a 
 bright light seemed to blaze up before her. Panthera, 
 the soldier, was speaking. It was his voice, she could 
 not be mistaken, those clear, cool tones she would never 
 forget. 
 
 "Melsach, it is my life, or thine. I accept the terms. 
 Her God and my God assist me!" . 
 
 "Amen !" involuntarily the maid responded to the 
 invocation. 
 
 Slowly the frightened eyes of Mary centered on the 
 two men who were now before her, stationed a short 
 distance apart on the level green. Everywhere about 
 were the cold gray rocks; above, only the blue sky, 
 like a great vault, enclosing this scene of impending 
 conflict, and shutting her in with a nameless terror and 
 hopeless dread of coming disaster, perhaps death, to 
 Panthera, who now was willing to risk, perchance sur- 
 render, his life in her behalf. Her vision cleared and 
 her mind became concentrated on the opponents. Like 
 the charmed bird, she was fascinated, chained to the 
 spot, unable to move had she so desided. 
 
 She contemplated the form and bearing of her self- 
 appointed defender. 
 
 The soldier was clad in the close fitting Roman tunic
 
 A Race for Life. 61 
 
 which displayed, his well made, muscular body, and the 
 length and symmetry of his limbs and arms, the latter 
 bare and only concealed by the shield. 
 
 Across the breast was a curiously interwoven net- 
 work of silver chains, burnished to a marvel of bright- 
 ness, that glittered at every movement of the graceful 
 body. The tunic was otherwise trimmed with fine gold 
 lace in circular design a costly apparel in the most 
 elegant and perfect taste. 
 
 A shout, from the bandit, broke discordantly upon 
 this momentary pause. He rode to the far side of the 
 arena and turning sharply, faced his adversary. The 
 next instant the two horses were approaching each other 
 at a mad gallop. Two men, with set features and drawn 
 weapons, were bending over their horses' necks as if to 
 precipitate the dread encounter, impatient, apparently, 
 of even the unusual velocity of their animals. 
 
 Melsach had divested himself of every vestage of 
 .clothing that could have impeded, or hindered, the free 
 use of his scimiter, which he whirled over his head. 
 His dark features and flashing eyes were alive with the 
 maddened passion seething within his pitiless breast. 
 With a torrent of eastern invectives, launched at his 
 antagonist, he goaded his willing animal to the fray. 
 His massive form was convulsed with energy and des- 
 peration, the great veins swollen in his neck, and the 
 cords of his body, limbs and arms at the utmost tension 
 of excitement. 
 
 On! On! they rushed. To Mary it seemed that no 
 power on earth could stay the terrible onslaught. 
 
 Crash, came the two horses together. Slash, cut, 
 thrust, the ring of steel, and the two men, side by side, 
 their horses flank to flank, fought, pushed, crowded
 
 62 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 and struck until the horses, by their desperate plung- 
 ing, separated the riders, and the combatants once 
 more guided their animals to opposite sides of the 
 natural arena. 
 
 The maiden closed her eyes to the awful sight. The 
 clash of arms and the din of fight rang in her affrighted 
 ears. He must not, shall not fall. In her desperate 
 strait, Mary fell upon her knees and cried out to the 
 God of Israel to stay the hand of Melsach.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE HORSEBACK DUEL. 
 
 The furious bandit became surprisedly aware that 
 he had met his equal in fight and endurance; to vanquish 
 his formidable antagonist would tax his utmost skill 
 and strength. He had felt the power and dexterity of 
 the arm wielding the sword, and he was sensibly 
 admonished of the danger that might ensue from any 
 over confidence, or carelessness, on his part. 
 
 There was no time to waste or wait. Once more the 
 men faced each other. The presence of the silent wit- 
 ness, while not forgotten, was certainly ignored in the 
 attending excitement. 
 
 Again, the combatants advanced, each with more 
 caution, but nevertheless, with the same terrific impe- 
 tuosity. The animals, frenzied by the battle, acted 
 much like human beings in the manner of their fiend- 
 like onslaught. Rearing to an attitude almost erect, 
 they fell upon each other in hostile fury, striking with 
 their sharp hoofs, kicking and biting savagely. 
 
 Again the cut, slash and thrust, of the men, waged 
 deadly conflict ; again the warlike ring of steel against 
 steel ; again they wheeled, crowded, rushed and turned 
 in desperate effort to obtain advantage, or inflict mortal 
 injury. 
 
 Mary, with difficulty, restrained an overwhelming 
 desire, which seized her, to throw herself between the 
 
 63
 
 64 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 plunging horses; to end, at any hazard, the frightful 
 struggle that numbed her young heart and horrified her 
 timid soul. 
 
 This encounter, taking place before the tenderly 
 reared maiden of culture and refinement, whose sensi- 
 bilities were not only shocked, but outraged, as well, 
 must, in the nature of things, have left an indelible 
 impression on her youthful memory. 
 
 She had been seized by a dastardly ruffian, whom she 
 had never looked upon before, snatched from the shel- 
 tering protection of the loving father, who had hitherto 
 been a refuge in every storm, a tower of strength in 
 every difficulty, and placed in this alarming situation, 
 compelled to witness a combat between two men, and 
 that unto the death. 
 
 She had not heard the wild challenge of Melsach ; did 
 not know that the splendid Roman fought to defeat the 
 outrage commenced by Solan Hai's friend, which 
 would end, were the bandit victorious, in infamy and 
 shame worse than death, the extent of which her 
 youth and innocence could scarcely comprehend, yet, a 
 faint realization of the possibility of separation, from 
 home and kindred, stole into her bewildered senses; a 
 dread uf dire calamity, dark as the blackness of night. 
 
 There came over her spirit a longing that rather 
 than submit to be thus lost to her own, she might have 
 granted to her another alternative, and be mercifully 
 permitted even to die and depart to that better life, 
 where experiences, such as this, could not come. 
 
 Mary shivered as if she had stepped on some loath- 
 some reptile ; yet her eyes were burning in their sockets, 
 and her head felt as though it might burst ; the taper- 
 ing fingers were clinched, the nails embedding them- 
 selves in the palms of her hands; she felt the peculiar
 
 The Horseback Duel. 65 
 
 sensation of each particular hair seeming to stand out 
 and apart from every other; her throat was parched 
 and her tongue cleaved to her mouth. She was unable to 
 articulate or cry out. 
 
 "Was there no deliverance? Was there no hand to 
 save?" 
 
 Crash ! A blow descended upon the head of the 
 soldier, his helmet fell, shattered. At the same moment, 
 his sword inflicted an ugly wound upon the body of his 
 opponent, from which the blood flowed, discoloring the 
 whiteness of the animal so valiently assisting in the 
 unholy undertaking. 
 
 The excited horses rushed madly at each other; the 
 one under Panthera, in a fury, buried his teeth into 
 the neck of the other and held on like a vicious dog. 
 Exasperated at this, Melsach, before the soldier could 
 hinder or avert the impending stroke, brought the 
 heavy blade of his scimiter, with deadly force, across 
 the neck of the unfortunate Dion. The blow severed 
 the artery and the blood forced its way from the wound 
 with such velocity as to drench the treacherous robber ; 
 the hot, spurting fluid striking him full in the face 
 and blinding him. Dion had relaxed his vicious hold, 
 but before Panthera could follow up the advantage, 
 given him by the momentary confusion of the bandit, 
 and finish the struggle, Melsach's horse became unman- 
 ageable and carried his rider to the extreme end of the 
 arena. 
 
 Dion made no sound or indication of suffering; for 
 a brief time the beautiful creature stood as if dazed, then 
 plunging a short distance forward, fell heavily, the 
 knees first striking the earth ; then, partly falling, partly 
 rolling, he dropped on the hard ground. Panthera,
 
 66 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 quickly extricating his feet from the stirrups, sprang 
 from the saddle barely in time to escape being crushed. 
 
 "My poor horse!" he exclaimed. "Fare thee well! 
 My noble Dion!" and in his grief at the loss of this, 
 almost human companion he for once forgot the strife, 
 forgot that his foe threatened. 
 
 The animal at his feet, raised his head, with a last 
 effort, and turned a look of affectionate pleading 
 toward the master from whose hand there had never 
 been aught but kindness and gentle treatment. The 
 film of death gathered across the velvet eyes, and the 
 head sank back to the sward. Panthera could not 
 longer look upon the death scene, could not bear to 
 behold the life-blood welling from the gaping wound. 
 He turned away from the last struggle. In this atti- 
 tude he listened to one vain effort of Dion, as he 
 attempted to rise, a short convulsive struggle, a scrap- 
 ing of feet along the ground and a fall it was ended. 
 
 It was no time to indulge his sorrow, imminent 
 danger threatened his own life, for Panthera beheld his 
 foe in the act of returning with drawn sword and bared 
 head. 
 
 With his old and tried friend dead at his feet, for 
 a breast work, the soldier stood facing his mortal 
 enemy. There could be no mistake. The bandit would 
 attempt to ride him down, leap over him, or, passing 
 closely by, cleave his almost defenseless head. The 
 soldier realized the desperate disadvantage under 
 which he was placed, but resolved to sell his life at the 
 highest price. Standing behind his only available ram- 
 part, firmly bracing himself for a determined defense, 
 he resolved to do battle to the last, in the forlorn hope 
 that in some manner, by some lucky chance, a way 
 might open for his escape, and the rescue of Mary. It
 
 The Horseback Duel. 67 
 
 would be vain to think, useless to ask, or, even sue for 
 quarter. It must be his life or that of the bandit. 
 There could be no compromise. 
 
 The thundering click of galloping feet once more 
 resounded on the hard earth. Faster, faster; nearer, 
 nearer, it came. 
 
 A glance to the side, a fluttering object was 
 approaching. Panthera dared not turn, still he felt a 
 new presence near the spot where soon the fight must 
 be renewed. 
 
 "Merciful Heaven!" breathed Panthera. 
 
 It was the maiden, rushing toward him, as swiftly 
 as her limbs could transport her. Hair streaming, 
 arms extended. On, on she came. Her face was 
 partially turned in the direction of the oncoming horse- 
 man with a staring look of fear and horror. She threw 
 herself boldly in front of the advancing charger, 
 scarcely a length away. With a wail of anguish and 
 fright she sank upon her knees, her arms thrown 
 upward in an attitude of supplication. 
 
 "Across my body!" rang out in an unearthly, des- 
 pairing scream. 
 
 The rash movement of the maid caused the horse to 
 take fright, and he bolted with such force as to throw 
 the bandit. Melsach was taken entirely unawares, and 
 was able to extricate but one of his feet from the stir- 
 rups, the other held him fast, and threw his ponderous 
 body against the feet of the frenzied animal. The 
 unfortunate man made vain efforts to recover himself, 
 but was carried toward the mountain road, every bound 
 dashing his body violently against the rocks by the 
 way. 
 
 Mary had fallen forward in a swoon. Panthera 
 realized the situation, the fate of the bandit and the
 
 68 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 marvelous good fortune which worked his deliverance, 
 and the preservation of them both she from shame 
 and he from death. 
 
 Leaping over the body of Dion, he sprang to the 
 assistance of the damsel. Gently lifting her in his arms, 
 he carried her, as though she were a child, to the shady 
 side of a sheltering rock. Here he placed her as com- 
 fortably as possible under the circumstances. Alarmed 
 at the deathly nature of the swoon, he was about to 
 look for the wine bottle, which he might find in the 
 trappings of the murdered horse, when, glancing at 
 the maid, he saw the lovely eyes slowly opening. 
 
 Pleased at the evidence of returning consciousness, 
 Panthera bent over and gazed into her face, 
 but her eyes immediately closed again and she did not 
 seem to hear his quick spoken assurance of their safety. 
 Gradually the color returned to the fair face, relieving 
 Panthera of his alarm and apprehension as to serious 
 results to her from this adventure. 
 
 The soldier waited patiently at Mary's side. A sudden 
 movement of returning energy threw the arms of the 
 maid upward over her head and, but for the intervening 
 hand of Panthera, the soft flesh would have been bruised 
 against the jagged rock. An instant more and the 
 damsel was looking fully and sensibly into the face of 
 her attendant. 
 
 "Art thou better?" inquired Panthera. 
 
 "My father, take me to him." Memory asserted 
 its sway, a look of utter horror shot across her features 
 and she raised herself from the hard rock. "What has 
 happened ?" she questioned. "Where " 
 
 "Thou art safe, dear lady. Thou need'st have no 
 fear," answered Panthera, and he waited respectfully, 
 ready to anticipate her slightest wish.
 
 The Horseback Duel. 69 
 
 Her face was yet sickeled over with the pallor of 
 extreme weariness and fright. Yet the Roman had 
 never looked upon a more beautiful countenance. 
 
 "Thou art Caius Panthera?" she asked at length. 
 
 "Yes, dear lady." 
 
 "Where is the other " 
 
 "He will trouble thee no more," was the quiet 
 answer. 
 
 The dread visible in her face and attitude revealed 
 the fear passing through her mind and Panthera 
 hastened to reassure her. 
 
 "The unfortunate man was thrown from his horse. 
 The animal ran away dragging his master." 
 
 Mary put her hands over her eyes, as though to shut 
 away the mental picture that came to her. 
 
 "How terrible!" She shuddered, then with a swift 
 glance of gratitude. "Oh ! thou art my deliverer." 
 
 "The credit must be to thyself, rather art thou the 
 savior, deliverer of us both." 
 
 "I Oh no!" and the maiden could not find words 
 with which to continue. Yet she could not allow 
 modesty on his part to give the credit to her. 
 
 "Thou knowest I am the daughter of Joachim, and 
 that my father is " and again she paused in confusion, 
 encountering the eyes of Panthera. 
 
 "Is among the best and noblest of thy countrymen," 
 added he assisting her, "and thou art his only daughter, 
 perchance. Wilt thou tell me thy name?" 
 
 "Mary, is my name," she replied, frankly. 
 
 Panthera rose to his feet, the problem of returning 
 the confiding child to her people was troubling him. 
 
 "Thou art blessed with the dearest name that is given 
 to thy sex," he said. 
 
 "Must we stay here long?" asked Mary, looking up
 
 70 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 at her companion. "Wilt thou return with me to my 
 father?" 
 
 "Let not thy heart be troubled. Thou shalt wait not 
 a moment longer than when thou mayest be strong 
 enough to attempt the journey." 
 
 "I am strong enough now. We must not delay." 
 The brave little maid would have started to her feet, 
 but the effort discovered her weakness. Had it not 
 been for the prompt support of this stranger she must 
 have fallen. She slipped down on the rocks again, a 
 discouraged expression slowly darkening her eyes. 
 
 "Thou must know that we are far from the camp of 
 thy father," Panthera gently said. He had it in his 
 mind that they would have to walk back. "It is fully 
 a day's journey." 
 
 "So far," she cried in dismay, "but, Joseph will come 
 after me. He is the kinsman of my father." 
 
 "Very likely so," replied Panthera. "We must reach 
 the mountain road lest he pass us by and continue on 
 the straight way." 
 
 "The mountain road," repeated Mary, incredulously. 
 
 "Did'st thou not know? Wert thou unconscious all 
 the way?" 
 
 "I knew I was going, going, and thought the journey 
 would never end. I do 'not think I was entirely 
 unconscious all the time. I heard thy voice when thou 
 did'st overtake the man. What was the ugly name he 
 called himself? After that everything was blackness 
 until I recovered during that terrible struggle. How 
 shall I ever recompense thee?" she exclaimed, excitedly. 
 "I cannot thank thee. My father shall reward thee." 
 
 "Hush !" he said, wishing to turn her mind from her 
 frightful experience. "We will have to make the
 
 The Horseback Duel. 71 
 
 journey on foot. Thou knowest that my horse was 
 killed." 
 
 "Alas, yes !" she answered. 
 
 "Thou art scarcely able to stand," he said. "If thou 
 would'st rest here, I might attempt to find the other 
 animal. He may not have gone far, dragging so heavy 
 a weight." 
 
 "Do not leave me," cried Mary, alarmed. "Where 
 ever thou goest I will go. I am stronger than thou 
 thinkest." She arose determinedly, and prepared to 
 accompany him. Accepting the support of his arm, she 
 boldly and firmly stepped out toward the mountain 
 road. 
 
 Panthera, mentally ill at ease, x saw the tracks of the 
 runaway horse, and feeling the frail hold on his arm, 
 hoped against hope that the means of conveying the 
 damsel down the mountain might be near at hand.
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 BACK TO THE CAMP. 
 
 Never, in all the remembrance of the young man, had 
 he experienced so complete a satisfaction as permeated 
 his being on that cloudless morning while walking 
 toward the highway. He had not calculated, or 
 anticipated, that this stage of the journey would be 
 so long. 
 
 He had followed Melsach, into the arena, under the 
 stimulating influence of the undertaking then confront- 
 ing him, and the pathway had been covered without 
 heed to its length. Therefore, he was much surprised at 
 the time consumed in traversing the bridle path before 
 they came in sight of the way leading down from the 
 hills. 
 
 Had it not been for the excusable, natural concern 
 and urgency, which Mary could not refrain from 
 expressing, Panthera would have been content to linger 
 much longer on the way, so sweet and interesting was 
 the conversation with the maiden walking at his side. 
 
 Nervously and anxiously he watched ahead, fearing, 
 at every turn, to discover the lifeless body of the bandit, 
 which, without doubt, would be found somewhere as 
 they advanced. They observed, at intervals, evidence of 
 the direction taken by the affrighted horse and his luck- 
 less rider ; portions of the accoutrements of the animal, 
 as well as, shreds of the clothing worn by Melsach. 
 
 72
 
 Back to the Camp. 73 
 
 Before starting Panthera had taken the precaution to 
 secure the scimiter, found near the spot where Mary's 
 tragic interference had decided the fate of herself and 
 her guide; that there might be no mistake, he carried 
 this with him, that if, by any chance, the ruffian should 
 have escaped death, there would be no possibility of 
 rearming himself. 
 
 At length the trained eye of the soldier discerned an 
 object, the nature of which could admit of no doubt. 
 Moving quickly, he walked with Mary some distance 
 from the pathway, requesting her to rest, while he went 
 forward. With an inquiring glance she searched his 
 face, the truth flashed into her mind, the horror of it 
 almost overpowering her sorely tried strength. With 
 an effort she signified her willingness to Vvvait his 
 return. 
 
 "How kind and considerate thou art in every thing !" 
 she murmured, her eyes filling with tears of gratitude. 
 
 "Rest," he replied, "I will be absent but a short 
 time." 
 
 He could not refrain from giving expression, 
 through his eyes, of the pleasure he derived from the 
 words of appreciation, falling so unaffectedly from her 
 lips. It was not the impudent stare of inordinate 
 admiration, but, rather the fraternal greeting reaching 
 out from a soul void of offense, which, by reason of its 
 manly purity, commands confidence and trust. 
 
 Until he passed from her range of vision, Mary's 
 gaze followed the retreating form of Panthera. A 
 sigh escaped her, as a bend in the pathway hid him 
 from view. A realization of her utter dependency upon 
 this stranger came over her spirit ; this was followed by 
 a feeling of despondency and despair, as the interval 
 marking his absence lengthened.
 
 74 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 Panthera, indeed, was long at his task. To remove and 
 conceal the shapeless thing, that blotted the fair beauty 
 of the landscape, required time, and he did not choose to 
 leave a trace of the tragedy to further shock his precious 
 charge. 
 
 In the meanwhile, suspense and overwhelming doubt 
 surged through the mind of Joachim's daughter, with a 
 fear of impending evil that she attributed to the dis- 
 tressing experiences through which she had been com- 
 pelled to pass. Notwithstanding this course of reason- 
 ing, the uncannyness deepened into gloom, impossible to 
 master or throw off, until she sprang up, from where 
 she had reclined, and, in the bitterness of her soul, 
 would have screamed, the hysterical spasm so held her 
 within its grasp, had it not been that in looking toward 
 the spot where her protector had disappeared from view 
 she beheld him returning. 
 
 He was light and brightness to her; his presence 
 dispelled her dark forbodings; from his cheerful face 
 beamed the light of hope, strength and consolation. 
 Only for the restraining influence of the natural sense 
 of modesty, and a deference to propriety, she would 
 have manifested her joy by running to meet him. As 
 it was she waited, in strange agitation, which increased 
 as he approached. She sank back to the rocky seat, 
 trying in vain to compose herself, half ashamed of the 
 emotion that could not fail of attracting his notice. 
 
 "Thou art tired, child. This hath been a day of severe 
 trial to thee." Panthera said, compassionately, as he 
 looked into her perturbed face. 
 
 Mary could not control her voice, she attempted to 
 rise, but, in spite of her strongest exertions to maintain 
 a show of strength, staggered and must have fallen
 
 Back to the Camp. 75 
 
 but for the watchfulness of Panthera whose strong arm 
 again supported her trembling form. 
 
 She was not only tired, but exhausted, and she looked 
 appealingly toward the soldier. 
 
 "Do not exert thyself. Save thy strength and courage. 
 We must reach the mountain road. Trust thyself to 
 thy servant." 
 
 "I do! I do!" she answered. The next instant his 
 strong arms lifted her from the ground and carried her 
 away from the place. 
 
 As though she had been a child, Panthera bore the 
 weight of the exquisite maiden. There was no other 
 way, and Mary submitted to the arrangement with a 
 restful sense of security calming her anxious mind, 
 Her head drooped, in delightful languor, and she eased 
 the soldier's load by the support of her own arm, 
 thrown over his shoulder. 
 
 The undulating motion in the movements of the 
 soldier conveyed to Mary the long-ago lullaby of her 
 Israelitish mother. 
 
 The unstrung nerves of the maid were soothed, her 
 eyelids closed, sleep nature's best restorer gradually 
 overcame her every resistance and the shapely head 
 sank against the neck of Panthera, who, at that 
 moment, would have dared ten thousand dangers, and 
 thanked the gods for the opportunity and privilege, if 
 it could have been in her behalf. 
 
 The touch of the warm body of this defenseless, 
 confiding girl, the faint scent of the perfumed ointment, 
 from her glossy locks, the form, the features, all served 
 to send the blood pulsing through his veins with the 
 strength, energy and mystery of love. She was safe in 
 his arms. His heart and his honor were pledged to her 
 service. No sacrifice could be required that this man
 
 76 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 was not ready to render cheerfully that he might merit 
 the favor of the one resting trustfully on his breast, 
 fondly, yet gently and respectfully folded in his arms. 
 
 The night before, girl-like, Mary had spent awake, 
 anticipating the return journey to her home in Jerusa- 
 lem. She had arisen, long before the sun, and prepared 
 her belongings, so that everything might be in readi- 
 ness. The rude shock to these pleasant anticipations: 
 the harsh interruption at the moment of departure for 
 the home of her youth; the impetuous, compulsory 
 flight on horseback, the strain of which was almost 
 unbearable ; the furious combat, all worked together to 
 completely tire the maid, and as her bearer covered 
 the road with lengthy strides she fell deeper and deeper 
 into a trance-like sleep. 
 
 The soldier gained the mountain way without mishap 
 or accident. From his new vantage ground he looked 
 toward the way he had recently traveled, but saw 
 nothing that gave encouragement. No succor was at 
 hand. He had hoped to find some sort of conveyance 
 that might be secured to carry the maid back to her 
 people; instead, only the oppressive, solitary grandeur 
 of the deserted way greeted him. The road stretched 
 away as far as the eye could reach. 
 
 Considering the headlong pace of the pursuit up the 
 mountain, and reckoning the time thus spent, Panthera 
 knew that a tedious journey lay before him. With the 
 girl in her present condition the problem resolved its- 
 self into an impossibility. Even were she able to walk, 
 there was a grave question as to whether they could 
 reach the camp before nightfall. 
 
 Stepping to the middle of the roadway, Panthera 
 gazed with straining eyes over the downward road. 
 His predicament was becoming serious. Since the
 
 Back to the Camp. 77 
 
 early dawn he had not broken his fast, save in the 
 most meager manner, having partaken only of the wine 
 and biscuits, thoughtfully placed in his saddle bag by 
 Salome. However, he determined to make the best of 
 his way down the road until compelled to give over 
 this self imposed duty. 
 
 Glancing in the other direction through the scant foli- 
 age of a clump of bushes, not yet in full leaf, he beheld 
 the horse, recently in the possession of Melsach, quietly 
 grazing at the roadside. 
 
 Softly depositing his burden on the grass, trusting 
 that the grateful slumber would hold her in its embrace, 
 Panthera determined to secure the animal. In this 
 expedient lay the only method of extracting himself 
 from the dilemma in which he was involved. To carry 
 the girl down the mountain road was an undertaking 
 quite out of the question; as to her attempting the 
 journey on foot, it was equally impracticable; and the 
 probability of a conveyance, going down the mountain, 
 was too remote for consideration. 
 
 The animal had stripped himself of every vestige of 
 trappings. Panthera remembered that Dion was com- 
 pletely caparisoned. For an instant he was tempted to 
 run, with all his strength, to where the poor brute had 
 given up his life, and obtain the harnessings, but, fear 
 lest Melsach should have friends in this region, or 
 that the horse might gallop away, during his absence, 
 deterred him from losing sight of either the maid or 
 the animal. 
 
 Any hesitation now might be fatal to his plans, and 
 the soldier hurriedly approached the horse. To his 
 surprise, the animal raised his head and came leisurely 
 forward, whinnying in recognition of his presence. 
 
 Panthera paused.
 
 78 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "Dion ! Dion ! Come pet ! Come, Dion !" 
 
 The horse continued to advance and, at last, put his 
 nose into the outstretched hand of the soldier. Gently 
 and swiftly Panthera reached up, breathing a prayer 
 of thankfulness as he secured a hold on the foretop; 
 caressing the docile creature he patiently, firmly 
 asserted the human will. The horse submitted without 
 resistance. 
 
 Coaxingly he lead the animal to where Mary lay, 
 intending to wait her awaking. Scarcely had he paused 
 beside her, however, when the maid moved, turned her 
 face toward Panthera and looked wonderingly at the 
 horse he still held by the foretop. She could hardly 
 persuade herself that it was not the one she had seen 
 stricken down a short time before. 
 
 To guard her from harm, to minister to her slightest 
 wish, was the uppermost thought in the mind of the 
 soldier. In this service he would not have exchanged 
 places with any person. 
 
 "We will return to my father; my deliverer, my 
 savior," she said and reached her hand to Panthera. 
 
 Briefly he explained the situation to her. 
 
 "Wilt thou remain here that I may obtain the har- 
 ness of my faithful Dion?" he asked. 
 
 "If thou deem'st it wise," answered the maid, but 
 her voice trembled and betrayed her dread. 
 
 "Thou art afraid," said Panthera. "Wilt thou permit 
 me to place thee upon the horse? He is entirely sub- 
 dued. I will lead him." 
 
 Her brightened face answered for the damsel, and 
 without more ado the soldier lifted her to the broad 
 back, where she clung,- half alarmed at the unac- 
 customed position. 
 
 Watchfully Panthera guided the horse along the
 
 Back to the Camp. 79 
 
 path, speaking only words of cheer to the maid. With- 
 out incident they arrived at the scene of the recent 
 conflict. 
 
 Not knowing what might be the effect of a sight of 
 Dion on this newly acquired horse, Mary sensibly 
 agreed to hold the animal while Dion was stripped of 
 saddle and bridle. Standing on a small hillock, she 
 twisted her slender fingers through the mane of the 
 bandit's horse and held him until the trappings of poor 
 Dion were fitted. Panthera then placed her before him 
 on the saddle, and mounting turned in the direction of 
 the mountainway again. 
 
 "My father will recompense thee," Mary said. 
 
 "Say not so," replied Panthera, fervently. "Accept- 
 ance of the small service thy servant hath been able to 
 render thee, shall be mine only reward." 
 
 "Not so," replied the grateful maid. "Henceforth 
 thou art the friend of Joachim's daughter."
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 A FIXED GULF. 
 
 The two traveled down the mountainway, each 
 occupied with a tumult of thought. The inevitable 
 reaction from the excitement came upon them, conver- 
 sation was indulged in but sparingly and was confined 
 to commonplace matters. 
 
 The natural buoyancy of youth restored to Mary 
 much of her usual spirits and the strange experience of 
 the day ceased to burden her. The anticipation of being 
 restored to the arms of her dear, indulgent parent gave 
 the journey an unusual interest and novelty. In these 
 moments of reverie she coned over, in her mind, how 
 she would recount every particular of her adventure. 
 Joseph must listen ! Joseph was always interested with 
 every thing affecting the daughter of Joachim. Would 
 he not be indignant when she related all the facts relat- 
 ing to Melsach ! What an ugly, ill-sounding name ! 
 
 What a splendid title Cains Panthera and how 
 brave, how kind, how strong he was ! 
 
 "Father of my heart, and Joseph, his kinsman and 
 friend, they shall listen to all," she reflected, "every- 
 thing he did for the poor maid, who was unable to help 
 herself. They will be glad he came when he did. How 
 thoughtful of Salome to have sent him just in time to 
 be of such wonderful assistance." 
 
 The last thought induced a number of queries, some 
 of which gave her alarm and deep concern about the 
 welfare 6f her beloved parent. She called to mind every 
 word contained in the epistle delivered by Panthera. 
 
 80
 
 A Fixed Gulf. 81 
 
 What could be the meaning and import of such a mes- 
 sage ? Could it be possible that any person might hold 
 ought against her father, who at all times and to all 
 persons was the embodiment of patience, kindness 
 and forgiveness ? These questions so impressed her as 
 to cause her to draw closer to the horseman, and a 
 short cry escaped her lips. 
 
 "Tell me thy trouble, daughter of Israel;" and he 
 allowed the horse to slacken its pace. 
 
 "Who is Salome?" she inquired, turning her head 
 to look into his face. 
 
 "She is the sister of Herod, 'King of the Jews.' ' 
 "What knowledge hath she of my father?" 
 "Salome would befriend Joachim, and preserve him 
 from the designs of her brother, the king." 
 
 "What hath my father done that the king should 
 have designs against him?" 
 
 "I cannot tell thee, child. I do not know." 
 "Still thou knowest more than thou care'st to tell thy 
 friend," said Mary, with dignity. "Thou call'st me 
 child, and would'st not disturb thy servant with rumors 
 of evil. Tell me, is my father in danger?" 
 
 "I fear that Herod means him harm," was the 
 guarded answer. 
 
 "Why should the king seek his injury?" 
 "Neither can I tell thee that. Herod is a monster. 
 Nothing may stand in the way of his desires. Still 
 Augustus lives and Herod dare not offend the Senate. 
 Thy father hath friends, doubtless they will protect him 
 and his property." 
 
 "I do not understand," said the maiden, turning 
 away, "My father hath always been a friend to the 
 friendless and afflicted ; he hath neither put his hand to 
 oppression; nor used his tongue for deceit. He, and
 
 82 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 all his house, have honored God and kept his command- 
 ments." 
 
 The soldier gently turned her face toward him again, 
 the bright eyes were filling with tears. The thought of 
 harm to her father frightened her and her emotional 
 nature was stirred to the depths. 
 
 "Can'st thou not trust the God of thy countrymen? 
 I have heard it said he never forsook his people, that 
 his arm was mighty to save." 
 
 "True," said Mary, steadying her voice. "Thy friend, 
 a daughter of Israel, is rebuked." 
 
 "Far be it from me, thy servant, I did not intend to 
 rebuke, but to encourage and comfort thee," earnestly 
 rejoined Panthera, fearing to have, unwittingly, given 
 offense. 
 
 "Still it is true. We may we must trust him." 
 
 Mary bowed her head and remained silent until a 
 short turn in the road revealed, at a distance, a number 
 of persons coming toward them. 
 
 "Behold! Are not these thy friends approaching?" 
 Panthera pointed down the highway, and Mary turned 
 her face toward the direction indicated. 
 
 The soldier was pleased that something had occurred 
 to turn her mind from uncomfortable and disagreeable 
 surmises. In his heart he knew the king meant no 
 good toward Joachim. Moreover, he was satisfied that 
 the confiscation of the patriarch's property, if not the 
 forfeiture of his life, had been determined upon. A 
 pretext for the consummation of this purpose could be 
 found without much trouble; proof to sustain accusa- 
 tions, even though false, need not be wanting. 
 
 All the officers in the kingdom were but creatures of 
 the will of Herod, from the high priest of the Sanhe- 
 dran, to the tax-gatherer, who collected the one-fourth
 
 A Fixed Gulf. 83 
 
 of all the people produced besides the obnoxious per- 
 capita tax. Years of submission to the demands of 
 their tyrant, had blunted the perceptions of the unfor- 
 tunate, ill-governed subjects, until they had come to 
 look upon the extortions as a matter of course, and even 
 further, in hope of individual immunity, had become 
 informers, false witnesses and accusers against the 
 innocent and virtuous, whose only fault lay in the fact 
 of their having been blessed in basket and in store. 
 
 At the distance it was not possible to distinguish, 
 with any certainty, the crowd ascending the highway. 
 
 The maid relapsed into anxious silence and did not 
 reply to Panthera's inquiry. On his part, he could not 
 repress a feeling of sadness as he contemplated the pos- 
 sibility and probability of parting with her company. 
 
 Within a short time quite a number of persons 
 became recognizable among the advancing throng. 
 Foremost was the venerable Joseph. 
 
 On seeing the horseman with his burden, the whole 
 company hastened forward. Joseph, the leader, was 
 mounted upon a horse, his followers straggled along 
 in the rear, riding horses and asses ; while still another 
 contingent was on foot, some hurrying, others loiter- 
 ing upon the way. It was a motley crowd, whose 
 voluble tongues surprised the soldier as they drew near. 
 Their conversation was not intelligible, but the vehe- 
 ment gestures were plainly to be seen. Something had 
 excited this inflammable people to the highest tension. 
 
 As they drew near Joseph turned and addressed his 
 immediate companions. Whatever was said had the 
 effect of putting a quietus upon the expressions so pro- 
 fuse but a moment before. This order or command, 
 whichever it may have been, was passed back among 
 the crowd, producing the same effect ; silence fell imme-
 
 84 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 diately upon the throng, that had been so boisterous. 
 Their faces took on an appearance of gloom that deep- 
 ened the nearer they approached. 
 
 Mary, conversant with the peculiarities of her own 
 people, became apprehensive of some calamity associ- 
 ated with her father. 
 
 Arriving before the maid, Joseph immediately dis- 
 mounted and bowed himself low to the earth. 
 
 "Tell me, Joseph, let not thy handmaiden wait in 
 fear. Tell me I pray thee, what of my father ?" 
 
 "Daughter of Israel daughter of the Lord, wilt 
 thou alight?" This was said as Joseph raised himself 
 from the lowly position, and with intention to delay 
 his answer that was too apparent to escape notice. 
 
 Panthera swung himself from the saddle and assisted 
 the maid to dismount. She ran to her kinsman with 
 hands outstretched in an imploring attitude. 
 
 "Hath anything happened to my father?" she cried. 
 "Why callest thou me 'daughter of the Lord'?" 
 
 "Of a truth thou art the daughter of the Lord," and 
 again Joseph bowed before Mary, visibly affected by 
 her distress. 
 
 "Then my father is dead ?" she exclaimed, wildly. 
 
 "Thou hast spoken," answered Joseph. 
 
 Mary uttered a heartbroken cry and, turning, ran to 
 Panthera. Her blanched face appealed to his tenderest 
 sympathies, unmindful of the gaping Jews, he drew her 
 to his breast, where she clung, quivering with uncon- 
 trollable grief. 
 
 Joseph gazed on this scene in dumfounded amaze- 
 ment, completely surprised by the unexpected demon- 
 stration. To his Jewish sense of propriety, it was 
 nothing less than abhorrent. 
 
 Panthera was touched to the heart by the suffering of
 
 A Fixed Gulf. 85 
 
 the maid clinging to him. He endeavored to soothe her, 
 speaking such words of comfort as occurred to his 
 mind. But what could he say to relieve the one stricken 
 with sorrow, who was convulsively sobbing out the 
 great grief that had fallen so crushingly on her young 
 life. He realized how wholly inadequate was human 
 expression to mitigate her suffering. 
 
 The respectful silence of Joseph and his assembled 
 countrymen was at last broken by Mary, who turned 
 her tear-stained face toward them and spoke in trem- 
 bling tones : 
 
 "My kinsman, I pray thee keep nothing from me. 
 Was my father killed ?" and she looked searchingly into 
 the face of Joseph. 
 
 "The hand of the despoiler was withheld. The Lord 
 suffered his servant to depart without violence," 
 answered Joseph, reverently. 
 
 "Speak not in riddles, I implore thee!" exclaimed 
 Mary, going a step nearer him. 
 
 "Thy father was stricken to the soul because of fear 
 for thee," answered Joseph, pityingly. "Nevertheless, 
 he fell as one ripe for the harvest. When thy servant 
 and kinsman came into the tent, Joachim had already 
 been taken to the bosom of his father Abraham. The 
 presence of the angel was felt by thy servant, who was 
 sore afraid and bowed himself to the earth. No mes- 
 sage came from the lips of thy father they were for- 
 ever stilled in death." 
 
 "Alas ! Alas ! The Lord hath saved thy child and 
 gathered thee to thy fathers. I will go to thee thou 
 can'st not come to me. Alas, my father! Oh, my 
 father !" The abandon of grief melted the sternest of 
 the onlookers. "Take me to him, Joseph. Where hast 
 thou laid him?" sobbed Mary.
 
 86 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "Come and see," he answered. 
 
 Placing her hand in his outstretched palm, she 
 passively permitted him to separate her from Panthera. 
 
 Leading the maiden to his own horse, Joseph 
 assisted her to mount. Placing his hand on the bridle 
 he turned in the direction of the camp and walked along 
 at her side. 
 
 Mary bent her head until her features were almost 
 hidden from view by the veil of wavy hair. Dear 
 youthful soul alone with her heartache and affliction. 
 
 The contemptuous Jews did not condescend to pay 
 further attention to the stranger. Led by Joseph and 
 Mary, the promiscuous crowd fell in and began their 
 journey toward the camp of the prophets. 
 
 Panthera was aware of the isolation of the Jewish 
 people; their separation from the rest of mankind by 
 reason of education and tradition, as well as political 
 and religious convictions. A painful realization of the 
 gulf fixed between himself and this beautiful Jewish 
 maiden gave him a twing of heartfelt misery akin to 
 despair, as he allowed his mind to dwell upon the peculi- 
 arities of this people. 
 
 A hopeless loneliness seized him, a longing for one 
 more look into that lovely countenance, some slight 
 token from her by which he might know that he was 
 not wholly forgotten. 
 
 He raised his hand to his uncovered head, remember- 
 ing for the first time the destruction of the helmet. How 
 quickly the delirium of bliss had passed from his grasp, 
 how soon was he plunged into the bitterness of disap- 
 pointment and mortification. The bowed figure of the 
 bereaved maiden moved away from him, unheeding as 
 a carved statue, and he followed her afar off.
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 AN APT ROGUE. 
 
 Solan Hai waited until the day wore on toward the 
 third hour before manifesting impatience for the return 
 of his messengers. 
 
 Alone with his conscience and his cares he could 
 not repress a vision of the benign, saintly face of 
 Joachim, as, long ago, it bent over him, while he lay 
 sick unto death. He remembered the intense heat, the 
 burning thirst and the racking pain. The only hand to 
 succor him had been the gentle one of the Jewish lover 
 of men. He had fanned away the fever and brought 
 the ingrate back to life. 
 
 This moody train of reflection produced and devel- 
 oped a condition of wretched discomfort. To such an 
 extent did it oppress him that its heavy weight became 
 almost unbearable. To remain there alone seemed 
 like reaching into an eternity of remorse. It had been 
 a long time since opportunity for communing with his 
 own thoughts had been afforded this man, steeped in 
 law-breaking ; the experience was neither pleasant, pro- 
 fitable nor entertaining. 
 
 As time dragged on he fumed and chafed under the 
 loneliness and silence reigning about him, solitude 
 unendurable and awful stillness. The very rocks looked 
 down and frowned upon the man, as if in mute reproach 
 at his misspent life; at crimes and offenses, both of 
 
 87
 
 88 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 omission and commission, the very names of which 
 were blazened forth in his mind, and reflected on his 
 fevered imagination with a vivid distinctness amazing 
 and horrifying to the wretch, distressing his fancy 
 through fear of retribution. 
 
 This state of mind was a novel one to the wizard. 
 Never before had he been rilled with such dismal fore- 
 boding ; or suffered such hideous qualms of conscience. 
 A long life of indulged cruelty and wickedness had 
 blotted out, as he supposed, all feelings of compunction 
 for the pain or misfortune which might, in this check- 
 ered life, overtake or be the lot of his fellow man. It 
 had been years since gentle pity, or the smallest inclina- 
 tion to show mercy, had found a place in his heart. And 
 now he anathematized himself for submitting to what 
 seemed weakness, or allowing so small a matter as the 
 memory of a kindness to control or hinder the pursuit 
 of his own selfish plans or designs. 
 
 Springing to his feet he startled the stillness by 
 horrid imprecations upon the head of every person and 
 everything, dancing like a demon to the refrain of his 
 own diabolical profanity. 
 
 In the midst of this terrible scene, the one bandit 
 left alive of the ill-fated expedition, appeared leading 
 his horse. Coming in sight of his chief, the man stood 
 still in astonishment at the furious and fantastic antics. 
 
 Solan Hai, catching sight of his companion, reeled 
 toward him, as though well drunken. 
 
 "By all the gods cravens fear and fools worship, 
 why dost thou stand there gaping? Speak, dog! or 
 I'll cleave thee to the earth," he exclaimed, furiously. 
 
 The man knew not whether to run or stand. He 
 hesitated a moment, then drew his scimiter and 
 assumed an attitude of defense.
 
 An Apt Rogue. 89 
 
 "Do not strike thy servant!" he cried. 
 
 "Put up thy weapon, fool. Tell thy master why thou 
 art her alone. Where is Melsach and his brother?" 
 
 "Have patience I pray thee. We were unable to 
 secure the treasure " 
 
 "Treasure! Treasure!" broke in the wizard. "It 
 was not pelf thy master required, it was the life of the 
 prophet, Joachim." 
 
 "Joachim ! I know nothing of Joachim !" exclaimed 
 the astonished slave. 
 
 "Thou dog's son, decieve not thy master. Where 
 is Melsach?" 
 
 "I know not. As I live, I know not," and the miser- 
 able man cowered before his chief. 
 
 "Where did'st thou leave him, idiot?" 
 
 "The last I saw of him he was riding like mad with 
 a woman before him," answered the bandit, making a 
 desperate effort to speak collectedly. "A soldier of 
 Herod withstood us to the death. His sword pierced 
 the brother of Melsach. A gray-beard, curse him, 
 struck thy servant with a club, knocking his limbs from 
 under him, while engaged in combat with the soldier." 
 
 "Soldier! What became of him? Did'st thou kill 
 him?" 
 
 "Xo. He sprang to his horse near by, and followed 
 Melsach and the girl. This left thy honored servant 
 to fight the whole camp. To fly was the only choice, 
 the privilege of which was not to be lightly dispensed 
 with. As I passed the first mountain road, I saw Mel- 
 sach in the distance, with the soldier in hot pursuit." 
 
 "Why did'st thou not repair thyself to his assist- 
 ance?" asked Solan Hai, frowning darkly. 
 
 "It was but a short time before, when the knave left 
 thy servant to care for his own hide as best he might.
 
 90 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 One such turn deserves another. Let it be between him 
 and the soldier." 
 
 "Did'st thou recognize the soldier?" 
 
 "It was Panthera of the German company. A comely 
 fellow with a mighty arm." 
 
 "Ah ! I know him well. He comes from the islands 
 of the sea. Barbarian, but, as thou sayest, 'a comely 
 fellow.' Where did he drop from?" 
 
 "I know not. Yet, we had excellent reason to know 
 of his presence," and the bandit stooped to rub his 
 bruised limbs. 
 
 "Fires of gehenna !" The wizard stamped viciously. 
 "One dead, the other gone with a woman. No doubt 
 it was Joachim who struck thee. Doth thy calf smart ?" 
 A sardonic grin disfigured the countenance of Solan 
 Hai. 
 
 "As sore as thy servant's conscience," responded the 
 other. "To leave the treasure in the keeping of two 
 thieving servants, stings like the tongue of a wasp." 
 
 "Thou hast behaved well, Costa, my friend. Were 
 Solan Hai a Pharisee, he'd greet thee with an holy kiss. 
 As it is, thou art commended. Get thee back to Jerusa- 
 lem with all speed. Thou mayest be recognized and 
 troublesome questions asked. Get thee together thy 
 trappings. What thou can'st not conveniently carry, 
 conceal in a secure place. I will forward messages by 
 thy hand. In the meanwhile I must tarry for a short 
 time at Hebron." 
 
 The wizard wrote something on a sheet of papyrus 
 and handed it to Costa. Securing his horse he betook 
 himself rapidly toward the highway, leaving his com- 
 panion to obey orders in his own time. 
 
 The destination of the wizard was Hebron and, as
 
 An Apt Rogue. 91 
 
 soon as the roughness of the way would allow, he 
 mounted and traveled along at a goodly speed. 
 
 On the journey he observed a number of people 
 hurrying away from the town. Something out of 
 the usual course of events must have occurred to bring 
 so many persons into the highway. They were all 
 moving in the same direction, and as they passed he 
 caught many expressions of resentment and grief, 
 coupled with the name of Joachim, which caused him 
 to believe that the excitement concerned the camp 
 recently raided by his emissaries. His curiosity was 
 aroused and he inquired the cause of the commotion. 
 
 He quickly learned the facts connected with the 
 death of Joachim, and this, coupled with the informa- 
 tion he received from Costa, caused him to retrace his 
 steps, as soon as he could do so without arousing suspic- 
 ion, and endeavor to overtake his companion whom he 
 had ordered to Jerusalem. 
 
 He was fortunate enough in this undertaking, meet- 
 ing Costa as he was merging out on the Jerusalem way. 
 Had it not been for the horse, with which the wizard 
 was familiar, he would not have recognized his minion, 
 so well was he disguised. 
 
 "By the gods, Costa, thou art an artist. Thine own 
 mother would not have known her son!" exclaimed 
 Solan Hai. 
 
 "The compliment giveth thy servant pleasure," 
 answered Costa. "Were Panthera to return to Jerusa- 
 lem, the road would be covered with meddlesome 
 soldiers." 
 
 "Thou hast Herod's safe conduct." 
 
 "True, but accidents might happen that would make 
 it uncomfortable for thy servant," and Costa leered 
 cunningly as he gave a sidelong glance at his master.
 
 92 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 Solan Hai reflected, making no comment on the 
 remark of Costa. 
 
 "I will look after this Panthera," the wizard said, 
 at last, "and, if possible, keep him here. Joachim, in 
 some unaccountable way, took it upon himself to leave 
 this world which was a mighty accommodation to 
 Solan Hai." 
 
 "Then it must have been another who struck thy 
 servant?" said Costa, in surprise. 
 
 "In all probability, yes. A debt thou can'st cancel 
 some time in the future," answered Solan, grimly. 
 "Return me the message I gave thee. I will entrust 
 thee with one of more pleasing import." 
 
 Drawing a package from the folds of his garment, 
 Solan Hai wrote and folded another note. This he 
 handed to Costa, receiving from him the first message. 
 
 "Take this piece of gold," and the wizard pressed a 
 glittering coin into the greedy, out-stretched palm, "It 
 will heal thy troubled conscience from the mishap of 
 the morning. Deliver the message to Falodia, the law- 
 yer. Do not travel in such a hurry as to excite suspi- 
 cion, neither lose thou any time." 
 
 "Thy servant will not forget the instruction of his 
 most gracious master," Costa said, as he turned his 
 horse toward Jerusalem. 
 
 Solan Hai watched him until out of sight. 
 
 "The rogue seems apt," he muttered. "More so than 
 I had thought. He is bound to me by past favors and 
 immunities ; besides, he fears me which latter consid- 
 eration is most to be counted on. I must spend some 
 time in looking after this Panthera." This last thought 
 started him on his journey toward the scene of excite- 
 ment. 
 
 Thoroughly acquainted with the crossroads and
 
 An Apt Rogue. 93 
 
 bypaths of the region he had no difficulty in again over- 
 taking the crowd of chattering Hebronites. Mingling 
 with them he soon learned a full account of what had 
 happened during the morning. 
 
 The news had been carried to Hebron by the fright- 
 ened servants of the venerable Joachim, and a multi- 
 tude had at once proceeded to the assistance of Joseph. 
 The stragglers, with whom Solan Hai now found him- 
 self, were also bound for the camp. 
 
 After the consternation, owing to the death of their 
 countryman, had somewhat subsided, the assembled 
 Jews turned their attention to the matter of the 
 daughter. Joseph's statement as to the abduction raised 
 a hue and cry, and all were for starting at once to the 
 rescue. Scant means for pursuit were at hand, but 
 Joseph mounted the horse of the dead bandit, and his 
 followers made the best of their way after him. 
 
 They started from the camp at about the time Solan 
 Hai was giving the new instructions to Costa, and easily 
 followed the track of the abductor and his pursuer. It 
 was not long before they met Costa, who, certain of 
 his complete disguise, did not hesitate to engage the 
 crowd in conversation. 
 
 Coming up to Joseph, he recognized him as the "gray- 
 beard" of the cudgel and determined to accost him. The 
 soreness had not yet departed from the bruised limb of 
 the defeated robber. He was still smarting from the 
 effect of the blow delivered by Joachim's friend. 
 
 "Peace be with thee, and this goodly company," 
 Costa said, deferentially. "What, I pray thee, hath 
 occurred ?" 
 
 "In daylight the sun being half an hour high the 
 camp of Joachim was attacked by bandits," answered
 
 94 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 Joseph. "Thou art a stranger in these parts else thou 
 had'st heard of the matter." 
 
 "Truly, I come from Bersheba, a good morning's 
 journey." 
 
 "Thou hast said the truth. It is a fair morning fi 
 journey," replied Joseph kindly, having formed a 
 favorable opinion of the stranger. 
 
 "And art thou in search of the robbers?" queried 
 Costa. 
 
 "Alas!" answered Joseph. "We go to find Mary, 
 Joachim's daughter. She was carried away by one of 
 the robbers, and her beloved father is no more." 
 
 Horror was plainly depicted on the countenance of 
 the hypocritical Costa. 
 
 "Most venerable friend," he said, with mock gravity. 
 "Thy servant shall make complaint to the captain of 
 the king's guard, who will send thee soldiers, to pre- 
 vent the occurrence of outrages like this." 
 
 "Joachim was well beloved by all his people. Herod 
 will remember him, no doubt." 
 
 "Indeed, yes, without doubt," thought Costa. Aloud 
 he said : "In Jerusalem and in Jerico, none were known 
 better than thy friend Joachim. I am informed that he 
 carried large treasure?" 
 
 "Yea, verily, a goodly sum at all times," said Joseph, 
 and Costa fairly groaned. 
 
 "No wonder thy indignation waxeth hot at the 
 thought of robbery" and the bandit could not repress 
 another expression of regret. Joseph nodded approval, 
 entirely misinterpreting the cause of Costa's commis- 
 seration. 
 
 "I, myself, struck a blow in defense of our friend," 
 said Joseph, with some satisfaction. "By my might one 
 of the robbers was felled to the earth."
 
 An Apt Rogue. 95 
 
 "So? No doubt he'll remember it to thee." Costa 
 chuckled to himself, though his face remained unfath- 
 omable. 
 
 "God forbid," said Joseph, devoutly. "I have no 
 grudge against him. I forgive him as I expect forgive- 
 ness." 
 
 "Peace be with thee. May thou find the robber and 
 smite him with thy strong arm," said the polite stranger 
 as he rode briskly away, after bowing to the gathered 
 throng and saluting Joseph. 
 
 The wizard had followed slowly after Costa and 
 reached the cavalcade on the way to the little camp, 
 which he had it in his mind to visit. But, meeting Joseph 
 and his friends, as they came to the road leading up the 
 mountain, he mingled with them and was an eye witness 
 of what occurred when they met Panthera. Listening 
 intently, observing every expression of the actors in 
 the distressful scene and the attitude of the soldier 
 toward the beautiful maid, he drew his own conclusions 
 and acted accordingly. 
 
 Allowing his horse to walk leisurely after the pro- 
 cession until they came to the road leading to Hebron, 
 the wizard drew rein and waited until overtaken by 
 Panthera. 
 
 "Panthera, of Herod's German retinue, if I mistake 
 not?" he said, addressing the soldier. 
 
 "Caius Panthera is my name. Whom have I the 
 honor of addressing?" was the deliberate, reply. 
 
 "Solan Hai, the friend of Herod," and the wizard 
 threw back his cowl, which had, up to this time, almost 
 concealed his features. 
 
 "Chancing to be in the vicinity I was attracted to 
 the spot and witnessed the meeting of yourself and this 
 people. Surmising that you might not be familiar with
 
 96 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 some of their customs, it occurred to me that I might 
 be of use to you." 
 
 "In what respect, pray?" asked Panthera, distantly. 
 
 "Among this people, it is the custom to mourn seven 
 days. The young woman began her mourning when 
 she turned from you to her own,' remarked Solan Hai, 
 insinuatingly. 
 
 "Thou art a Jew ?" asked Panthera. 
 
 "A half one. Idumea is the land of my birth," said 
 the wizard quietly. 
 
 "Where will they bury Joachim ?" asked Panthera. 
 It was on his tongue to say "the father of Mary," but 
 he realized that Solan Hai was narrowly watching him. 
 
 "They will bury him to-morrow, before the going 
 down of the sun," replied Solan, ignoring the flush on 
 the soldier's face. "The next day is the Sabbath. If 
 thou wilt, thou may'st tarry with a friend and kinsman 
 of thy servant whose abode is at Hebron. The sepul- 
 chre wherein they will lay Joachim is in the field of 
 Ephraim, where his fathers have been laid before him." 
 
 Panthera hesitated, the stranger did not favorably 
 impress him, but he must not neglect an opportunity of 
 remaining near the sweet maiden. Even should this 
 hospitable offer be only a blind for treachery, he would 
 accept it for the sake of, possibly, knowing more of 
 Mary, of again speaking face to face with her. He 
 turned his horse into the Hebron road and accompanied 
 Solan Hai.
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 A FRIEND OF THE KING. 
 
 The camp of Joachim presented a new scene from 
 the happenings of the day. The crisp grass was worn 
 and crushed by the trampling of many feet. The pre- 
 sence of groups of Jews from all the surrounding coun- 
 try lent animation to the heretofore silent place. When 
 occasion required conversation was carried on, but, in 
 undertones, as though to leave undisturbed the stillness 
 about the tent where the body of the patriarch was 
 laid. The sides of this tent were rolled up and a num- 
 ber of persons were seated on the ground about it. 
 
 The embalmers had prepared the spices of myrrh, 
 aloes and spikenard, which gave forth an overpowering 
 scent, filling the air with sweetness. The watchers were 
 decorous and solemn in their behavior and quiet in their 
 movements. Every step was measured and careful and 
 a look of gravity, like a covering of intense sorrow, was 
 upon the faces of these people. 
 
 The Jewish merchant had been well known and 
 universally esteemed among his countrymen who 
 resided in this region. Many of them had been recip- 
 ients of his bounty and assistance in various ways. 
 They knew him as one who never turned a deaf ear to 
 the story of distress ; whose active controlling life-work 
 had always been on the side of his people in every 
 struggle affecting their welfare. His wealth had made 
 him a power, felt among the Israelites only for their 
 
 97
 
 98 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 good. On this day many could not refrain from 
 weeping, telling the story of a lost friend, and mighty 
 man, who had fallen. 
 
 The sufferings of the poor, wounded camel had been 
 mercifully ended by the servants. With the aid of 
 friendly hands they had consigned the carcass to a deep 
 grave dug on the spot. The folded tents had been again 
 erected for the convenience of those who watched and 
 for others who came to lend their aid to those in need. 
 All these people, gathered about the camp, were now 
 waiting for the arrival of Joachim's daughter. 
 
 As the day lengthened much anxiety was felt lest 
 Joseph had been unsuccessful in his quest and they 
 would be called upon to mourn the loss of the damsel, 
 also. 
 
 At last, when the day was well nigh spent, the 
 waiting Jews saw the rescuing party approaching. 
 Joseph and Mary were in the lead as they traveled 
 along on the mournful journey. The maid had vouch- 
 safed but little speech to the sorrowful Joseph, and 
 now, oblivious of him, she turned her horse in from 
 the highway and rode directly toward the tent, where 
 lay all that remained to her of her best beloved friend. 
 
 Dismounting, she accepted the proffered arm of 
 Joseph, who led her to the bier. One of the attendants, 
 after a pitying glance into her convulsed face, turned 
 down the pall and allowed the damsel to gaze on the 
 features of her father, still and cold in the dreamless 
 sleep that knows no waking. The heart-stricken 
 daughter fastened her eyes for a moment on the non- 
 responsive countenance, then fell upon her knees 
 weeping and kissing the stony face. She clung to the 
 lifeless form and would not be comforted.
 
 A Friend of the King. 99 
 
 "My father, Oh, my father !" she sobbed. The cry cut 
 deeply into the emotional natures of the sympathetic 
 Israelitish friends who listened and beheld the anguish 
 and tenderness lavished on the remains of Joachim. 
 
 Many women from Hebron and the vicinity had 
 gathered in to lend whatever assistance might be 
 within their power. They mingled their motherly and 
 sisterly expressions of grief, their lamentations and 
 broken sobs with Mary's sorrowing cries; turning the 
 place into mourning as could no other tribe of people. 
 The men were not exempt in this respect and the tears 
 streamed down their sun-burned faces in genuine com- 
 miseration for the suffering of the maid, who, in so 
 brief a time, had been subjected to startling experiences 
 and called upon to pass through this bitter ordeal. 
 
 In the midst of this uncontrolled grief the Rabbi 
 arrived from Hebron. With his patient, living, loving 
 words he succeeded in pouring the oil of consolation 
 upon the troubled souls of this sorely pressed people, 
 whose affections had been broken up so suddenly. His 
 timely encouragement found a place in the minds of 
 the hearers and went far to still the tumult and bring 
 them to a sober consideration of the reality surrounding 
 the scene of death the inevitable, yet merciful appoint- 
 ment of God. 
 
 "Joachim, beloved of the Lord," the Rabbi said 
 impressively, "like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob hath died 
 in a good old age, an old man and full of years; and 
 was gathered to his fathers. Let not thy mourning, 
 Oh, my people, be as that of those who have no hope. 
 Remember the angel message to Moses when his people 
 were afflicted. From the burning bush the voice 
 declared : 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of
 
 ioo Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 Isaac, and the God of Jacob' not the God of the dead 
 but of the living. 
 
 "Mark the perfect; behold the upright for the end 
 of that man is peace. 
 
 "God is our refuge ! A present help in trouble. Let 
 thy trust be in him. Yea, in the shadow of his wings, 
 make thee thine hiding place, until these calamities be 
 over passed. Trust in him at all times. Pour out before 
 him all thine heart's grief. He is a shield, a buckler, a 
 tower of strength to those who put their trust in him. 
 
 "Unto God, the Lord, belongeth mercy ; for he rend- 
 ereth unto every man according to his work, and unto 
 him belong the issues from death. 
 
 "The mercy and goodness of the Lord are from ever- 
 lasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his 
 righteousness unto children's children. Men shall be 
 blessed in him. All nations shall call him blessed." 
 
 Turning to where the bereaved maiden still bent over 
 the form of Joachim, the revered man extended his 
 hand. 
 
 "Come, Mary, daughter of the Lord. Take thou the 
 hand of Joseph, thy kinsman, thou shalt be in his care." 
 
 Joseph moved forward and clasped the trembling 
 fingers as Mary mechanically obeyed the Rabbi. 
 
 "Joseph, friend and kinsman of Joachim, henceforth 
 thou hast a double charge. This child must be as thine 
 own, and a sister to thy children." 
 
 The Rabbi ceased speaking and Joseph led the 
 maiden from within the tent. 
 
 Thus came the night, following upon a day crowded 
 with events which ever marked and marred the after 
 life of the gentle creature, who had been so full of life 
 and beauty, strength and hope, at the rising of the 
 morning sun.
 
 A Friend of the King. 101 
 
 Truly, what may a day bring forth? Are the steps 
 of a man ordered ? 
 
 On the next day, the day before the Sabbath, 
 Joachim was buried in a sepulchre over against Hebron 
 in the land of Judea, and Mary mourned for him, with 
 great and sore lamentation, seven days. 
 
 It came to pass, during the time of her mourning, 
 that her heart went out to Caius Panthera and her soul 
 yearned for the comfort of his presence; but, she pre- 
 served this within her own breast, and was afraid to 
 speak of the matter to Joseph. 
 
 Solan Hai conducted the soldier to one of the most 
 pretentious dwellings in the village, where he was hos- 
 pitably received and entertained by one Simon, whose 
 sirname was Gatzor, a trader and merchant of Hebron. 
 The household of this person consisted of himself, his 
 wife, Mariam, and their daughter Alta, a handsome 
 woman of the dark Jewish type. 
 
 Sumptuous apartments, luxuriously furnished, were 
 placed at the disposal of their guest, and Panthera was 
 well pleased with his surroundings in the Jewish home. 
 
 Constantly watchful of Solan Hai and mistrusting 
 his kindly offices toward himself, the Roman observed 
 that the wizard was on the most familiar, and appar- 
 ently friendly terms with the host and hostess. 
 
 No effort was spared to render Panthera comfortable 
 and place him entirely at ease. While this did not in 
 the least flatter the soldier, he, for want of a better 
 arrangement, contented himself and accepted the 
 courtesies offered, as only the most exquisite breeding 
 makes possible.
 
 IO2 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 That the wizard had some villanous design beneath 
 this show of friendship, the soldier had not the smallest 
 doubt. Yet, he held the man in contempt, feared him 
 not at all, and decided that a few days spent in the place 
 would not be wasted. 
 
 The particulars of the exploit in the mountain arena, 
 with Melsach, became public property in a remarkably 
 short time. The account was highly colored, making 
 Panthera the hero of the hour. The inordinate curiosity 
 of Mary's countrywomen had intruded upon the sanc- 
 tity of her mourning, and she had been compelled to 
 satisfy their craving for the marvelous. All at once 
 the soldier found himself the center of admiration and 
 attraction. 
 
 To look out upon the straggling houses and listen to 
 the incessant conversation of Solan Hai was a mono- 
 tony that at last began to cloy upon the spirit of Pan- 
 thera. Accustomed to action, loving it, he began to 
 feel that something must be done. Solan Hai appeared 
 to be on intimate terms with every person, so that to 
 make inquiries concerning him was not the part of 
 prudence. Constantly the wizard appeared to go out of 
 his way to cultivate an intimacy with the Roman and, 
 as constantly, he failed to make the slightest inroad 
 upon the reserve with which the soldier surrounded 
 himself. The latter had learned, from the well informed 
 Solan, that the Jewish maiden was sojourning within 
 a short distance of Hebron during the week of her 
 mourning. 
 
 It was the fifth day, about the ninth hour, when 
 Solan Hai stepped into the apartment occupied by 
 Panthera, with a cordial greeting, so affectedly cordial 
 indeed, that it had the opposite effect on the soldier to 
 that desired by his visitor.
 
 A Friend of the King. 103 
 
 To possess and share with the king the confiscated 
 property of the dead patriarch, was the plot now upper- 
 most in the mind of the schemer ; and to use the soldier 
 in the furtherance of the design was the primary object 
 of this visit. The death of Joachim had paved the way 
 toward the success of the enterprise, the plan of which 
 had been maturing in the fertile brain of the wizard. 
 
 To discover, if possible, the why and wherefore of 
 Panthera's presence at the camp and, as a matter of 
 safety, what, if anything, he might know was a pre- 
 liminary step. At the same time he wished to -ascertain 
 in what manner the soldier could best be used in the 
 accomplishment of this matter, either by lending his 
 active interest and co-operation, or as a passive instru- 
 ment in the deft hands of this wily manipulator of 
 money and men. 
 
 Mary must be disposed of in some way, and excuse 
 must be furnished for the seizure of her patrimony. 
 Trusting to his customary good fortune and natural 
 disposition to take advantage of every favorable cir- 
 cumstance, the wizard was cautiously feeling his way, 
 with never for a moment a doubt in his mind of the 
 ultimate success of his plan. 
 
 "Thou art aware that thy servant enjoys the confi- 
 dence, and, I may say, the friendship of the king?" 
 began Solan Hai. insinuatingly. 
 
 "So I understand," assented Panthera, quietly. 
 
 "I have already forwarded an account of this out- 
 rage to Herod, that is, so much of it as I have been 
 able to learn. Thou would'st not think thy friend too 
 inquisitive should he venture to ask thee a few questions 
 regarding this occurrence?" and the wizard seated 
 himself confidentially near the soldier.
 
 IO4 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "Not in the least," was the unmoved reply, 
 "proceed." 
 
 "Thou did'st exchange horses with thine antag- 
 onist?" said the wizard, and a keen glance accompanied 
 the question. 
 
 "I did. I was compelled to do so. Mine he killed." 
 Panthera answered, measuring the man before him 
 coolly with careless eyes. 
 
 "The animal is mine. It had been stolen a short time 
 previous. I recognized him the moment I saw him in 
 thy possession. Fear not; henceforth he is thine, the 
 gift of thy friend." Panthera was gazing searchingly 
 at his companion in silence that disconcerted the speaker 
 not a little. 
 
 "A large tract of land is in my possession near-by. 
 This animal, with others, had been running at large. 
 'Tis a noble beast and it gives me pleasure to place it 
 at thy disposal." A shade of anxiety crept into the 
 face of Solan Hai as he waited for Panthera's reply. 
 
 It was no part of Panthera's mode of procedure to 
 give offense to his visitor, and the suave voice almost 
 reassured Solan Hai as the soldier replied : 
 
 "Such a gift will serve me well at this time. My loss 
 seemed all but irreparable. I accept with gratitude." 
 
 "Mention it not, I pray thee," was the quick reply, 
 relief evident in the wizard's tones. "The body of the 
 robber has been found. There can be no doubt as to 
 the manner of his death. And yet, there will be 
 inquiries made as to the particulars." 
 
 "I am ready at any time to give account of my doings 
 in this matter," responded Panthera, noticing the sug- 
 gestion. 
 
 "Of course, certainly. I had no doubt of that. It
 
 A Friend of the King. 105 
 
 was quite opportune, thy presence at the camp when 
 the attack commenced," said the wizard awkwardly, at 
 a loss for words to ask the thing uppermost in his mind, 
 namely, why Panthera had been there at all ? 
 
 "Perhaps so," answered the soldier, provokingly. 
 
 "Thou wast an acquaintance of Joachim ?" asked the 
 bland voice, undeterred by the soldier's reserve. 
 
 "No, never saw him before," was the somewhat sur- 
 prising reply. 
 
 "Nor his daughter?" added Solan, making a real 
 mistake. 
 
 "Nor his daughter," repeated Panthera, with a slight 
 show of impatience. 
 
 This lack of acquaintance struck the wizard as 
 somewhat peculiar, still, he did not betray his astonish- 
 ment, but continued to pry into the matter. 
 
 "Did'st thou have business with him?" 
 
 "I did, a small matter." 
 
 These deliberate replies nettled Solan Hai. He had 
 been so much held in awe by his associates that this 
 treatment was not easily endured. In spite of his inten- 
 tion a threat crept into his next utterance. 
 
 "Thou mayest be called upon to answer before 
 Herod's officer as to thy business. Dost thou under- 
 stand?" 
 
 "Perfectly," replied Panthera with indifference. 
 
 Solan Hai's ugly brows wrinkled but he preserved 
 the even tones of voice as he continued : 
 
 "Perhaps thou would'st tell thy friend about the 
 small matter, so thy servant could report more fully. 
 Thou might'st be saved trouble with the investigation." 
 
 "I perceive," answered Panthera, "but, I must 
 decline to further enlighten my friend."
 
 106 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 The sarcastic intonation of the last words was not 
 to be mistaken. Even in the dark, as he was, Panthera 
 seemed to be more than a match for the consummate 
 rascal before him. 
 
 "For what reason, I pray?" Solan asked after a 
 moment. 
 
 "The same I would offer the king's officer." 
 
 "And that?" eagerly. 
 
 "It would be no concern of his." 
 
 Panthera arose, giving the wizard to understand that 
 the interview was at an end. The latter could not fail 
 to accept so broad a hint and, though inwardly chaf- 
 ing, withdrew smilingly in well-feigned friendliness.
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE TEMPTATION. 
 
 Sleep did not bring to Solan Hai forgetfulness of the 
 way in which his inquiries had been parried. He did 
 not dismiss from his mind, nor attempt to disguise 
 from himself, the resentment that had arisen against 
 the soldier, and feverish dreams troubled his rest. 
 
 Morning found the mortification and anger of the 
 wizard increased to an extent that boded ill to the 
 Roman. When he dwelt on the nonchalant grace with 
 which the rebuff had been administered, he was 
 incensed beyond bearing, and, in his rage, stamped the 
 floor with his huge feet in impotent fury. 
 
 He resolved to ascertain why this adventurer had put 
 in an appearance at so timely an hour. Acting with this 
 purpose in mind he saddled his horse and in the early 
 morning hours was on the road that led to the camp 
 lately occupied by the wise men. As he traveled his 
 face took on a look of malevolence. Anon he smothered 
 some deep imprecations, coupled with the name of Pan- 
 thera that could not have reassured or pleased that 
 devoted soldier had he heard them. 
 
 "I'll teach the dastard, curse him, to insult me; me, 
 Solan Hai!" 
 
 The horse jumped from fear at the vehemence of the 
 expression. For some distance the infuriated man 
 allowed the animal free rein while he dug his sharp 
 sandaled heels into the sides of the astonished Arabian. 
 
 107
 
 io8 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 He did not slacken his headlong pace until the site of 
 the encampment was in view, then he drew rein and 
 sobered himself before his destination was reached. 
 
 The servants had remained in charge awaiting the 
 further orders of Mary and Joseph. 
 
 Solan Hai dismounted, secured his horse and 
 approached. Both servants arose from where they had 
 been reclining and awaited the advance of their visitor. 
 Coming within a few paces of where they stood, the 
 wizard addressed the men in a tone calculated to inspire 
 their awe and terror. 
 
 "Thou knowest me ! Thou knowest who I am ! Dost 
 thou hear?" The snake eyes of the speaker glittered 
 savagely as he gazed sternly at the servants. 
 
 In evident consternation at this abrupt introduction, 
 one of the men stammered : 
 
 "Thou art art " 
 
 "The wizard of Jerusalem, Solan Hai. Thou art 
 right. Now then, look sharp. There must be no trifling 
 between thee and me. Dost thou comprehend ?" 
 
 The wizard came close to the servants, speaking with 
 compelling intensity. 
 
 "We are thy humble servants," blurted out both 
 men, moved by sudden fear. 
 
 "Give me thine ears. When the stranger arrived, on 
 the morning of Joachim's death, thou wert here?" 
 demanded Solan. 
 
 "Truly hast thou said. We were," answered one; 
 while the fellow servant bowed his head in acquies- 
 cence. 
 
 "Knowest thou what brought him here?" asked the 
 wizard. 
 
 "A horse," promptly replied the most forward of the 
 men.
 
 The Temptation. 109 
 
 "Dolt!' exclaimed the questioner. "What was his 
 business, if thou knowest?" 
 
 "I know not," answered the man. 
 
 "Nor I," echoed his companion. 
 
 "Show me the spot where Joachim lay when thou 
 did'st discover him dead," commanded Solan. 
 
 Without demur the servants led the way. The tent 
 had not been taken down and Solan Hai followed them 
 into it. One of the servants pointed to the spot, and 
 said : 
 
 "Here is where he lay. His kinsman, Joseph, was the 
 first to know. We came at his call." 
 
 "Hath anything been moved out of the tent, since 
 then?" asked Solan, as his keen eyes searched the place. 
 
 "Nothing, except the body," was the reply. 
 
 "Since the funeral, hath Joseph returned here?" 
 
 "He hath not," replied the wondering servant. 
 
 "Where is he now?" Solan frowned darkly and 
 glowered at the trembling men as though falsehood 
 would bring instant and terrible calamities. 
 
 "Joseph accompanied the maid to the home of 
 Johanna, the wife of Melton, on the Jerusalem way, a 
 short distance from Hebron," said the man, and as 
 Solan continued to frown without speaking, he added. 
 "Thy servants were ordered to remain here until their 
 return." 
 
 Solan Hai seemed to note the speech, but waved 
 his hand toward the entrance. 
 
 "Thou may'st depart, but remain within call," he 
 said, and they gladly obeyed the command without 
 question. 
 
 Left alone the wizard resolutely and systematically 
 proceeded to ransack every nook and corner of the 
 tent. Everything was turned over and pryed into, nor
 
 no Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 did he desist until the undertaking was thoroughly 
 finished to his own satisfaction. 
 
 The scrolls and rolls, after a quick examination, he 
 threw from him with contempt. All other writings he 
 secured for further consideration and future reference. 
 Solan Hai's search for the cause of Panthera's presence 
 at the camp of Joachim was quite successful, for, among 
 the writings he carefully and grimly folded together 
 and concealed preparatory to departure, was the mes- 
 sage from the king's sister, Salome, which had been 
 overlooked, where it had fallen from the hand of the 
 dead Israelite. 
 
 "I'll look these over carefully when I have more 
 time," he muttered, rapidly replacing the articles dis- 
 turbed in the search so as to leave no evidence of his 
 visit'. This arranged, he stalked out to where the ser- 
 vants waited and pausing before them drew his ill- 
 formed body to its most imposing posture. 
 
 "Solan Hai never forgives an act of treachery," he 
 began, addressing them with punctilious severity. 
 "Thou wilt forget this visit. Never to mention or refer 
 to it will be the proper thing. Men go to Tartarus who 
 allow their tongues to wag too freely and women too 
 sometimes. Dost thou comprehend ?" 
 
 One of the men recovered himself from the horror 
 of this tirade and answered : 
 
 "Most gracious master, thy servants know thy power 
 and will obey thy wishes." 
 
 "By so doing thou wilt save thy precious heads," 
 growled Solan. "Here is a piece of gold for each of 
 thee," and he dropped the yellow coins into the palm of 
 the man nearest him. "Regard thyselves in the serviqe 
 of Solan Hai, the wizard, who always rewards, do not
 
 The Temptation. in 
 
 forget always rewards, and knows how to punish 
 disloyalty." 
 
 Without waiting for reply Solan Hai turned away, 
 walked to his horse and, mounting, retraced his way, 
 without one backward glance, to Hebron and the house 
 that sheltered Panthera. 
 
 Later, in the same day, the wizard sought again the 
 presence of the Roman soldier, who received him 
 kindly, without show of displeasure, and as if nothing 
 had occurred to disturb his equanimity. 
 
 There was an air of assurance in the demeanor and 
 bearing of the friend of Herod, on this occasion, that 
 did not escape the observation of the soldier. A pre- 
 sentment seized him that Solan Hai would return to 
 the subject so peremptorily dismissed on the previous 
 day. In this he was not mistaken. The wizard did not 
 keep him long in doubt. 
 
 "On yesterday, my friend," he began in a voice from 
 which he vainly strove to eliminate his satisfaction, 
 "I fear thou wast disposed to take offence at what 
 might have seemed to be inquisitiveness on the part of 
 thy servant. Let me assure thee, my inquiries were 
 meant for thy good only for thy good." 
 
 "No doubt, Solan Hai, thou art deeply interested in 
 the welfare of a soldier of fortune with nothing but his 
 sword and strong arm to commend him." Panthera 
 answered, feeling a sort of enjoyment at the discomfit- 
 ure of his self-styled friend. 
 
 "Thou hast most truly voiced my sentiments and 
 disposition. Though I say it myself, it hath always been 
 my way to recognize merit wherever it might be 
 found." The beetle brows moved but a hard smile 
 played about the mouth of the wizard, for he was deter- 
 mined to make the most of this opportunity.
 
 112 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 Panthera did not comment, thinking it best to allow 
 his interviewer to unburden his mind in his own way. 
 
 "I may say," continued Solan Hai, after a moment, 
 "that many are indebted to thy servant for favors in 
 this respect. I stand well at the court of Herod; am 
 known as the friend of the king." 
 
 "Thou hast assured me of that fact on another 
 occasion. I have no reason to doubt thy word." But 
 Panthera's tone indicated that, while he might not 
 doubt the word of Solan Hai, neither did he rate it of 
 consequence. 
 
 The wizard controlled the fury that, with any other 
 man to deal with, he would have allowed full sway. 
 
 "'Tis no light thing to count on the good offices of 
 Solan Hai ; I assure thee Panthera, I can be of lasting 
 service to thee," he said earnestly. 
 
 "In what respect?" asked Panthera. "Pray come to 
 the point." 
 
 "So be it," said the wizard, with a sudden change of 
 tone, "I will. Listen patiently." 
 
 "I am quite willing to know of what thou would'st 
 speak," the soldier said. "I am all attention." But 
 his tone conveyed anything other than patience. 
 
 "Thou art a soldier without a shekel of gold either in 
 thy purse, or in prospect." 
 
 The effect of the words was keenly watched for by 
 Solan Hai. Apparently Panthera was unaffected for 
 he replied calmly : 
 
 "For once, thou hast spoken the truth." 
 
 The wizard bit his distorted lips, but went on evenly : 
 
 "Thou art an alien to the commonwealth of Israel 
 and Rome, as well." 
 
 "Quite true," assented the soldier imperturbably.
 
 The Temptation. 113 
 
 "My eyes fisst beheld the light in that far away island 
 bejond Gaul." 
 
 "Thy father failed to make terms with Augustus. 
 Fortune was against him and misfortune pursues his 
 son," said Solan. 
 
 "My father loved the principles of right/' cried Pan- 
 thera warmly. "He hated deceit. I thank the gods 
 the same noble blood flows in the veins of his son." 
 
 Solan Hai had not meant the conversation to take 
 this turn. He hastened to smooth the matter. 
 
 "Yes ! Yes !" he exclaimed in some confusion. "I 
 quite agree with thee, though we might differ as to the 
 expediency of things. Well, let that pass. A friend, 
 thou knowest, is oft times a necessary and convenient 
 adjunct in the struggle for existence, especially when 
 that struggle is so unequal." 
 
 "I believe I understand thee. Thou hast something 
 to offer. Out with it." The soldier condescended to 
 make his replies in a gentle manner, still he but ill con- 
 cealed his disgust. 
 
 "He who might expect friendship, should act 
 friendly," persisted the wizard fawningly. 
 
 "Possibly and even at the expense of his honor," 
 answered Panthera in a tone of bitterness. 
 
 "In these matters, we should not make too nice or too 
 wise distinctions," said Solan somewhat impatiently. 
 "Thou art in need of gold ?" 
 
 "Granted thou would'st take advantage of the needs 
 of thy friend proceed." 
 
 The penetration of Panthera was not pleasing to the 
 wizard, however, he would not understand the scorn 
 now visible in the face as well as in the voice of the 
 Roman. 
 
 "I would place thee in a position where thou would'st
 
 H4 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 command the very desires of thine heart," said Solan, 
 carefully. 
 
 "Explain thyself !" peremptorily demanded Panthera. 
 
 "Thou art in love with the Jewish maiden, the 
 orphan daughter of Joachim," commenced the wizard 
 deliberately. "I know that she loves thee in return and 
 longs for thy society. The sacred law of her race will 
 not permit her to intermarry with one who is not an 
 Israelite. An impassible gulf is fixed between she and 
 thee. I can overcome these difficulties, provide thee a 
 competency, and the woman of thy choice. A ship shall 
 be at thy disposal, within a week thou may'st be on thy 
 way to Italy, or Britain, as thou may'st elect." 
 
 Solan paused and looked into the calm, unmoved face 
 of the man seated before him. 
 
 "What equivalent am I to render for this fore- 
 thought; this provision for my welfare; I may say, 
 this disinterested kindness?" 
 
 The question was a thrust and the wizard was not 
 exactly prepared for it. The perfect gravity with which 
 it was propounded confused him. Still, he recovered 
 quickly and returned once more to the subject. The 
 object before him was too important to allow a small 
 matter to hinder its accomplishment. 
 
 "Thou hast misunderstood thy servant," he said, in a 
 wheedling voice. 
 
 "I wait patiently for further enlightenment. Go 
 on," said Panthera, his absolute composure increasing 
 the trepidation of Solan. 
 
 "I would do thee a service," reiterated the wizard. 
 "One that most men, in your circumstances, would 
 gladly accept. You hesitate as though the obstacles 
 were too great and my promises could not be per- 
 formed. I tell thee, I can do all I say, and more
 
 The Temptation. 115 
 
 wilt thou entertain my proposals, or wilt thou take 
 time to consider them ?" 
 
 "I will do neither the one nor the other; I cannot." 
 The soldier arose and walked across the room. "I am 
 persuaded," he exclaimed, facing Solan Hai, "that, 
 under the guise of friendship, and service to my inter- 
 est my desires there is a motive that would work 
 wrong and injury to her whom thou hast mentioned. 
 Besides, her wishes have not been consulted. Thou 
 would'st make me a creature altogether like thyself 
 a thief. I have never willingly given offense to any 
 man, neither will I accept it, least of all from thee." 
 
 Panthera had drawn near to the wizard, whose face 
 paled at the denunciation. 
 
 "Listen!" thundered the soldier, "Let there be an 
 understanding between us. Let ought of injury come 
 to that innocent maiden " the soldier paused. 
 
 Solan Hai sprang to his feet and glared into the stern 
 face before him with a terrible look of hatred, which 
 was met scornfully. The momentary silence was broken 
 by the wizard : 
 
 "Thy life is in the hands of the man whom thou hast 
 seen fit to scorn and defy," he hissed. "Make no mis- 
 take, thou art completely in my power." 
 
 "That may be true, and yet, I dare thee to do thy 
 worst," cried Panthera, undaunted. 
 
 "I offered thee home, riches, the woman of thy 
 choice. All these on one condition only to take her and 
 depart. I withdraw my offer. I take back my friend- 
 ship as well. I know thy very thoughts, Panthera. 
 Beware! If thou dost further cross the path of Solan 
 Hai, it had been better for thee if thou had'st never 
 been born." The venomous words fell in a torrent 
 and the wizard clinched his fists while he spoke.
 
 n6 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "I have not wittingly or willingly given thee offense, 
 save in this one thing," Panthera said. "Thou would'st 
 tempt me to outrage the purity of an innocent woman. 
 Thou did'st explain the impossibility of honorable 
 marriage, and then thou offerest me a dastardly alter- 
 native. Is thy heart so thickened as not to feel thou 
 hast offended past reconciliation?" 
 
 "Be it so," sneered Solan. "Thou hast chosen. Let 
 me expose some of the danger confronting thee. Thou 
 art an hireling of the king his soldier for pay. Thou 
 dost eat and drink at his table only to betray him." 
 
 "Thou hast the venom of a snake and the tongue of 
 a false witness," interrupted Panthera. 
 
 "Reserve thy judgment lest thou condemn thyself 
 before hand," answered the wizard. "The sister of 
 the king was thy visitor the night thou did'st leave Jeru- 
 salem. Doubtless she is thy friend and shall be able to 
 succor thee in the hour of need." 
 
 Panthera did not deign to reply and the wizard con- 
 tinued : 
 
 "She sent by thee a message, which thou did'st 
 deliver to another with all dispatch. A message, I may 
 say, not complimentary to thy master who feeds and 
 pays." 
 
 The exultant irony of the tone betrayed still farther 
 the base nature of the speaker. 
 
 "Suppose all this to be true," said Panthera, "what 
 is it to thee?" 
 
 "It is naught to me," cried the baffled schemer. 
 "While I was thy friend I felt thy danger, now, since 
 thou dost chose thine own way, I will tell thee this 
 thou hast identified thyself with conspirators against 
 the throne of Herod."
 
 The Temptation. 117 
 
 "Dost thou mean Joachim?" asked Panthera, sur- 
 prised. 
 
 "Yes, Joachim, the father of the woman thou lovest." 
 Solan waited for a moment hoping for some sign of 
 weakening from the soldier. 
 
 "Consider well my proposal of friendship," he con- 
 tinued. "Again I pledge it. Thou may'st have gold- 
 gold, the maiden, home all ! all ! Leave the land of 
 Israel ! Take her with thee ! Everything is within 
 thy grasp. She loves thee she is willing, I know. 
 The wizard knows all things. What sayest thou ? Thou 
 wilt accept the offer of thy friend ?" 
 
 "Thou knave. No; ten thousand times no! Never 
 will I listen again to any word from thee," excitedly 
 exclaimed the soldier, and he dashed from the room and 
 the presence of the tempter.
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE PRISONER. 
 
 Prompted by angry excitement that rendered him, 
 for the time, incapable of collected thought, Panthera 
 went out of the dwelling and into the streets where 
 he walked until aware that his rapid strides were 
 attracting attention. The publicity, into which the 
 rescue of Mary had brought him, was extremely dis- 
 tasteful and, noting the curious eyes following his 
 movements, he retraced his steps forthwith, intending 
 to make preparations for immediate departure. To 
 remain longer under obligations to the man whom he 
 now knew to be his uncompromising enemy was not 
 possible, and he keenly realized that to widen the breach, 
 already created, would be the inevitable consequence 
 of another meeting. 
 
 On re-entering his apartment Panthera discovered, 
 as he had expected, that Solan Hai was no longer there. 
 The horse, the gift of the bland villian, in the light of 
 recent revelations could not be accepted, and the soldier 
 determined to go away on foot. He had sojourned 
 in these parts long enough, too long for comfort or 
 safety. 
 
 He no longer attempted to dismiss from his mind 
 the thought of the Jewish maiden. At no time since 
 the beginning of his acquaintance with her could he 
 have silenced the love that came into life when, as the 
 messenger of Salome, he first beheld the fair Mary in 
 
 118
 
 The Prisoner. 119 
 
 her father's tent. It had become the ruling cause in 
 the soldier's conduct, and now that there was an assur- 
 ance, amounting to certainty, of danger to her from the 
 designs of Solan Hai, Panthera considered it his imper- 
 ative duty to warn her; to protect her from the 
 machinations of the scoundrel, though the method of 
 performing this office might present a problem not 
 easily solved. 
 
 The information which he considered vitally impor- 
 tant to Mary could not be imparted to her without a 
 chance of involving, or evolving a number of other 
 matters which would be unexplainable without a revela- 
 tion of his own sentiments. 
 
 He could not hope to have inspired in the maiden's 
 breast a feeling akin to his own absorbing passion and 
 to place her under an obligation was not for a moment 
 to be considered. 
 
 The expedient of placing his suspicions in writing 
 and conveying them to Joseph came to him; but he 
 recollected that all his information concerning the ven- 
 erable Jew and his ward had been given by Solan Hai, 
 and the Roman doubted much if the place, indicated as 
 their temporary residence, had ever sheltered them. He 
 would find them, however, and rapidly collecting his 
 few possessions, Panthera decided to start at once, not- 
 withstanding the fact that the day was nearly ended. 
 
 Securing his sword and adjusting his shield he 
 stepped to the door; 'placing his hand on the latch he 
 attempted, carelessly at first, to open it. The latch lifted 
 readily but the door remained fast shut, resisting his 
 most strenuous efforts. Nonplussed and dumbfounded 
 he brought all his strength to bear, still it did not yield. 
 It was securely fastened. 
 
 "A prisoner!" he exclaimed, mechanically drawing
 
 I2O Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 his sword. "What can be the meaning of this act of 
 treachery?" he murmured to himself. "It must be 
 another token of thoughtful interest and solicitude 
 coming from my very dear and disinterested friend 
 the wizard." 
 
 Panthera smiled grimly as he reasoned to the only 
 conclusion warranted by the circumstances. 
 
 The house and its partition walls were built of stone 
 solidly cemented. No means of escape presented itself 
 save through the latticed windows. Panthera recol- 
 lected that these fronted over the valley. A downward 
 glance convinced him that, owing to their elevation, 
 a leap would be hazardous to life and limb. He was 
 a prisoner, indeed, quite as much so as if the windows 
 had been barred with iron. 
 
 As he turned from the sight of the valley, so fat 
 below, his ear caught the sound of a grating noise, as 
 of a ponderous body moving heavily. He was aston- 
 ished to see a section of the huge stones in the opposite 
 wall move and slowly turn outward from the room, a 
 door of solid masonry swinging on stone pivots, pro- 
 ducing but slight noise for so weighty a body. 
 
 In spite of his efforts to remain cool and collected a 
 feeling of dread took possession of the soldier. A 
 bewildering horror seized him as he beheld the open 
 door exposing a passageway beyond. 
 
 Recovering himself he put his back against the wall, 
 resolved to sell his liberty, or his life, at as costly a 
 price as might be in his power. He waited, in an atti- 
 tude of defense, with drawn sword. 
 
 Doubtless an enemy had cut off the means of egress 
 and was now continuing operations in this mysterious 
 manner. 
 
 Panthera raised the point of his sword in readiness.
 
 The Prisoner. 121 
 
 Whoever might enter by this secret way should have 
 cause to remember. 
 
 The door swung slowly back, and out of the gloomy 
 passageway a woman came forth. She stood for a 
 moment on the threshold then advanced into the room. 
 
 It was Alta, the daughter of Simon Gatzor. She 
 confronted the soldier almost haughtily. 
 
 "Put up thy sword!" she said; a trace of scorn dis- 
 cernable in voice and features, as she recognized the 
 motive of Panthera's attitude. 
 
 The soldier slowly sheathed the weapon. Although 
 he had been in the same abode for several days, the 
 wondrous beauty of his host's daughter became evident 
 to Panthera for the first time as she uttered the com- 
 mand. 
 
 "Put up thy sword !" 
 
 As she stood before him he was compelled to 
 acknowledge the power of her splendid presence and 
 queenly bearing, and yet, there was in her self-possess- 
 ion a suggestion of calculating shrewdness that did not 
 advance her in the estimation of the soldier. 
 
 Truly she was beautiful dangerously so, but the 
 cold glitter of her piercing black eyes denoted an exact- 
 ing disposition and a temper cruel, even vindictive 
 when aroused, strong passion was depicted in the splen- 
 didly moulded features. 
 
 Panthera intuitively knew she would be either a 
 warm friend or a desperate enemy. Much surprised at 
 seeing her there, the soldier looked searchingly into 
 Alta's face and waited for her to speak again. 
 
 "Thou art prepared to leave us?" she asked. 
 
 "Quite ready, lady," replied Panthera, "but " 
 
 "I hindered thee," she finished for him, noting his 
 hesitation.
 
 122 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "Then I am thy prisoner?' he questioned, somewhat 
 puzzled. 
 
 "For a time, yes. Still thou mayest go. See !" the 
 door that had resisted Panthera's efforts slipped easily 
 open leaving no visible obstacle in the way of escape. 
 
 The soldier sprang forward, as if to avail himself of 
 the opportunity to go forth. 
 
 "Hold!" cried Alta, intercepting him. "I did but 
 open the door to show thee my will and power to serve 
 thee. Thou did'st offend the wizard ?" 
 
 "Scarce an hour since," answered Panthera turning 
 from the door. 
 
 "I may not explain how, nor why, but I overheard 
 every word. Time must not be wasted. Solan Hai 
 hates thee. Hate with him is the full equivalent of 
 murder. Come with me. In no other way can'st thou 
 hope to escape disaster. Come !" she cried, and as the 
 soldier hesitated, "If not for thine own sake, that thou 
 may'st serve the innocent and helpless." 
 
 Alta stepped within the shadow of the dark passagi- 
 beyond the secret door; and the soldier, accepting the 
 situation, followed his captor into the unknown recess. 
 The scant light died out of the place, as the stone door 
 settled into its frame and Panthera found himself in 
 total darkness. No sound greeted his strained ears but 
 he knew that Alta was close at his side and it was only 
 a moment before he felt the light touch of her hand 
 on his arm. He was gently impelled for a short distance 
 along the unseen path, seeming to gradually descend. 
 
 "We are nearing the head of the stairs," whispered 
 Alta, after a brief interval. "Have a care lest thou 
 dash thy foot and fall." 
 
 Panthera passively followed his guide in the dark- 
 ness and, shuffling carefully forward, soon felt the
 
 The Prisoner. 123 
 
 first step. As they descended he counted the steps and 
 discovered that sixty of them measured the distance 
 between the landing and the floor below, in all proba~ 
 bility the foundation of the house. Another passage- 
 way, similar to the first, led away from the foot of 
 the stairs. It was a winding way, however, and Pan- 
 thera soon lost all reckoning of the direction. 
 
 In reality they were in a subterranean path tunneled 
 through one of the hills of Judea, for the use of the 
 Israelitish rulers, or their predecessors. 
 
 Perfectly familiar with the way, Alta moved forward 
 unerringly until they came into a large cave. Having 
 become accustomed to the darkness Panthera was able 
 to distinguish that the sides of this place had been con- 
 structed for security, presenting, as far as he could see 
 no way of escape. This thought was passing through 
 his mind when his companion spoke. 
 
 "This was a natural cave," she announced, "from 
 time to time it hath been enlarged since it was cemented 
 and attached to the house of my father. I am one of 
 the few who know the secret of its hidden door. With 
 the knowledge I possess it can be opened by the slight- 
 est touch." 
 
 "We are among the mountains, are we not?" inquired 
 Panthera. 
 
 "You have surmised correctly," answered Alta. 
 
 "Let us go hence, I pray thee!" said Panthera anx- 
 iously. 
 
 Alta seated herself on a boulder. 
 
 "Thou must wait until night comes, that it may cover 
 thy movements," she said, quietly. "Curb thine impa- 
 tience. By this time thine enemy hath discovered thy 
 flight. He hath not forgotten, neither will he forgive." 
 She pointed to a rocky seat of white stone gleaming
 
 124 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 vaguely through the semi-darkness. "Content thyseli 
 and rest," she continued, "thou shalt depart as soon as 
 it may be prudent. Solan Hai means thee mischief and 
 I am resolved thou shalt have one chance." 
 
 Wondering more than ever, yet, feeling the force of 
 Alta's reasoning, Panthera complied with the request, 
 seating himself on the rock. 
 
 "Solan Hai is the friend of thy father?" he said 
 interrogatively. 
 
 "No ! No ! He is the demon that overshadows my 
 father's life," cried Alta vehemently. "We were happy 
 until he blackened us with his presence like a dark pall 
 over our home. Taking advantage of my father's 
 inordinate love of money, the wizard hath gained com- 
 plete control of him, plunging him into misgiving, mis- 
 anthropy and doubt. Under the blighting, destroying 
 influence of Solan Hai, my dear, indulgent, loving 
 father is no more himself than Michael, the great 
 prince, is like Solan Hai. I cannot described the misery 
 that has entered our home since he became a frequenter 
 of it. He is a monster of deceit and greed, yet, in some 
 way he is connected with our gain in wealth and pos- 
 sessions. 
 
 "From being generous, hospitable, considerate and 
 kind to his countrymen and the stranger within his 
 gates ; from an affectionate husband and tender parent ; 
 from a loyal citizen of the commonwealth of Israel and 
 a worshiper of the only true God, my father hath turned 
 to a creature bereft of reason except as he imitates or 
 obeys his master the wizard. 
 
 "Under the spell of his controller my father trembles 
 day and night his eyes droop, his very life hangs in 
 doubt, there is no assurance of safety from the power of 
 this wretch. In the morning my father prays 'would
 
 The Prisoner. 125 
 
 God it were evening' ; and at evening, he cries out in 
 anguish, 'would God it were morning.' ' 
 
 Alta's voice, ringing with indignation when she first 
 spoke of Solan Hai, died away in sobs as she concluded 
 and she dashed tears of helpless anger and grief from 
 her eyes. 
 
 Whatever may have been Panthera's apprehension 
 for himself, he knew that this outburst of confidence 
 was genuine. 
 
 "My friend," he said, "thou hast the sympathy of 
 my soul. I have been informed before of the strange 
 and subtle influence exerted by this man over his coun- 
 trymen." 
 
 "He uses it only for evil !" exclaimed Alta. "Our 
 affections are crushed, my father's spirit is humbled 
 and obscured under the ruinous pressure exerted by 
 Solan Hai. That he is a diviner of thoughts, that he 
 can foretell events and commune with the dead, we 
 no more doubt than we do our existence. And yet 
 and yet my father does not cannot break away 
 from his destroyer." 
 
 "It is passing strange indeed," murmured Pan- 
 thera. 
 
 "Nazareth, in Galilee, is our native city. We lived 
 there, in moderate circumstances until a short time ago. 
 Then the wizard crossed the path of my father. We 
 came to this place at the behest yes, command of 
 Solan Hai. We are now increased in goods, rich in 
 want of nothing. My father is the slave of this man, 
 obeys his slightest wish ; stoops to the basest crimes 
 and offenses against his countrymen. But thou," recol- 
 lecting herself suddenly, "thou art not interested in 
 our sorrows, and I would not have thee think I sought 
 to betray or injure my father."
 
 126 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "I am interested, dear lady," answered Panthera 
 warmly. "I could not doubt thy loyalty to the best 
 interest of thy father. I would cheerfully assist thee. 
 Tell me, is there aught thy poor servant could do to 
 render aid to thee or thine ?" 
 
 "Alas; no," answered Alta sadly. "I only wonder 
 why I have thus intruded upon thy good nature and 
 made thee listen to my story of deceit and misery." 
 
 "Confessions relieve the over-burdened heart," said 
 Panthera, scarcely knowing how to best answer this 
 proud woman, who might resent the very sympathy 
 she seemed to court. 
 
 "Hearts break, rather than make them!" she 
 exclaimed passionately. "I pray thee to forget 
 this conversation." 
 
 "Thy wishes are commands," replied the soldier, 
 "but " 
 
 "No more," Alta rose to her feet. "Thou would'st 
 find the Jewish maiden, Mary, the daughter of 
 Joachim. Tell me thou may'st trust me dost thou 
 love her?" 
 
 Through the dim light of the cave Panthera knew 
 that the dark eyes of Alta were striving to read his face. 
 He did not attempt to fathom so deep a thing as the 
 reason for the imperative question, but answered unhesi- 
 tatingly, without equivocation. 
 
 "I do ; I love her more than life." 
 
 The voice, that had held a charm for Mary when 
 first she listened to its music, grew unspeakably sweet 
 as Panthera made this solemn affirmation. 
 
 The woman before him shivered as though with 
 sudden cold. Her firm fingers grasped the hard stone 
 "before her as Alta fought for control of herself. The 
 deepening shadows hid from her companion the deathly
 
 The Prisoner. * 127 
 
 pallor that whitened her face, but her voice did not 
 falter as she answered softly. 
 
 "It is enough. Alta will be thy friend." 
 
 She turned from the soldier, touched a contrivance, 
 and instantly a part of the wall swung inward revealing 
 an aperture sufficiently large to admit of their passing 
 into the open air. 
 
 "It is early yet in the night. If thou wilt remain in 
 the cave, thy servant will return to the house, discover 
 if thou art pursued and deliver to thee the information 
 she may be able to gather," said Alta, when they had 
 gained the outside. 
 
 "Thou shalt trouble thyself no farther. I know of 
 no words that can express to thee my thankfulness for 
 this deliverance. I fear danger to thee through thy 
 friendship for a stranger. Leave me and return to thy 
 father that thy presence may comfort him." 
 
 Panthera extended his hand toward his companion. 
 She did not appear to notice the action. 
 
 "Thou would'st have small cause for gratitude did I 
 but guide thee into this wilderness and leave thee," she 
 replied. "Thou art thoughtful, but I fear no danger, 
 care not if it threaten me. Still thou need'st not alarm 
 thyself. I have planned for my own absence. I tell thee 
 I can supply horses and lead thee to the abode of Mary 
 and her kinsman, Joseph. Would such a service be a 
 pleasure to thee?" 
 
 "Could I but be assured that harm would not befall 
 thee, nothing would be more acceptable to me," 
 answered Panthera, hope springing anew within him. 
 
 "Remain where thou art until I return," commanded 
 Alta, moving quickly toward the cave. 
 
 Panthera would have stopped her but she fled into 
 the passage, disappearing instantly from his sight.
 
 128 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 From the shelter of the rocks the Roman looked 
 away across the intervening valley to where the lights 
 of the town gleamed through latticed windows. Under 
 the cool, gray summer sky he stood thoughtfully consid- 
 ering the strange adventures of his last few days. 
 
 Time grew long to him and a lurking suspicion as to 
 the sincerity of Alta's professed friendship filled his 
 mind with distrust. Was it not more than likely that 
 he had been led here for some foul purpose. The shadow 
 of any rock might be a resting place for one of Solan 
 Hai's bandits. In his inmost heart the soldier believed 
 that the wizard was responsible for the raid at the camp 
 of Joachim and the subsequent horrors. Yet he felt 
 confident of his own strength to resist an enemy, and 
 resolved to wait a reasonable while for the fulfillment 
 of Alta's promise. He found himself growing certain 
 that she would redeem it. 
 
 Seating himself near the cave entrance he allowed his 
 mind to dwell on the object most dear to his heart. A 
 flood of tender recollections excluded all thought of 
 danger. He dreamed of the beautiful Jewish maiden ; 
 her image filled his mind, leaving no room for ought 
 else, until he was aroused from his reverie by the sound 
 of galloping horses.
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 HABABLI HILLEL. 
 
 From the cave entrance Panthera walked forth into 
 the starlight night and the violet atmosphere of the 
 balmy eastern clime caressed his brow as he pushed the 
 heavy curling locks from about his face. 
 
 Advancing with swift steps in the direction from 
 whence the sound had proceeded, the soldier beheld 
 Alta, superbly mounted, leading a splendid horse by 
 the bridle-rein. 
 
 She guided her horse to where Panthera stood. In a 
 masterful way she relinquished her hold of the extra 
 horse, indicating that the soldier should mount. 
 
 "I shall everlastingly be thy debtor," he exclaimed, 
 springing into the saddle. 
 
 "Mention it not," she said softly, a tremble breaking 
 through the hitherto firm voice. "The wizard hath 
 discovered thy flight ; he is in a towering rage, let us be 
 away, for, I tell thee truly, thou hast no time to waste." 
 
 The intrepid woman led the way. Without hesitancy 
 the soldier followed. Alta did not halt or speak. Unac- 
 customed to self-denial she fought fiercely against the 
 temptation to try if she could not win for herself some 
 expression of interest from this man ; she did not even 
 give Panthera opportunity to address her, but, setting 
 her face resolutely forward, she rode at a brisk trot 
 until a modest habitation was reached. Here she paused 
 and allowed her companion to come alongside. 
 
 129
 
 130 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "Thou wilt find the ones thou seekest at this place," 
 said Alta, with a studied carelessness that might have 
 betrayed her secret to one less preoccupied than the 
 soldier. 
 
 Since Mary had vanished from his view on the day 
 of her father's death, her rescuer had not beheld the 
 maid. She had never been absent from his thoughts; 
 waking or sleeping he had dwelt in a land of dreams 
 alone with his love now that he might be near her, 
 might enter her abode at will, he found himself 
 strangely diffident, felt that his presence in a place, 
 made sacred because it sheltered her, amounted to pre- 
 sumption. To face a desperate foe would have been a 
 matter of comparative indifference and little fear; to 
 come before the woman he loved was an entirely differ- 
 ent matter. He glanced helplessly toward Alta. 
 
 "I would add to the obligation I am already under 
 and detain thee," he said confusedly. "Thou knowest 
 the peculiarities of the Israelites. In this matter, let 
 me confess, I have become strangely embarrassed." 
 
 "Hospitality is one of their characteristics," replied 
 Alta, understanding that Panthera had not considered 
 his excuse for thus disturbing Joseph and his ward. 
 "Fear not, the stranger is never turned from their door. 
 Thou wilt be received with hearty welcome." She leaned 
 forward and for an instant, through the dusk Panthera 
 saw her glowing eyes. "I can serve thee no further," 
 she said, almost wistfully. 
 
 With this she tightened the rein, the next moment 
 the soldier was listening to the retreating hoof-beats of 
 Alta's horse. This sound soon ceased and, dismounting, 
 Panthera made his way slowly and thoughtfully toward 
 the house. He kept the bridle rein over his arm, and, 
 with the hilt of his sword, knocked on the lintel.
 
 Hababli Hillel. 131 
 
 A light within moved past the window and a woman 
 opened the door. Shading the light with her hand, she 
 peered out into the night. 
 
 "Whom dost thou seek?" she inquired, as her gaze 
 met the form of Panthera. 
 
 "I would find Joseph and his ward," answered Pan- 
 thera. "Do they sojourn beneath this roof?" 
 
 "Yea," answered the matron, promptly. "Wilt thou 
 enter?" she moved aside as if to let him pass, but, seeing 
 the horse, paused again. "The servant will care for 
 thine animal," she said, and went from the door. 
 
 Very soon a man approached from the side pathway 
 leading round the house. He respectfully bowed to 
 Panthera, notwithstanding the darkness. The matron 
 again appeared in the doorway. 
 
 "Thou wilt tarry over night with us?" she said 
 inquiringly. 
 
 "I bring important information for Joseph. I would 
 be pleased to remain until the morning, did it not tres- 
 pass too much upon thy hospitality," replied Panthera, 
 as he allowed the man to take the horse away. 
 
 The woman led Panthera within a commodious 
 apartment. Saying that she would call her other guests, 
 she passed from the room leaving him to his own 
 thoughts. 
 
 Entirely unacquainted with Joseph, remembering the 
 quiet disapproval of manner with which her kinsman 
 had looked on Mary's guileless preference for a 
 stranger, in her hour of grief and bereavement, the 
 soldier found himself unable to frame in his mind a 
 suitable greeting. 
 
 This need not have troubled him, for Joseph was 
 above the harboring of malice and when the kindly Jew
 
 132 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 at last entered the room he brought with him Mary 
 herself. . 
 
 The wild-rose face was more pale than its wont and 
 Panthera noticed with quick pity the grieved lines about 
 the tender mouth. 
 
 With grave courtesy Joseph acknowledged the 
 salutations of the soldier, but his curiosity as to the 
 cause of the visit was apparent and Panthera plunged 
 at once into the subject. 
 
 Keeping back all mention of Solan Hai's scheme for 
 forcibly carrying the maid away, the offer of ships and 
 money, Panthera related so much of the occurrences of 
 the last few days as he deemed sufficient to place them 
 on guard against the designs of Herod. 
 
 Joseph and Mary listened with interest and concern 
 to the narrative. 
 
 "If what thou dost surmise be true," spoke Joseph, 
 "what would'st thou suggest?" 
 
 "I have a friend, who is very near to Herod. We 
 may appeal to him and be assured of wise advice and 
 assistance," replied Panthera. 
 
 "Would thy friend be able to protect the child against 
 such powerful odds?" questioned the guardian, in evi- 
 dent consternation. 
 
 "If he be not, there is no help short of Rome," was 
 the decided reply. 
 
 "Rome!" exclaimed Joseph. Augustus seemed so 
 far off. "The name of thy friend ?" 
 
 "Hababli Hillel, the elder, a devout man, a man of 
 God, whom all Jerusalem loves, and Herod fears," 
 answered Panthera. 
 
 "He is thy friend !" Joseph's surprise was manifest 
 in his voice. 
 
 "Hillel is not only the friend of thy poor servant, he
 
 Hababli Hillel. 133 
 
 is, also, the friend of all mankind," said Panthera, in 
 proud reverence as he spoke of one who had been his 
 benefactor. 
 
 "Thou hast truly spoken," acquiesced Joseph. "The 
 priest is the Moses of his countrymen." He turned to 
 Mary. She had asked no question but her tightly 
 clasped hands spoke oi her anxiety and fear. "Thou 
 wilt be safe in the protection of Hillel. He shall know 
 all, my child." 
 
 "The seer is now sojourning at his retreat near 
 Bethel," said Panthera. "Could we not repair there on 
 the morrow ?" 
 
 Mary rose, as if she would have spoken eager 
 approval of the suggestion, but Joseph laid a restraining 
 hand upon her. 
 
 "Panthera," he began, "I had thought to find myseh' 
 ever able to guide and protect this child, committed to 
 my care, but thou art a man full of resources. Thou 
 dost anticipate danger only to avoid and turn it away. 
 Thou hast earned the right to direct our movements. 
 We are most grateful for thy concern in our welfare. 
 Let us depart from this place with the rising of the sun. 
 Daughter of the Lord, thou must retire." 
 
 Joseph would have drawn Mary from the room in an 
 endeavor to keep up a reserve, consistent with his own 
 austere training, between the fair maiden under his 
 charge and her soldier champion. 
 
 But Mary turned to Panthera, her whole attitude an 
 unconscious confession that frightened Joseph. 
 
 "Good-night!" she said, extending her hand to the 
 grasp of Panthera. "Thou hast saved me out of dan- 
 ger and in my trials thou hast brought me blessing. 
 Remember, thou did'st tell me to trust the God of 
 Israel" the sweet voice faltered and Joseph bowed his
 
 134 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 head. "I know the man whom thou hast mentioned," 
 she went on, recovering her composure, "he was the 
 friend of my father. I am deeply grateful to thee for 
 putting it into our hearts to seek his counsel and advice. 
 I will be glad to accompany thee to Bethel." 
 
 "And I, also," responded Joseph, looking after the 
 maiden as she went from the room. 
 
 Panthera bent low, reverently waiting for the sound 
 of her light footfalls to die away. He raised his eyes 
 and met the direct gaze of Joseph penetrating his very 
 thoughts. 
 
 "The maid is fair," said Joseph, as if communing 
 with himself. 
 
 "The most lovely I have ever looked upon." 
 
 Panthera spoke softly, but his eyes were brilliant, 
 and his face flushed with pleasure. 
 
 Joseph grew ashy pale, yet, he conducted the guest 
 to the chamber door and bade him good-night with 
 steady composure. 
 
 Anxious solicitude for the future drove sleep from 
 the eyes of Mary's guardian and his night brought no 
 rest. Panthera, too, lay through the long hours alert 
 and dwelling thoughtfully on the future. 
 
 The day dawned, perfect as though heaven smiled on 
 the contemplated journey. A full day's travel lay before 
 them. The morning meal was eaten in silence; fare- 
 wells were said ; the prayer for safety uttered ; and the 
 little company was well on its way at the rising of 
 the sun. 
 
 Another heartbreak awaited Mary on the way, for 
 they must stop at the camp where Joachim had enter- 
 tained his learned visitors. 
 
 They found the servants waiting. The cumbersome 
 equipment had been stored at the home of a friendly
 
 Hababli Hillel. 135 
 
 neighbor. The horse of the dead bandit was still held, 
 with scant chance of claim being entered for him from 
 relatives or associates of the former owner. 
 
 The loan of an ass for burden bearer and of another 
 horse for the servants was quickly secured and the 
 two men were instructed to proceed, at their leisure, to 
 the home of Joseph at Nazareth in Galilee. 
 
 Mary lingered about the deserted camp, the sacred 
 spot of hallowed memories. She grew sad and 
 despondent; in spite of her effort to restrain them the 
 tears stole over her cheeks and she turned from her 
 companions to hide her grief. Without appearing to 
 notice her distress, Panthera hastened their departure. 
 His thoughtfulness did not escape her observation, it 
 was another link in the chain that bound her heart to 
 him. 
 
 They traveled the same road Panthera had journeyed 
 over in the night as Salome's messenger, but the dark- 
 ness had hidden the beauty of the country so that he 
 had no conception of it. 
 
 In pleasing contrast to the deep red and yellow soil 
 of the valleys, their shrubs and grasses mingled with 
 patches of variegated flowers, rose the stony hills in 
 ever changing views. Giant trees, their gnarled roots 
 springing from among the stones at the wayside, 
 assisted materially in giving expression to the land- 
 scape. Stone houses, with projecting roofs, were built 
 into the hillsides, and, at a distance, appeared to be con- 
 structed one above the other. Far over valleys and 
 sloping heights spread large, stone-walled fields and 
 vineyards all imparting nature's good cheer to the 
 travelers. 
 
 They rested for a time near the grave of Rachel, nigh 
 unto Bethlehem, then pushed on leaving Jerusalem to
 
 136 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 the east and arriving in the vicinity of their destination 
 shortly before the going down of the sun. 
 
 The humble abode of Hababli Hillel was situated a 
 short distance from Bethel, toward Jerusalem. To this 
 place the priest withdrew when in need of rest. He 
 was a man full of years, ripe in experience, and familiar 
 with the ways of men. A room facing the highway 
 afforded him a place for study and the reception of 
 visitors. 
 
 Here the great teacher of his time gave audience to 
 those who sought his counsel ; here he was at home to 
 any and all. His open, venerable face invited confi- 
 dence; his learning commanded respect; universal 
 knowledge of his kindly, loving disposition made him 
 the receptacle for the woes of his countrymen. His 
 power was often felt in the defense of the innocent and 
 weak and his ear was ever open to the cry of distress. 
 Having suffered himself, he understood how to succor 
 and sympathize with those who might be called upon 
 to suffer. Men of all nations were welcome and found 
 it pleasant to worship at the same shrine with this 
 remarkable scholar and lover of men. 
 
 More than an hundred years had passed since his 
 birth, yet, was he not bent with age, nor was he decrepit 
 in mind. His beard and hair were like wool, as white 
 as snow, and his eyes sparkled with an expression of 
 tender benevolence and interest. His white, priestly 
 robe reached to the ground and was girt about his waist 
 with a linen girdle. His head, hands and feet were 
 uncovered. 
 
 Tall and of commanding figure, his skin was clear 
 and clean, the classic features inclined to sharpness, but 
 singularly free from wrinkles for one of so great an 
 age.
 
 Hababli Hillel. 137 
 
 He was reputed to be, not only a philosopher and 
 seer, sage and diviner of thoughts and foreteller of 
 events but, also, the greatest, most wonderful, of living 
 teachers. 
 
 On the afternoon of the day when Joseph's little 
 party were nearing his abode, Hillel sat in his plainly 
 furnished room, which was void of ornament, but 
 scrupulously clean. Before him, and at his side, tables 
 had been placed. The one before him bore writing 
 materials and rolls of papyrus, on the other were his 
 turban and his tunic. 
 
 A bench, worn smooth by continual use, reached 
 around two sides of the room and a few foot-stools 
 completed the conveniences of the apartment. A large 
 latticed window allowed a flood of light to enter. 
 
 With light steps a Jewish maiden came to the side 
 of Hillel. She placed on the table a branched candle- 
 stick and a tray with snuffers. He did not look up and 
 she waited silently. 
 
 "Well, Martha, thou art ever thoughtful. Thank 
 thee child," said Hillel at last, and he glanced fondly at 
 the maiden standing before him, as he roused himself 
 from a reverie. 
 
 "Strangers are approaching," Martha announced. 
 "I saw them when I was in the garden but a moment 
 ago ; I believe they are coming here for I watched the 
 one in advance as he pointed toward our house." 
 
 "How many were there, child?" asked Hillel indul- 
 gently. 
 
 "Three persons two men and a woman they are 
 all mounted and coming this way," she replied. 
 
 Hillel took his turban from the table and started 
 across the room. 
 
 "Delay the evening meal," he directed. "They may
 
 138 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 be hungered and athirst. I will go hence and meet 
 them," and he quitted the apartment. 
 
 The travelers had halted at the gate. Lifting his 
 staff from its place near the door Hillel went forward 
 and immediately recognized the foremost of the trio. 
 
 "Panthera of the German guard, thou art welcome, 
 my son !" he exclaimed warmly. "And this is Joseph, 
 of Nazareth, if I mistake not." 
 
 Joseph clasped the hand of the priest and led him to 
 where Mary modestly waited. 
 
 "This is Mary, the child of our kinsman, Joachim. 
 She hath come to seek thy care and protection," spoke 
 the guardian. 
 
 "Did her father send her hither?" questioned Hillel. 
 
 "Her father is dead," said Joseph sadly. "He sleeps 
 near Hebron." 
 
 Hillel lifted his hand in tribute to the grief of the 
 orphan maiden. 
 
 "Thou art welcome," he said, "Come my child, 
 Martha will make thee comfortable and at home. She 
 is about thine own age." 
 
 Taking Mary gently by the arm he guided her 
 toward the path leading to the house, while Panthera 
 and Joseph followed, after securing the horses.
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE MIGHTY PRECEPTS. 
 
 Martha, grand-daughter of Hillel, was well versed 
 in the art of entertaining. Constantly called upon to 
 minister to the needs of many guests, she had acquired 
 ease and skill in such matters and her winsome ways 
 soon placed Mary at rest. 
 
 "I pray thee allow me speech with thee alone," Pan- 
 thera managed to whisper as he passed close to Hillel on 
 entering the supper room. 
 
 The great teacher bent his head affirmatively and 
 the interchange of word and sign escaped the notice 
 of Joseph. 
 
 The substantial evening meal was enjoyed by the 
 family of Hillel and his guests. The affections of 
 Mary went out to Martha and between the two young 
 women a friendly sympathy induced mutual con- 
 fidences. They went away to Martha's own apartment, 
 soon after the meal, leaving the men to discuss the 
 theme uppermost in their minds. 
 
 Joseph related the cause of their visit briefly while 
 the seer noted all the details of the narrative closely. 
 
 "Then it is your opinion that Solan Hai, with the 
 connivance of the king, will seize the patrimony of 
 Mary?" observed Hillel as Joseph finished. 
 
 The latter did not reply, but turned toward Panthera, 
 who answered impulsively. 
 
 189
 
 140 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "There seems to be no room for doubt of his inten- 
 tions in this respect." 
 
 "To my mind there are some important links missing, 
 before I would say 'without a doubt,' " said Hillel. "We 
 know Solan Hai to be without fear or compunction 
 and none too good for such an undertaking. May not 
 this knowledge be the father of our suspicions ?" 
 
 The philosopher looked thoughtfully at the soldier, 
 who, knowing more than he had told, flushed hotly in 
 spite of himself. Joseph sided with Hillel, seeming 
 actually pleased to turn the matter against Panthera, 
 and replied. 
 
 "I fear that I have been too much influenced by the 
 enthusiasm of our friend here, although he has shown 
 much discretion. I have been thinking, as we rode 
 along, that perhaps we have nothing to fear; that our 
 suspicions may be an injustice to the wizard. 'Tis 
 so easy to 'make much of little.' ' 
 
 Hillel saw the wave of color, that reddened the face 
 of the Roman, remembered the request for private 
 speech and guessed that Joseph knew not all the facts. 
 He thought best not to provoke discussion, at this time, 
 however, and tactfully replied : 
 
 "Thou art entirely right, Joseph, we should be slow 
 to think evil and, above all, we should be well advised 
 of all the facts before we enter an adverse judgment 
 against any man. To this thou wilt agree, Panthera ?" 
 and he turned his benign look full upon the soldier. 
 
 "With all my heart," was the quick reply, "but, I 
 trust thou wilt not doubt my sincerity?" 
 
 "By no means," cried Joseph, feeling that he had 
 spoken unkindly and forstalling the priest who would 
 have answered, "but " 
 
 "For the present, trust thy servant," said Panthera,
 
 The Mighty Precepts. 141 
 
 who had fully regained his composure. "There are 
 some things I may not tell thee, Joseph, but I believe 
 that Solan Hai knows more about the outrage at the 
 camp of Joachim, and the abduction, than he would 
 care to reveal." 
 
 "Caution would be wisdom in this matter," said the 
 priest. "For a while, let the young woman remain at 
 this place. Martha will be a sister to her, and we may 
 expect developments, in a short time, that will throw 
 light on the actions and intentions of the wizard." 
 
 "Had there been no danger, Salome would not have 
 sent the warning you may depend upon that," inter- 
 posed Panthera, somewhat warmly. 
 
 "Coupled with the fact that the king is constantly in 
 need of money to support his unnecessary extravagance, 
 and the singularly malevolent influence exerted by the 
 wizard over the king and the people, we may be par- 
 doned if we regard his recent conduct with suspicion. 
 There can be no denying the reliability of Salome. Thou 
 art right Panthera." 
 
 The priest delivered this opinion with thoughtful 
 slowness and Joseph did not fail to see the force of it. 
 He readily agreed to the suggestion in regard to the 
 detention of Mary in the seclusion of Hillel's retreat, 
 and intimated that, on the morrow, they would complete 
 arrangements for outwitting the wizard. 
 
 Hillel arose at this and conducted Joseph from the 
 room, that he might retire and recover from the 
 fatigue of the day's journey. 
 
 With head bowed and anxiety written on every fea- 
 ture Panthera waited for the return of the priest. Hillel 
 lingered silently, at the entrance of the room, studying 
 the attitude of his beloved pupil for such Panthera
 
 142 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 had been then he moved forward to a place at the side 
 of the soldier. 
 
 "Confide in me," he said, fixing his luminous eyes 
 upon the face of his guest. "Keep nothing back I pray 
 thee." 
 
 Thus admonished, the soldier recounted his adven- 
 tures since leaving Jerusalem at the request of Salome, 
 until the arrival at this refuge. 
 
 The priest was an attentive listener, not only to the 
 story of the defense of the maid and the struggle for 
 her protection, but to the acknowledgment of the over- 
 whelming, passionate love for the beautiful Mary that 
 possessed the heart of the speaker. Hillel made no 
 remark or interruption, but gave ear with patience and 
 interest to every detail. 
 
 "Thou art not mistaken," Hillel said, as Panthera 
 paused. "Solan Hai means mischief to the child. We 
 must protect her. Thou, also, must be circumspect and 
 cautious. For the time being, both thee and she must 
 remain here while I attempt the discovery of the 
 wizard's plans at Jerusalem. Answer me truly, hast 
 thou mentioned thy love to the maiden?" 
 
 Panthera looked reproachfully at Hillel. 
 
 "Not so much as a whisper," he answered. "Could 
 I do such a thing at such a time?" 
 
 "I did not think it of thee, Panthera, for it would 
 not have been the part of an honorable man. Thou 
 must know that our people are exclusive. They do not 
 favor, I may say allow, their sons or daughters to 
 take to themselves husbands, or wives, from among the 
 nations about them. Were her father living, thou 
 could'st never gain his consent to thy marriage with 
 his daughter. Joachim, like thy teacher, was a lineal 
 descendant of the house of David. From this descent
 
 The Mighty Precepts. 143 
 
 shall come the Messiah." Hillel's voice grew solemn; 
 his features lighted with hope. "Out of Judah shall 
 come the deliverer; the one who will turn ungodliness 
 away from Jacob." 
 
 The priest pronounced this prophecy, dear to every 
 Jewish heart, with deliberate emphasis, calculated to 
 impress Panthera with the presumption of his love. 
 
 "Thou hast condescended to speak of these things 
 to thy friend and pupil on other occasions," answered 
 Panthera reverently. "Still, may I not hope." 
 
 "Alas," answered Hillel, grieved for the wound he 
 felt compelled to give. "It is impossible that thou 
 should' st ever realize thy hope. The maid, herself, 
 would be too true to her inborn Israelitish faith, to 
 entertain even the thought of love from an alien and a 
 stranger. She must esteem thee highly, and honor 
 thee for the grace of manhood displayed in all thy ways, 
 but, beware, my son, no good hath ever come from such 
 an alliance. It is against the strict injunctions of our 
 law and is invariably punished as a sin. Tempt it not, 
 oh, my friend." 
 
 "How can I consider these things !" cried his listener, 
 vehemently. "I have looked into her eyes and seen 
 there the mirror of my own soul her answer to the 
 yearnings of my own heart. I dare not say that she 
 loves me, yet, there is some subtle influence reaching 
 from soul to soul, that draws us irrevocably together. 
 My arms have held her; in her distress she ran to me 
 and her head rested on my bosom. An hundred little 
 things have told me a story, the sweetness of which I 
 never knew before from woman kind." 
 
 Hillel drew closer to the speaker as he thus daringly 
 expressed himself. 
 
 "Rash man !" The priest's tone vibrated with pitying
 
 144 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 intensity. "I tell thee, it must not be it cannot be. 
 Let me inform thee of some things which it is right 
 thou should'st know. Joachim was abundantly blessed 
 in all his wordly possessions ; the owner of large flocks 
 of sheep and herds of cattle. He had lived, with his 
 wife, at the city of Nazareth, in Galilee, for the space 
 of twenty years, or more, in chastity ; in the favor and 
 the esteem of their neighbors. Their lives were plain 
 and right; they were pious and without fault; made 
 large offerings to the officers of the temple, and distri- 
 buted an abundance of gifts among strangers and per- 
 sons in poor circumstances, yet, were they childless. 
 Among the people of this nation this condition is con- 
 sidered not only a sore affliction, but a curse as well. 
 
 "Year after year they went up to Jerusalem and made 
 offerings in the temple of the Lord. And Anna, the 
 wife of Joachim, grieved bitterly and made this matter 
 the subject of many prayers and much fasting; as did 
 also her husband. 
 
 "Now it came to pass at one time, when Issachar was 
 high priest, that Joachim appeared among his neigh- 
 bors, who had been blessed with children, as was his 
 wont, at the Temple in Jerusalem, and the high-priest, 
 together with these people, joined in heaping reproaches 
 upon the head of Joachim, so that he fled from their 
 presence in grief and shame. 
 
 "Then it was, that he and his wife, Anna, vowed, if 
 God would favor them with issue, let it be male or 
 female, they would devote it wholly to the service of 
 the Lord. 
 
 "Time passed. The Lord heard their cry, he beheld 
 their trouble and answered their prayer. A child was 
 born unto them and they called her name Mary. When 
 the child was weaned and three years of age, they
 
 The Mighty Precepts. 145 
 
 brought her to the temple and dedicated her to the ser- 
 vice of the Lord, as they had vowed. From her youth 
 up she was nourished in the temple ; taught in the holy 
 precepts of the law, and the traditions of her people, 
 until she reached the age of discretion ; then Zacharias, 
 the high-priest returned her to her father, that she 
 might find a husband in Israel, from the tribe of Judah. 
 
 "Oh, my son!" and the priest stretched his arms 
 toward Panthera. "Thinkest thou Mary will go out- 
 side her own people in such a matter? Refrain from 
 this thing, lest thine heart be sore and thy spirit broken 
 from her refusal." Hillel leaned back in his seat as he 
 finished, but continued to gaze beseechingly into the 
 face of the soldier. 
 
 A pause Panthera crossed the room, returned, and 
 stood before Hillel. The solemn warning had affected 
 the devoted Roman deeply; his distress was evident. 
 
 "Honored preceptor," he began. "Thou wast kindly 
 generous enough to take the son of a Roman soldier 
 under thy protecting care, to treat him like one of thine 
 own kin , thou did'st educate him in the most beautiful 
 precepts of the law, teaching him, among other things, 
 that the whole duty of man all men mark it well 
 all men rested on one great commandment: What- 
 soever thou ivould'st not that a man should do to thee, 
 do not thou to him.' Have I remembered correctly?" 
 
 "Most certainly, thou hast !" exclaimed Hillel. 
 
 "Further" ; went on Panthera, excitedly, "be gentle 
 and show meekness to all men; when reviled, not to 
 revile again. Love peace and pursue it. Be kindly 
 affectionate to all men mark the universality all 
 men, and thus commend the law of God. Is there any 
 possibility of mistake in this matter? Am I wrong?" 
 
 "The Lord be with thee. His blessing be upon thee,
 
 146 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 oh, my son! Thou art my true disciple." The tears 
 stole down the face of Hillel as he spoke. 
 
 "Rabbi, Father, listen once more," pleaded the elo- 
 quent lover. "On a time thou did'st tell thy poor 
 scholar a most beautiful and inspiring story. Its lesson 
 sunk deep into his heart; he hath never forgotten it. 
 May I tell it to thee?" 
 
 "My poor child ! Could I refuse thee? Go on." The 
 voice of the priest shook with emotion and he stood up 
 opposite his guest. 
 
 "Long ago a son of Israel sought a wife." Panthera's 
 tone, musical always, fell upon the hearing of the priest 
 winningly, entreatingly. "Thou wilt remember that he 
 tarried all night near the very spot where thy poor 
 servant is now standing. The sun had gone down, 
 and his heart may have been as sore as mine is this 
 night. He made a pillar of stones and laid him down 
 to sleep. 
 
 "In his dreams he beheld a ladder resting on the 
 earth, and the top of it reached unto heaven, and he 
 beheld the angels of God ascending and descending 
 upon it. And behold the Lord stood above it. Tell me, 
 was that a voice from heaven?" 
 
 "Truly hast thou spoken," assented the priest. 
 
 "Then observe what the heavenly voice said," went 
 on Panthera hurriedly. " 'I am the Lord God of Abra- 
 ham, thy father, and the God of Isaac; the land whereon 
 thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed ; and thy 
 seed shall be as the dust of the earth; and thou shalt 
 spread abroad to the west and to the east, and to the 
 north and to the south; and in thee and thy seed shall 
 all mark thine own teaching, oh, my preceptor shall 
 all the families of the earth be blessed."
 
 The Mighty Precepts. 147 
 
 "Are these promises mine?" demanded the young 
 man of the sage. "What sayest thou ?" 
 
 "They are, they are," answered the priest with emo- 
 tion. 
 
 "Then am I not afraid !" cried the soldier, exultingly. 
 "This is indeed the house of God this is 'the gate of 
 heaven' for me. My family is included and embraced 
 in that blessing. The heavenly voice hath been heard 
 by thy servant." 
 
 "The Lord of hosts defend thee!" exclaimed the 
 seer as he looked into the enraptured face of his pupil, 
 and saw the drift of his argument. 
 
 "Jacob set up a pillar, and made a vow, saying : 'If 
 God will be with me and keep me in this way that I go, 
 give me bread to eat and raiment to put on, I will surely 
 give a tenth of all my increase to the Lord," continued 
 Panthera, without noticing the interruption. "A small 
 matter was such a vow, methinks, for one who had 
 already the birthright of his brother, Esau. It was not 
 much to promise, or offer, for the care he asked." 
 
 The face of the soldier became transfigured. In the 
 dim light of Hillel's candles a glory of love and sacrifice 
 animated every feature. 
 
 "To-night," he said. "I vow before thee, his prophet, 
 that if the Lord will turn the heart of Mary toward me, 
 I will give him all yes all I have. My life, my best 
 service. The God of Mary shall be my God ; her coun- 
 try, my country ; her people shall be my people. On the 
 spot where Jacob, her forefather, built his altar, I shall 
 ask her to be mine. If she will consent; then shall 
 the spot be to me indeed, 'the gate of heaven.' If she 
 answer me no, then shall I go hence with a crushed 
 heart."
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 JERUSALEM. 
 
 Surrounded by walls, towers and fortresses, from 
 which, on every side, extended its beautiful gardens, 
 down the valleys and up the opposite hillsides lay the 
 beautiful city of Jerusalem with its mountains, Moriah, 
 Zion, Acra and Bezetha. 
 
 Nestling among the flowers, parks, pools and tombs 
 w T ere the mansions of the wealthy, mingling with the 
 tents of the pilgrims, who had selected the delightful, 
 shady, unoccupied spots as locations for their temporary 
 habitations. 
 
 The magnificent temple of God, on mount Moriah, 
 was the place, of all the earth, to which the eyes of every 
 son of Abraham turned as the center of all things holy 
 and sacred. Its refulgent brightness reflected the sun's 
 rays from pure whiteness and burnished gold. Every 
 prayer, every aspiration, every hope, expressed, or 
 conceived, by the mind, or the intensity of the Jewish 
 soul, was projected to this one living center. Gifts and 
 offerings flowed into its receptacles in a golden stream. 
 The first fruits of all their possessions were freely 
 donated and dedicated to the maintainance of their 
 time-honored system of religious observances. 
 
 This sanctuary of the Lord, this place of divine 
 adoration, enshrined in every Jewish heart, was made 
 dear to their innermost affections by precept, tradition 
 and the holy oracles of God. 
 
 148
 
 Jerusalem. 149 
 
 On the northwest angle of this mountain, at one 
 time called Zion, stood the famous Baris, a fortress 
 built by John Hyrcanus. It had been strengthened and 
 beautified by Herod and re-named Antonia, in honor of 
 Mark Antony. It occupied, with its offices, magazines, 
 barracks, cisterns and prisons, a large portion of the 
 area of mount Moriah. 
 
 The place was garrisoned by Roman soldiers, who 
 were kept in constant readiness to quell riot or disturb- 
 ance. Its advantageous situation commanded not only 
 the full view of the temple, but the entire Tyropoeon 
 valley lying between mount Moriah and mount Zion. 
 
 The two new, and indescribably magnificent resid- 
 ences, comprising the palaces of Herod, were situated 
 on Zion. The walls were surmounted at equal intervals, 
 by enormous towers. 
 
 High above the palace, towered the three silent wit- 
 nesses of the king's defenses, Hippicus, Phasselus and 
 Mariamne: fortresses built of white marble, the latter 
 erected and beautified in the vain hope of quieting the 
 conscience of the king for the murder of the queen 
 whose name it bore. 
 
 Each stone in the structures was exactly thirty feet 
 in length, fifteen in breadth, and from seven to eight in 
 thickness ; squared and set so exactly as to almost con- 
 ceal the joining. Each of the towers had the appear- 
 ance of a single rock, chiseled into form. 
 
 The grand summits aloft above David's wall greeted 
 the sight of two travelers, who passed through Gibeah 
 toward Jerusalem. They were mounted and riding 
 toward the city of David Panthera and his friend, the 
 Jewish philosopher. 
 
 Coming to the descent, the two men beheld the city 
 with vastly different emotions. To the priest it repre-
 
 150 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 sented the glory of his country. To the Roman, for 
 the first time, it held more than a passing interest. It 
 now represented the nation of the woman he loved. Its 
 strange system of worship; its mysterious rites and 
 ceremonies, had, heretofore, passed as matters which 
 did not even arouse his curiosity now there was an 
 interest attached to everything that affected, ever so 
 remotely, this strange people. 
 
 As the magnificent prospect came into view, the 
 soldier involuntarily exclaimed. 
 
 "How grand ! How is it that I have never felt this 
 beauty before?" 
 
 "Thou hast but just learned to know the beautiful," 
 answered the priest. "'Tis the city of God's promise." 
 
 "His promise to all ?" asked Panthera. 
 
 "Thou hast truly spoken," devoutly replied the 
 priest. "To all mankind. Out of Jerusalem shall go 
 forth the law." 
 
 "The city is admirably situated for defense," 
 remarked Panthera, noting the prospect from the sold- 
 ier's point of view. 
 
 "It hath withstood siege upon siege," said Hillel, 
 proudly. "The blood of the Jews hath mingled with 
 every part of its sacred soil. On the north and west is 
 the valley of Kidron, usually called Jehosiphat, where 
 for ages my countrymen have buried their dead. The 
 mountain thou see'st is the mount of Olives. On the 
 other side of the city is the valley of Hinom, which 
 stretches around until it meets the valley of Kidron, 
 and from thence the two form the great trench that 
 extends to the dead sea." 
 
 "Nature hath furnished all that could be desired for 
 the site of a city," added the soldier. 
 
 "It is built, as thou may'st perceive, on hills divided
 
 Jerusalem. 151 
 
 by the Tyropceon valley. The Damascus and Jericho 
 ways converge at this point. We will enter at the 
 Damascus gate." 
 
 The eyes of Hillel seemed fixed, his gaze never left 
 the lofty turrets before him. 
 
 "What are these structures in the rocks?" inquired 
 Panthera as they passed along. 
 
 "Tombs of the Kings," replied the priest. "A num- 
 ber of Israel's rulers sleep on Zion's hill and at this 
 place." 
 
 As the travelers drew near the city, they fell in with 
 many others, bent on the same journey as themselves. 
 Jews, they were, robed in the flowing garments of the 
 East. Camels and asses, loaded with merchandise, 
 crowded the way. The throng increased as the meeting 
 of the roads was reached. 
 
 Coming to a place of entertainment, just outside, 
 the two friends procured care for their animals and 
 entered the city on foot. 
 
 A centurion of the Germans had charge of the gate. 
 He came forward quickly on seeing Panthera, with 
 familiar, eager greeting. 
 
 "Thou hast been the gossip of the garrison," he cried, 
 glancing at the linen covering on Panthera's head. 
 "Thine helmet ! Where is it?" 
 
 "Cut in twain," replied Panthera. "By this time 
 rusting on the hills of Judea." 
 
 "Get thee within the armory, and fit thyself. The 
 company will be glad to behold thy face," commanded 
 the centurion smilingly. 
 
 Panthera turned to his companion ; drew him before 
 the officer. 
 
 "Thou wilt entertain my friend," he said to the cen-
 
 152 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 turion, "he is Hillel the Elder, the famous teacher of 
 the Jews." 
 
 The dignity of the officer returned ; he bowed respect- 
 fully and invited the aged priest to a seat within the 
 gate. 
 
 "Thou may'st have some time to wait," he said 
 kindly. "We all love Panthera. His companions will 
 not release him until they hear, from his own lips, the 
 story of his adventures, for the news of them hath 
 preceded him." 
 
 "I esteem him for his worth," answered the Seer, 
 looking after Panthera, as he disappeared within an 
 apartment connected with the guard room. "He is a 
 truly great man." 
 
 "He is all that," agreed the centurion. "He joined 
 the German company in Greece, when Herod bargained 
 for our services. Should we be called upon to strike 
 a blow, in the King's defense, Panthera will not fail 
 him. He is a brave man and above all, a good one." 
 
 "Methinks it requires true bravery to be a good man. 
 Sincerity is the highest mark of bravery." The priest 
 said, gravely. 
 
 "Such, sir priest, may be the truth in theory; no 
 doubt it is the thing in words, but we soldiers meas- 
 ure bravery by the blows that one may be willing and 
 able to strike." 
 
 The centurion felt that the priest did not entertain 
 this view, yet, he could not refrain from expressing 
 himself. 
 
 "Still, sir soldier, the one who gives himself a 
 willing sacrifice for the good of others, especially if it 
 be for the unthankful, or ignorant, has a harder fight 
 than one who storms a city," said Hillel, gently. 
 
 "The soldier questions not the good or ill, to him,
 
 Jerusalem. 153 
 
 obedience is better than sacrifice. To know orders, and 
 obey them, is the test by which he measures all things," 
 answered the officer. 
 
 "Loyalty is a sterling quality," Hillel said, "when 
 attuned to a noble cause, it is honored of God and held 
 in high esteem by man; but, to do and dare, without 
 reason, is like the blind devotee, who sacrifies all to 
 appease his offended deity, or, who spends his life in 
 slavish adoration to satisfy his cupidity, through hope 
 of what he may in turn receive." 
 
 "And yet," sharply interposed the officer, "the two 
 motives you mention, seem to be the highest law of all 
 religions." 
 
 "Not so, my son," quickly retorted the priest, "the 
 highest law of all religions is exemplified in the love 
 we fcave for one another." 
 
 "And for all men," said another voice. 
 
 Panthera had separated himself from his comrades, 
 and, coming hastily back to where he had left the priest, 
 overheard the last words. 
 
 "The highest, the best, the noblest conception of 
 God, is that of a father. The best service, one may 
 render such a God, is the recognition of all men as his 
 children as members of one common family." Pan- 
 thera's word seemed living real, as his glowing face 
 attested his belief in the utterance. 
 
 "Thou art right, my countryman!" exclaimed the 
 centurion, in animated approval. 
 
 "May the Lord set his seal to what thou hast said, 
 mine excellent Panthera," added the priest. He rose as 
 he spoke. "We bid thee God speed, good soldier," and 
 the priest turned to depart. 
 
 "Fare thee well?' added Panthera. 
 
 "Thou art fortunate in thy leave. Three months is
 
 154 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 a long time to play the patrician, at the king's expense/' 
 remarked the officer, as Panthera was about to accom- 
 pany the priest. 
 
 A look of surprise swept over the face of the soldier, 
 but he did not vouchsafe an answer. The two moved 
 some distance away; then Panthera did no longer 
 restrain his pleasure at the knowledge imparted by the 
 centurion. 
 
 "The king hath granted me a long leave of absence," 
 he observed. "The centurion hath just informed me that 
 it extends over the space of three months." 
 
 Hillel appeared to be mystified. 
 
 "I do not understand thee," he said, "did'st thou go 
 away without permission?" 
 
 "Not exactly," said Panthera, smiling, "but hastily. 
 The sister of the king assured me that she would take 
 care of the matter of my leave. It seems she hath done 
 so. I expected a few days, but months that is more 
 than I had dared to hope for." 
 
 Hillel was pleased at this mark of favor to his 
 scholar. 
 
 "Alexes, the husband of Salome, hath the control 
 of such matters, and this may account for the time 
 granted. At all events, the arrangement will afford 
 time in the matter before thee. I know of a friend, 
 whom we may trust, and who may have information of 
 what we desire to know." 
 
 After thus expressing himself Hillel led the way 
 rapidly south through the Tyropoeon valley, until they 
 came to a street, paralleled with the bridge connecting 
 mount Moriah and mount Zion. Entering this street, 
 they turned to the left toward the prison of Antonia. 
 The priest was frequently recognized, and, as he passed
 
 Jerusalem. 155 
 
 was saluted with the friendly greetings customary 
 among the Jews. 
 
 "The Lord be with thee, Rabbi !" 
 
 "His peace be thine my son." 
 
 Panthera was much impressed as this evidence of 
 loving friendship was constantly repeated. Hillel 
 seemed to have a faculty of remembering every little 
 detail, of pleasure or pain, affecting the people who 
 looked to him for advice and comfort. The remark- 
 able man paused often to speak to those with whom he 
 was on intimate terms and the two made slow progress 
 when the Jews realized that their beloved priest was 
 among them. 
 
 The busy hum and rattle of business, the incessant 
 clatter, the shuffle of sandaled feet, scurrying along the 
 stone streets, proved interesting in the extreme to the 
 soldier. The hoarse cries of the perambulating mer- 
 chant, the ever recurring invitations of the various 
 traders as they drove bargains with their customers and 
 bade all inspect the goods exposed for sale in the 
 bazaars and booths that rilled the Cheesemonger's 
 valley. 
 
 This portion of the city was irregularly laid out, but 
 the priest was thoroughly familiar with the surround- 
 ings, and threaded his way through the narrow streets 
 that, to a stranger, would have seemed too intricate 
 for the unaccustomed visitor to travel. The houses 
 seemed to have been thrown into their places in dire 
 confusion, and some of the thoroughfares, dignified by 
 the name of streets, afforded barely room for the move- 
 ment of the crowd. 
 
 As they met other persons, the soldier was often 
 obliged to drop a pace behind Hillel. At times it 
 appeared that they were walking through the corridors
 
 156 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 of an immense prison, so closely did the gray walls 
 press together. No openings had these walls save those 
 so far above the street as to make looking within impos- 
 sible; the only evidence of life being an occasional 
 glimpse of a face beyond a lattice. Some of the build- 
 ings on opposite sides of the streets, were connected by 
 arches creating an additional impression of a prison, or 
 vaulted cellar, as they walked where the sunlight was 
 completely excluded. 
 
 At length, beneath the shadow of mount Moriah, 
 they reached an inner court abutting on the street from 
 which they turned. 
 
 "This is the end of our journey, for the present," said 
 the priest. 
 
 As one at home he entered the enclosure, followed 
 by the Roman, whose cause had enlisted the sympathy 
 of the wisest man among the Jews.
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 A SEAT OF LEARNING. 
 
 The place, wherein they had entered, was the court- 
 yard of a Jewish seat of learning. Many young men, 
 all of the pronounced Jewish type, strolled about the 
 enclosure; others were seated, and groups gathered in 
 different parts of the stone paved space. That they were 
 discussing subjects of much interest, was evident from 
 the close attention and animated gestures. Occasionally 
 a voice broke into song, or hummed a Jewish melody, 
 but they indulged in very little of mirth. 
 
 The entrance of the priest, Hillel, was not noticed 
 until he stood in the midst of the students; then the 
 crowd surged toward him, where he paused, in the 
 middle of the court, pleasure and welcome depicted on 
 every countenance. They fell back slightly, as Pan- 
 thera's glittering uniform and soldierly figure met their 
 gaze, waiting for explanation from the Roman, or their 
 priest, for what might be an intrusion. 
 
 Hillel observed this instantly, and hastened to make 
 the proper introductions to place his friend at ease. 
 
 "Young men," he said, addressing those nearest to 
 him in a tone sufficiently loud for the rest to hear. "Be- 
 hold the friend of Hillel. I beseech, for him, your 
 courtesy and hospitality," and the priest stepped aside, 
 leaving Panthera the center of attraction. 
 
 "The friend of Rabbi Hillel is welcome !" ejaculated 
 a chorus of voices. 
 
 157
 
 158 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "Is thy teacher, Judas, son of Sanphseus, within?" 
 inquired the priest. 
 
 "He is, Rabbi !" exclaimed several eager voices, and 
 one of the students hurried forward. "Would'st thou 
 speak with him?" 
 
 "Aye, that I would," answered Hillel. "Hasten thou, 
 inform him that Hillel waits his pleasure." 
 
 The young man went swiftly across the court and 
 disappeared into the house beyond. The priest seated 
 himself on one of the number of convenient benches 
 and motioned the soldier to a place at his side. 
 
 The assembly of young men seemed to take it for 
 granted that the two new comers were absorbed in pri- 
 vate consultation, and they spoke in subdued tones; 
 gradually wandering to a distance from the pair, leav- 
 ing them to their own topics. 
 
 Panthera had time to notice some of the peculiarities 
 of the place. The court was enclosed, on three sides, 
 by the walls of the school building. The structure was 
 not as high as most of the other buildings in the vicin- 
 ity, being but two stories. The large windows were 
 covered with lattice work, and could be closed from the 
 inside by shutters. Light awnings shaded them, 
 excluding, entirely, the heat of the sun. The narrow 
 side doors, set deep on the inside of the walls, suggested 
 the entrances of cells. 
 
 Above, and on a level with the second story, a massive 
 balcony extended the whole length of each side. Access 
 was gained to this place by stone steps at each end lead- 
 ing from the court, or from the second story windows. 
 Twelve marble steps across the entire front of the build- 
 ing led to a broad platform, and, from this, a lofty 
 arched doorway led to the interior. 
 
 Age had set its seal upon the structure, robbing it of
 
 A Seat of Learning. 159 
 
 much of its original, beauty; the footprints of genera- 
 tions had left their impress on the stairs and pavement ; 
 the seats, too, were worn into hollows through constant 
 use. Time had discolored the material entering into 
 the construction of the building, and given it a dull, 
 gray appearance, save where the facings and steps kept 
 their original whiteness through care and daily use. A 
 bulky reservoir in the center of the court received the 
 rainwater from the flat roof through troughs and pipes 
 arranged for the purpose. 
 
 While his messenger was absent, Hillel explained to 
 his companion that many of the most prominent Jewish 
 families placed their sons in this institution for instruc- 
 tion in the law and history of their nation. The most 
 liberal of the Jewish sects, that known as the Essenes, 
 being in control of the establishment. 
 
 The Teacher, Judas, lost no time in returning the 
 messenger to the priest, begging that his illustrious 
 friend, Hillel, would come at once to the reception 
 room. 
 
 The Elder Hillel and his friend followed the mes- 
 senger across the court, up the stone steps, through the 
 central portico, and, from an ante-room, into a spacious 
 chamber used for school purposes, but unoccupied at 
 this time. From this room they went into a hall, lead- 
 ing still farther into the interior. Traversing the length 
 of this they stopped before a door at the left. A voice 
 from within bade them enter. 
 
 Pushing the door inward, the attendant held it until 
 the Rabbi and his companion had passed into the pres- 
 ence of the occupant of the room, then he drew it softly 
 shut, and left the Teacher alone with his guests. 
 
 Hillel went forward; Judas arose. The two men 
 met and laid their cheeks together for a moment. Then
 
 160 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 Judas placed his right hand upon the shoulder of the 
 priest. 
 
 "I greet thee, my brother," he said. "What can I do 
 to be of service to thee?" 
 
 The speaker was a man of middle age, with piercing 
 eyes, and hair and beard of jet black. He was tall and 
 splendidly muscular, especially inviting was the cordial 
 frankness in his manner. He glanced beyond the priest 
 to the soldier, and Hillel, placing his arm within that 
 of the Roman, introduced him thus : 
 
 "I present to thee a worthy friend and companion, 
 Caius Panthera, a Ronlan soldier; a student who hath 
 learned at the feet of thy servant ; not only an apt pupil, 
 but a lover of truth, as was his father, of esteemed 
 memory, before him." 
 
 "Thou hast given the best commend to our regard," 
 said Judas. "Thou art welcome Panthera. Let us be 
 seated." 
 
 The three men gathered round a table, near the center 
 of the room. Hillel opened the conversation. 
 
 "Our friend, here, hath espoused the cause of one of 
 our fairest countrywoman," he began. "Hast thou 
 knowledge of the death of Joachim of Nazareth ?" 
 
 "Alas, yes, and we knew of it only to grieve for his 
 loss. A number of our students w r ere under his care 
 and patronage, and they mourn with us, and also, for 
 the affliction and trouble following his daughter, the 
 beautiful Mary." 
 
 "You refer to the abduction ?" inquired Hillel. 
 
 "No we heard of that matter, but had understood 
 that she was restored the same day to her friends." The 
 speaker paused, and looked with new interest at the 
 soldier. 
 
 "Thou hast been correctly informed," said Hillel,
 
 A Seat of Learning. 161 
 
 with a fond glance toward the Roman. "This brave 
 and noble soldier was fortunately near, and he rendered 
 timely aid and assistance. The maid, thanks to his 
 brave interference, was rescued on the same day." 
 
 "'Tis not this, to which I refer," said Judas, "per- 
 haps thou hast not heard what followed the death of 
 our countryman," and his features took on a troubled 
 expression. 
 
 "Our friend hath reason to anticipate misfortune for 
 the daughter of Joachim," answered Hillel. "I pray 
 thee, tell us what thou may'st know of this matter." 
 
 "Confiscation often follows death, at Jerusalem," 
 said Judas, meaningly. 
 
 "Then our surmises are verified," exclaimed Hillel. 
 "We may expect the worst to follow." 
 
 "Indeed we may, of a truth," replied Judas, sadly. 
 "In a short time the wealth of Joachim will be trans- 
 ferred to the coffers of Herod." 
 
 "But Caesar lives !" cried the soldier, no longer able 
 to restrain his indignation. "We will appeal to Augus- 
 tus and the Senate. Such things cannot pass the Roman 
 tribunal." 
 
 "Alas, my friend, 'tis plain to be seen thou art not a 
 Jew. Herod hath some mysterious means of reaching 
 the ear of Augustus, and turning such matters in his 
 own favor. Moreover it is exceedingly dangerous to 
 interfere in the monstrous and unnatural undertakings 
 of this king. Whatever may be accomplished for the 
 assistance of the child must be approached with care 
 and circumspection. No relation known, is too sacred 
 to enter into the plots of this man, styled 'king of the 
 Jews' for the gaining of the ends he hath in view." 
 
 "Yet we will' not passively consent to the outrage!" 
 cried Panthera, in warm appeal.
 
 1 62 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "Thou hast well spoken," was the reply of Judas. 
 "But, our dead countryman committed a grave offense. 
 In his youthful days, he pursued the peaceful vocation 
 of the shepherd. In later years, he entered the marts 
 of trade and quickly amassed large wealth this hath 
 touched the heart of Herod, in the tenderest spot." 
 The lips of the speaker curled disdainfully and his 
 expression showed his sarcastic intent. 
 
 "We will miss the thoughtful provision of Joachim," 
 he continued, "whatever thou may'st undertake, for the 
 protection of his daughter, thou can'st be assured of the 
 heartiest co-operation of every individual connected 
 with this institution." 
 
 "I thank thee," said Panthera, seeming to assume the 
 burden of protecting the cause of Mary. "Hast thou 
 means of knowing what is occurring in Jerusalem, in 
 reference to the matter in question ?" 
 
 "The students feel the sword, that is over us all," 
 answered Judas. "They are quick to notice things of 
 this character, which affect the homes of their kindred 
 or acquaintances." 
 
 "Tell us all thou hast learned," persisted Panthera. 
 
 "The day after the death of Joachim, a renegade 
 Jew, Costa, the son of Ammal, who resides hard by 
 Bethel, proclaimed in the market place, before the pal- 
 ace of the high priest, and at the door of the temple; 
 that the death was a visitation of God; that Joachim 
 was stricken down, while engaged with certain others, 
 in an attempt to overthrow the throne of Herod. He 
 declared that the conspiracy was crushed in its incipi- 
 ency, by the removal of the leader, through the inter- 
 position of the Almighty. He promised that, in a few 
 days, witnesses, from Hebron, and its vicinity, would 
 be forthcoming at Jerusalem, who would establish these
 
 A Seat of Learning. 163 
 
 facts. The rabble shouted in honor of the king, who, 
 in the meantime, and that justice might be administered 
 without delay, set his seal on the possessions of the 
 dead patriarch, whether they were in Jerusalem or 
 Judea until a further hearing of this matter could be 
 had. Soldiers of the king are now in charge of both 
 the residence of the deceased and his places of bus- 
 iaess." 
 
 The Teacher delivered this concise explanation with 
 apparent disbelief in its truth and waited for the fur- 
 ther questions of the soldier. 
 
 "When will the king hear this matter?" asked Pan- 
 thera. 
 
 "On the morrow," said Judas. "At the ninth hour 
 it is set for hearing. Proclamation hath been made 
 throughout the city." 
 
 "Who are the accusers, if thou knowest?'' Hillel 
 asked. 
 
 "One Solan, whose sirname is Hai, a reputed sor- 
 ceror and diviner. He it is who may be expected to 
 furnish proof of the charges. A number of other wit- 
 nesses, beside this Costa, are mentioned. Most prom- 
 inent among them are Simon Gatzor, of Hebron, and 
 his daughter, Alta. There are others from Jerusalem, 
 all of whom are of evil repute, known as persons who 
 furnish false testimony to suit the humor or purposes 
 of the tyrant, who manipulates these matters through 
 the wizard, as this Solan Hai is called." 
 
 Panthera's face had grown gray as he realized the 
 desperate situation that menaced the maiden, Mary. 
 
 "We will attend this hearing,trial, farce, or whatever 
 it may be styled," he remarked steady determination 
 hardening his features into a look of uncompromising 
 sternness. "Our testimony would throw light upon
 
 164 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 the occurrences at the death of the most worthy noble- 
 man, Joachim ; more than that, Joseph and the servants 
 should be present, and, if need be, the young woman, 
 herself." 
 
 "Thou knowest but little of Jerusalem," said Judas, 
 kindly. "Do not delude thyself with the supposition 
 that justice is the object of this hearing. It would 
 fare ill with thee, did'st thou dare to attempt the giving 
 of testimony that might thwart the design of the king." 
 
 "I shall be there," said Panthera, "and I shall be 
 heard." 
 
 "Witnesses for the defense carry their lives in their 
 hands, young sir," replied the Teacher.- "Thy servant 
 shall not let or hinder thy purpose. Be warned, how- 
 ever, think well and have a care before thou carry out 
 thine undertaking. The prison, on the hillside above 
 us, knows many acts of treachery in the name of coun- 
 try, government and God. On a level with where we 
 are seated, and still lower in the mountain's depth, from 
 which escape, or release, hath never been known, lan- 
 guish many who dared cross the purposes of the king. 
 
 "There can be no controversy with those who are 
 condemned to pass their lives in Antonia. The objector 
 can no longer annoy the king; every name is forgotten ; 
 the identity of every prisoner lost. They are swal- 
 lowed up as though in the embrace of death; nor, can 
 the despairing cry of the doomed ones reach the ear of 
 any who might be disposed to respond to their misery 
 with sympathy or help. The summons comes like a 
 'thief in the night' ; the loved ones may plead at the gate 
 of Antonia; they will only obtain evasive replies to 
 their frantic appeals. Once those doors close upon the 
 form of the entering wretch, they are sealed. We, 
 miserable sons of Abraham, have ever before us these
 
 A Seat of Learning. 165 
 
 lessons of mystery and death. Fear and trembling 
 have seized us; so that morning, noon and night, we 
 have no rest. Neither we, nor our children." 
 
 Judas sprang to his feet, paced up and down the 
 room and, at last, paused before the two visitors, once 
 more expressing himself with energy : 
 
 "To-morrow, my friends, those dear young men 
 whom you observed in the court below students, philo- 
 sophers; the children of fond and loving fathers; the 
 strength and support of the mothers of Israel ; the hope 
 of the race of the world will demand justice for the 
 memory of their dead patron, and for his defenseless 
 child. They will not be heard. On the contrary, a tag 
 will be affixed upon the most forward a mark for 
 slaughter. They know the risk, yet, think'st thou they 
 shrink from it ? No ! they have already prepared with 
 alacrity, and accepted the opportunity of defying our 
 tyrant, with pleasure. They will ring their challenge, 
 for mercy and justice, in his dull ears, but it will be 
 in vain!" 
 
 Judas sank into a chair and buried his face in his 
 hands. 
 
 "Then I shall be with them!" declared Panthera 
 earnestly. "Their cause is mine. Their sorrow I will 
 share, it is mine also, from our common cause." 
 
 The teacher shook his head. 
 
 "Then shalt thou be branded as a traitor, a rebel, a 
 spy ; a consorter with evil-doers ; an encourager of riot 
 and confusion ; an enemy of the king, in whose pay thou 
 art. Shame will be heaped upon thy good name, and 
 it will follow thee, until it shall end in death." 
 
 "So be it ! I accept the alternative. Rather than fail 
 in what I know to be my duty. If need be, I shall die a 
 true man true to humanity; true to right."
 
 1 66 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "Heaven's care be thine, my son, and turn all evil 
 from thee !" exclaimed Hillel, devoutly. 
 
 He had watched the intense energy of Panthera, and 
 the ardent face of his brother priest, as the latter 
 endeavored to convince the soldier that danger threat- 
 ened those who baffled Herod. He knew the fearless 
 disposition of his pupil; knew that nothing could 
 restrain him from the execution of his decision. 
 
 Judas did not notice the ejaculation of Hillel, but, 
 placing himself opposite Panthera he fixed his eyes, 
 smoldering with indignation and resentment, upon 
 the intrepid young man and exclaimed : 
 
 "Let me tell thee a story."
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 A STORY OF REVENGE. 
 
 "Last year, late in a winter's night, a man came to 
 my door. When I demanded his name he beseeched 
 me for admittance, as an act of mercy. I opened the 
 door and beheld a soldier who was in the pay of Herod. 
 He divined my intention of refusing him entrance and 
 pressed his way into the room. 
 
 " 'I am an Israelite, of the tribe of Benjamin. For 
 the sake of our people, let me speak with thee.' 
 
 "I closed the door and motioned the soldier to a seat, 
 which he declined and entered, at once, upon his mis- 
 sion. 
 
 " 'I come to implore your assistance, your ministra- 
 tion of sympathy, for a dying man. A Jew, who will 
 be dead before the rising of the sun. He must see a 
 priest, an elder, some one who will assist him in his 
 distress. His conscience troubles him, and I cannot 
 bear to look upon his pale face and refuse his pleading. 
 Wilt thou visit him?' I could not doubt the sincerity 
 of the soldier, still, I hesitated to comply with his 
 request. 
 
 " 'I am not a priest. I am a teacher,' I replied. 
 
 " 'The man desires to unburden his mind ; something 
 is tormenting him. He will never know the difference 
 between priest and teacher. For the love of God, 
 hasten !' 
 
 "I was so impressed by the earnestness of the man 
 
 167
 
 1 68 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 that I consented. In a few moments we were in the 
 street and hurrying toward the place where the man, 
 for whom I was to become confessor, was confined. 
 We arrived, without let or hindrance. My companion 
 left me at the door. 
 
 " 'Knock !' he said. Thou wilt be admitted.' 
 
 "At this moment, another soldier, one of Herod's 
 guards, passed slowly before the place. Then I knew, 
 of a certainty, that something unusual was taking place. 
 But I was not prepared for the painful experience 
 through which the visit compelled me to pass, and 
 I devoutly hope that I may never again be called upon 
 to figure in such a capacity. My companion joined the 
 guard, whispered to him, and the two went away 
 together, leaving me alone. 
 
 "A deathlike silence reigned about the habitation. 
 I stood for a moment, at the top of the stone steps, 
 Avhich I had ascended at the side of the soldier guide, 
 then turned and knocked at the door. It opened at 
 once and I beheld an old man, his bent form trembling 
 in the reflection of the lamp held above his head. His 
 wrinkled face seemed withered, like parchment. He 
 thrust his claw-like hand through the opening and 
 clutched my shoulder. 
 
 " Thou art alone ?' he whispered, hoarsely. 
 
 " 'I am/ I assured him. 
 
 "He almost pulled me within the room, and, quickly 
 closing the door, shot the bolt into place. 
 
 " 'Follow me, be not afraid !' he exclaimed, perceiv- 
 ing in my looks the fear that had taken possession of 
 me. 
 
 "The man was a most uncouth object ; a frail, ghost- 
 like creature ; shuffling along with quick cat-like move- 
 ments. I could not help associating him with a wild
 
 A Story of Revenge. 169 
 
 animal from the cadaverous look of his gray complex- 
 ion, the unkempt hair, hanging over his shoulders, and 
 the grizzled beard. His few teeth were broken and 
 discolored. To these indications of extreme age, was 
 added a voice of gasping, rasping hoarseness, akin to 
 the bark of a snarling dog, or the whining cry of a 
 wild beast. He was the most repulsive specimen of 
 humanity I had ever beheld. 
 
 " 'Do not turn back,' he implored, in a nasal wheeze, 
 'Thou may'st thyself need a friend.' 
 
 "Thus appealed to, I could not refuse to see the mat- 
 ter to the end. Still holding the light above his head, 
 he led the way down a long narrow hall. Dark shadows 
 enclosed us on every side, seeming to be deepened by 
 the faint rays from the lamp. 
 
 "At length he stopped before a door, and held it open 
 for me to pass through. Stepping into the room, I dis- 
 covered that, with the exception of a table and one 
 chair, it was without furniture. I felt as though I had 
 entered a vault, possibly a tomb. The man had pushed 
 the door shut, and, I felt assured that he had taken the 
 precaution to slip the bolt into place. I could not sup- 
 press my misgivings. I had been most imprudent to 
 listen to the importunities of the soldier. I was sur- 
 prised to see, in a corner of the small apartment, a 
 bath tub full of steaming water. From this my eyes 
 came back to the face of the man, in whose power 
 I now felt myself to be. 
 
 " 'Do not stand staring at me ! We are alone. Thou 
 art strong and able. Why should'st thou fear a poor 
 old man ? Seat thyself !' 
 
 "He pointed to the only chair. I intimated that 
 I would prefer to stand, and offered him the seat.
 
 170 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "'No!' he cried sharply. Thou must not hurry. 
 Thou wilt listen to my story?' 
 
 "He placed the lamp on the table and seated himself 
 on the outer edge of the bath tub, leaving me to stand 
 or accept the proffered chair, as I might choose. 
 
 "The steam curled about the head of the man, its 
 moisture dampened his disordered hair. His misery 
 was so palpable that, of a sudden, pity came to me. I no 
 longer feared for my own safety, but drew the chair 
 nearer the wretch and asked him why he had sent for 
 me. He did not reply at once and I resumed. 
 
 " 'I was given to understand, that a ' 
 
 " 'That a man was dying !' he exclaimed, snatching 
 the words from me. 'Thou wast informed truly I am,' 
 he paused, wrung his skeleton hands, and finished, 
 'a dead man.' 
 
 "I thought I understood now. I was in the company 
 of a madman, one possessed, and again I looked at him 
 measuring my strength against his. 
 
 " 'Before the rising of the sun/ he proceeded. 'I shall 
 be carried to Abraham's bosom, or to hell to hell.' 
 He sprang to his feet, throwing his arms over his head 
 in terrible gesticulations. 
 
 "I resolved to know what actuated this unfortunate 
 creature before me. I did not allow myself to rise or 
 appear alarmed, but begged him to calm himself and 
 tell me all; encouraged him to unburden his mind to 
 me ; promised him my best offices in his distress. This 
 had the effect of quieting him, and he resumed his place 
 on the edge of the tub. 
 
 " 'Tell me, of a truth, art thou a friend of Herod?' 
 he whispered, craning his head forward. 
 
 "I did not wish to acknowledge so questionable a 
 relation, and answered him guardedly :
 
 A Story of Revenge. 171 
 
 " 'I am a Jew.' 
 
 "'Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!' he laughed wildly. The 
 unseemly mirth echoing through the bare room. 'Ha I 
 Ha ! Ha ! Ha !' My reply seemed to have given him 
 intense satisfaction. 
 
 '' 'A Jew !' he said explosively. 'That's good. I was 
 a Jew myself mark it. I was a Jew once myself. 
 Perhaps thnu wilt not believe it when thou hast heard 
 all my horrid story.' 
 
 " 'I will not cease to be a brother, I could not. What- 
 ever thine offenses may have been/ I told him. 
 
 " 'Nor crimes ?' he asked, hungrily. 
 
 " 'No. No crime can change the fact that the Lord 
 of mercy hath made us all of one blood.' 
 
 "He seemed to take heart as I thus encouraged him, 
 looked more hopefully into my face and told me his 
 awful story." 
 
 Judas had related this statement rapidly. He seemed 
 fairly excited at the prospect of interference, by the 
 soldier in the plans of Herod. He had not been able 
 to control the gathering of enthusiastic young students, 
 who had appeared before him, and made their avowal 
 to go before the king, in defense of their dead patron, 
 and the rights of his young daughter. It did not 
 appear that he would now be able to convince Pan- 
 thera of either the danger that would attend his appear- 
 ance at the trial, or of its uselessness. 
 
 "The man, of whom I speak, was Dan Petros, a 
 jailor, at the prison Antonia. I would that thou 
 should'st know of its hidden horrors." 
 
 Judas rose and went to a cabinet at the other side 
 of the room. Hillel and Panthera waited silently, some- 
 what awed by the vehemence of their host. 
 
 "I know of no better way to bring these horrors to
 
 172 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 thine understanding, than by the reading of what is 
 written here," said the Teacher, returning to his seat, 
 and spreading a thick roll on the table before him. 
 
 "The confession, made me by this man, who only 
 waited for the relief of an unburdened mind before 
 entering the bath and opening his veins, did so prey 
 upon my mind that at last, in the hope of ridding my- 
 self of the constantly recurring scene and its one fright- 
 ful actor, I wrote his narrative of exquisite torture and 
 with thy permission I will read it to thee." 
 
 Panthera murmured his appreciation of the interest 
 evinced in the welfare of a stranger, but Hillel only 
 settled himself more easily in his place, and waited. 
 
 Judas glanced toward his auditors; saw that their 
 attention was given, and at once began to read : 
 
 THE STORY OF A DOOMED MAN. 
 
 "It is twenty and one years, on the morrow, since 
 I, Dan Petros, entered the service of the king. I was 
 then forty years of age. Born of humble parents, at 
 Joppa, on the sea, I was raised strictly of the sect 
 known as Pharisees. My father and mother were 
 devout believers in the law of Moses, and loved the 
 hope of the future life that is reserved for the faithful. 
 In this belief was I instructed, after the manner of 
 Israelites, in such matters. Death is approaching; 
 I dare not pass into the presence of my God without 
 some preparation, some atonement. 
 
 "Living, all the days of my youth, by the sea, I had 
 learned the calling of a tent and sail-maker. This know- 
 ledge served me well in hand and I was enabled to take 
 to myself a wife. She was an alien to the commonwealth 
 of Israel, being a Greek woman. She was beautiful to 
 look upon, and I loved her so that I anticipated her
 
 A Story of Revenge. 173 
 
 every wish, humored her every whim. She was the 
 light of mine eyes, the comfort of my heart and the 
 idol that I worshiped. 
 
 "For five years we lived at Joppa and were happy, 
 so happy. I shall never forget the dream of bliss that 
 was mine, the memory of it will haunt me beyond the 
 grave, to which I go before another day-dawn. In an 
 evil hour we moved to Jerusalem. I had no trouble in 
 obtaining employment there and, for a while, we were 
 still happy. 
 
 "At last the destroyer came; a courtly man, of her 
 own race, crossed her path. In some way, I never 
 knew or cared how, they became acquainted. I was 
 twenty years older than she my wife, my wife. He 
 was young, strong, beautiful. He looked like a God ; 
 so dangerously handsome was his Greek face, that 
 I dreaded, I knew not what, when first I beheld him. 
 His supple form might have been copied in marble for 
 a statue of 'Perfection.' 
 
 "I came home one day, to the place that I had slaved 
 to make comfortable for her, and found this man hold- 
 ing the wife of my choice, the woman of my tenderest 
 affection, close to his traiterous heart. 
 
 "I knew the guilt of the pair, I sprang upon them and 
 endeavored to fell him to the floor. He seized me in his 
 powerful grasp, and I was helpless, as though held in 
 a vise. Then he spoke to her, in his accursed tongue, and 
 she fled from us. When she was beyond my reach, he 
 threw me into the corner of the room as though I had 
 been a bundle of feathers. He went out of the room 
 laughing, but he pulled the door carefully shut and, in 
 some way, fastened it on the outside. I have forgotten 
 how this was accomplished, but it served to confine me
 
 174 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 until he was safely away, and as I well knew, in the 
 company of my false love. 
 
 "I obtained my freedom as speedily as possible, and, 
 for several days after, I tramped through the streets of 
 Jerusalem in vain search for the fugitives, until I be- 
 came exhausted from exposure and hunger. I remem- 
 ber falling en the doorstep of a large building, and my 
 next recollection is of being in a sort of hospital ward, 
 where soldiers ministered to me. 
 
 "For weeks I lay there hovering between life and 
 death, keeping to myself the secret of my wanderings 
 and the cause. At last I was able to leave my bed. I dis- 
 covered that I had been cared for, nursed back to 
 life, within the fortress of Antonia. 
 
 "When I recovered, I felt a desire to bury myself in 
 the oblivion of the prison, that I might be removed 
 from the sight of man. In some way my wish became 
 known to the powers, and I was ordered to appear 
 before the king. A guard of soldiers conducted me 
 across the bridge to the palace, ushered me into his 
 presence and I was left alone with Herod. I had seen 
 him before, on the streets, and at a distance, but now 
 I could touch the hem of his garment, and I fell pros- 
 trate before his majesty. 
 
 "He commanded me to rise and I stood before him 
 in awe and reverence. He, in turn gazed into my face, 
 and, although my eyes were cast downward, I knew 
 that he was closely scrutinizing my countenance and 
 person. 
 
 " The king is informed that thou would' st remain in 
 the fortress,' Herod said, in a stern voice measuring 
 the appearance of his intended instrument with critical 
 yes. 
 
 " 'Most true, oh, king,' I answered.
 
 A Story of Revenge. 175 
 
 " 'Would'st thou enter my service, as keeper of the 
 dungeons ?' 
 
 "I heard this question with almost incredulous satis- 
 faction. I to be granted respite from contact with the 
 outer world ! I replied in eager acceptance : 
 
 " 'Aye, oh, king ! I have been deceived and betrayed 
 by the woman I loved and trusted. I would hide myself 
 and bury my mortification and shame.' 
 
 "The 'King of the Jews' took a step toward me. 
 
 " 'Why not have revenge?' he hissed the words into 
 my very ear. I dared to raise my eyes, for I felt that 
 his penetrating glance read the longing of my soul. A 
 new sensation thrilled my body and sent my blood 
 pulsing madly. 
 
 "The king watched the clutching of my hands ; the 
 twitching of my face, and he knew that, in imagination, 
 I held the hated rival in my grasp ; that I was looking 
 into the eyes of my wife with furious hatred ; that 
 I could see her ; see him. 
 
 "I forgot the presence of the king. I saw the guilty 
 lovers in my power. In imagination I wound a mighty 
 net, from which there was no escape, around each of 
 them ; listened to their cries, as they moaned and begged 
 for mercy. Great drops of sweat oozed from every 
 pore of my body ; my muscles became tense and hard ; 
 my face was set, and I knew it was livid with the hue 
 of death. The eyes of the king were fixed upon me all 
 this time. I must have become frenzied. His body 
 seemed to recede from me. All that remained was the 
 sight of his burning, glaring eyes. A strange, horrid 
 influence seized me, as though I were possessed of the 
 spirit and power of Herod himself. I felt that he was 
 still before me, but my narrowed vision saw only the 
 awful staring gaze again he hissed :
 
 176 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "'Revenge! Let revenge dominate thy soul! Let 
 hate be thine only ambition thy chief virtue! Let 
 torture be thy pastime and diversion. Slave, look into 
 my face, take the thought from thy master thy king !' 
 
 "1 felt as if a terrible blow struck upon my head. 
 I fell to the floor. 
 
 " 'Arise !' I heard the voice command. 
 
 "I lifted myself. Strange to say my senses returned 
 forthwith, and I experienced a refreshing feeling. 
 I looked into the face of my king, my master, and 
 I loved him. I was intoxicated by his forceful power 
 that gave me a mighty strengthening as it emanated 
 from his body to my nervously prostrated system. I was 
 glad to be his slave ; to worship at his shrine ; to behold 
 in him my god. He called me by name, and it made 
 sweeter music to my ears than when it fell from the 
 lips of my mother. 
 
 " 'Dan Petros, tentmaker of Joppa, receive the com- 
 mand of thy master. Henceforth thou shalt be the 
 keeper of the dungeons of Antonia. Thou shalt be 
 Herod's friend, which friendship shall be balanced by 
 thy loyalty. When thou hast served thy master well, 
 then shalt thou be rewarded. Thou shalt admit to the 
 prison thy false wife and her lover.' 
 
 'Oh, king!' I knelt before him. 'Behold thy slave. 
 Life, soul and body are freely given to thy service. 
 Henceforth thy poor servant shall live only in the 
 shadow of his master.' 
 
 "Thus was the compact made. I became the keeper 
 of Castle Antonia and entered upon my duties imme- 
 diately. 
 
 ''The man who had preceded me, was thoroughly 
 conversant with the place and had grown old in the ser- 
 vice. He had kept a complete record of the inmates,
 
 A Story of Revenge. 177 
 
 besides a history of the happenings during his term of 
 office. He had no intimation of being superseded until 
 an officer of the king's guard introduced me as his 
 successor. 
 
 "He was informed in the shortest, most tense terms, 
 that an order from the king required him to deliver up 
 the keys, authority and property, in his hands and under 
 his control and care, to his successor; that he was 
 to remain and teach the new incumbent all things neces- 
 sary that might in any way be pertaining to the office, 
 until he should be dismissed, be that time long or short. 
 
 "I was an apt pupil. Each corridor, each dungeon, 
 every step leading from one to the other ; all the dark, 
 damp, slimy recesses of the horrible place were laid bare 
 for my inspection. The use of the implements of dis- 
 cipline and torture was explained to me in a cold busi- 
 ness-like way that revealed the callous heart of my 
 informant. He made me shudder, as horror after hor- 
 ror, cruelty after cruelty was exposed. He must have 
 acquired his relentless disposition from long contact 
 with the terrors of his position. 
 
 "In the beginning, I kept my expressions, of disgust 
 and fear, to myself with the greatest effort, as I learned 
 the secrets of this God-forsaken institution. Every time 
 these feelings of weakening came to me, the form of my 
 wife and her paramour came with frightful vividness 
 before me, so that I clutched at the air with almost a 
 hope of reaching one or the other of them. 
 
 "I was introduced to each inmate as the new mas- 
 ter, informed that names were strictly prohibited. My 
 tutor intimated that it was wisest to forget that such 
 things had ever belonged to these wretches. He gave 
 me the record of each prisoner, according to number. 
 
 "Age and youth suffered alike in these dismal dun-
 
 178 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 geons ; persons of both sexes ; the ignorant and the cul- 
 tured; the strong and the weak, looked into my face, 
 striving to read there some hope of pity. Some of the 
 cells contained two persons but never more than three, 
 while solitary confinment was the rule. Thick walls 
 separated the sufferers from their nearest companions in 
 misery. The coarsest kind of food was furnished, and 
 the supply of water was actually unfit for use. 
 
 "My instruction lasted for a month, or more, I mas- 
 tered every detail. The soldiers recognized me as gov- 
 ernor of the castle prison department, and paid me due 
 respect and reverence. I accepted the dignity of my 
 new surroundings, and it seemed as natural to me as if 
 I had been a jailor and inquisitor born. 
 
 "During this time I visited the king on a number of 
 occasions. We met alone always. Each interview 
 seemed to rivet the chains that bound me to this man. 
 I learned to worship and deify him. Every time he 
 turned his eyes upon me, I found a desire to run and 
 fall at his feet to cry out his praises. 
 
 " 'Great is Herod! "King of the Jews!" 
 
 "In the meantime I received my orders from him face 
 to face. He treated me more as a companion than as 
 a servant. I discovered that trickery, duplicity and mur- 
 der were the requirements that might be expected of 
 me ; that they constituted the stock in trade of the hire- 
 lings in the service of my idol. This did not deter me 
 nor did the warnings of my predecessor. 
 
 "The time came when I considered myself equipped 
 to take full charge. 
 
 "My master had intimated to me that it would be a 
 matter of safety to him should the old keeper find a 
 way to heaven. The few weeks of contact with the 
 workings of the prison had so changed me, that I, at
 
 A Story of Revenge. 179 
 
 once, set about the finding of means for the accom- 
 plishment of his murder. I did not delay the matter, 
 but, on that very day made excuse for him to go with 
 me into the very lowest dungeons. I had resolved to 
 push him over the corridor wall, into the water below, 
 and drown him, when a still more diabolical means for 
 making way with him presented itself. 
 
 "We came to four cells, more like niches, cut into 
 the solid rock. I did not remember to have seen them 
 before, as the doors were of stone and when closed gave 
 the appearance of a bare wall. How it happened that 
 they had been opened on this day I did not inquire. 
 I called the attention of the keeper to this place, request- 
 ing explanation as to the use of such narrow cells. 
 
 "He seemed, of a sudden, to realize the misfortune 
 that had befallen me, in becoming a tool of that mon- 
 ster I called 'master.' 
 
 " 'Be persuaded,' he earnestly ejaculated, 'and relin- 
 quish the undertaking. M-isery, sickening misery is on 
 every hand. The howling, shrieking cries of despair 
 are continually ringing in my ears with the sobs and 
 sighs, the groans, muttered imprecations and curses of 
 the unfortunates who are, and will be, doomed to the 
 living hell of this place. Even am I compelled to listen 
 to the whispers of maniacs. Remember, no person hath 
 ever escaped to tell of the calamities and sorrows that 
 befall the inmates of this prison. Go ! take a rope and 
 hang thyself ; dash thy brains against these rocks ! Fly ! 
 Fly ! Do not remain in this accursed place. Leave the 
 dreadful mysteries and this infernal work to me, thy 
 servant, who is past redemption ; whose life is a seeth- 
 ing caldron of remorse and dread, fit for only such pur- 
 poses. Thou art young ; thy soul is yet pure ; thy hand 
 hath not been stained with thy brother's blood. Man,
 
 180 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 man, if thou art not already lost ; if thou art not yet the 
 slave of the crudest demon that ever disgraced the 
 name Humanity, pause, think, and for the sake of all 
 that is good and holy ; for the sake of the mother, who 
 gave thee life; for the hope of home and wife, that 
 may'st be thine, if thou wilt go back to the world ; that 
 thou may'st have the respect of man and the love of 
 God, I conjure thee, I implore thee, give up this position 
 and fly before it is too late.' 
 
 "During this harangue he never once paused, but 
 held my hand, in a grasp that was painful, so strong 
 was it. But the month had done its work. The dis- 
 respectful mention of my king and the unfortunate 
 reference to wife and home, made any effect of his 
 pleading useless, unless it was to infuriate a mind 
 already maddened. That moment I resolved to make 
 the keeper the first victim of the demon that possessed 
 me. 
 
 " 'Unhand me, thou defiler !' and I pushed him away 
 disdainfully. 'Teach me the use of these cells and cease 
 thy prating.' 
 
 "He looked at me for a moment as if he could not 
 understand such savage speech from a companion 
 whom he had taught for the past few weeks. He did 
 not seek to expostulate, but, stepping within the swing 
 door of one of the cells, he dismissed the subject of my 
 peril of soul and exclaimed : 
 
 " 'Behold ! A man hath but just room enough to 
 stand erect within this infernal portal.' 
 
 "An iron grating served for an inner door. 
 
 " 'This,' he said, showing me a fastening on the out- 
 side, 'may be closed for two or three days, your pri- 
 soner will seldom prove obdurate after that length of 
 time. Should he do so, you may close the outer door,
 
 A Story of Revenge. 181 
 
 and the supply of air is not sufficient to sustain life 
 many hours.' 
 
 " 'Try it, thou fool !' I cried and I slammed the grat- 
 ing into its place. 
 
 "The fastening secured itself, and I seized the pon- 
 derous outer door, and swung it slowly shut. The cry 
 of rage and terror that the keeper uttered, as he compre- 
 hended his situation, I will never cease to hear, but at 
 that time it was music to my ears. The rocky door 
 was closed. It did not entirely drown those fearful 
 screams, but I danced up and down the corridors, wild 
 with delight at this my first act of inhuman cruelty. 
 
 "I crept back to the door that I had closed forever. 
 A human being begged for mercy from within, but his 
 cries had no power. I reveled in fiendish joy as I lis- 
 tened to the prayer for deliverance, and the promises if 
 I would let him depart in peace. 
 
 "From the half hour that I spent at that door came 
 a mania which led me to the committing of a multitude 
 of most foul and unnatural crimes. They come before 
 me now in their consecutive order. 
 
 "For two years I rendered unquestioning service to 
 Herod, my king ; I learned nothing of the whereabouts 
 of my wife. I began to believe that Herod had forgot- 
 ten his promise. He never referred to it. Then the 
 thought, that she might have placed herself beyond the 
 reach of even this powerful monarch, came to me and 
 added to my torturing doubts. I had confined myself 
 to the prison and the adjoining palace during all this 
 time. 
 
 "Now I began to go about the streets again, perhaps 
 I might find the woman. Brooding thus, I at last 
 became so desperate as to resolve that I would bring the 
 matter of my revenge before the king. This I deter-
 
 1 82 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 mined to do daily, and as often found myself dumb in 
 his presence, not daring to utter a syllable of what was 
 in my mind. I continued to pace the streets, however, 
 and at last, after many days, my vigilance was 
 rewarded. I saw her. She wore a face covering, and 
 was attired in a flowing gown of black, but this could 
 not conceal the beauty of her form, or disguise the 
 undulating grace of her movements. I could not be 
 mistaken. I followed her. She entered the door of a 
 splendid residence, in the best part of the city. She 
 was mistress here. Her manner of opening the door 
 was proof of that. 
 
 "Was she living in affluence with him? I would 
 have rushed before her, driven her from the commun- 
 ity, where she seemed so grandly situated, but no, 
 I had waited long there was a better way. 
 
 "I concealed myself, nearby, where I could command 
 a view of the entrance. I waited, waited ; at last a man 
 approached. It was he. He went up the steps and 
 entered the door, where I had seen the form of my wife 
 disappear. I had not been mistaken. 
 
 "The next day I did that which I had not done 
 before. I went unbidden to the audience room of 
 Herod. I still loved him. He was my master, but, should 
 he choose to punish my audacity, it could not cause me 
 more anguish than I was now enduring. 
 
 "The king received me most kindly. I stood before 
 him in such feverish excitement, such pitiable anxiety 
 that he deigned to ask my wishes. 
 
 " 'Thy promise, oh, king ! My wife, her lover, thou 
 did'st say I should admit them within the doors of 
 Antonia.' 
 
 "The king's impassive face showed no surprise, but 
 now, I verily believe his majesty had forgotten that
 
 A Story of Revenge. 183 
 
 part of his compact, so little does he care for what 
 concerns his servants, and those within his power. He 
 encouraged me to speak, and I poured out all my pent 
 up misery and the story of how I had, at last, found 
 those I sought. I was of use to Herod then. He could 
 not have replaced me easily. He listened without com- 
 ment. 
 
 " Thou hast suffered, my good Dan,' he said. 'Also, 
 thou hast served me well.' 
 
 "Then, as I knelt before him, he dismissed me and 
 my petition. 
 
 " 'Thy duties require thee. Thou may'st go,' he 
 said. 
 
 "As one in stupor I left him. The terrible influence 
 of this man was evidenced, in that the thought of revolt 
 did not occur to me. I went about my tasks as one who 
 dreams, but, within four days, the wife whom I hated, 
 and the man whose life I sought, were confined within 
 the prison where I was almost an absolute master. 
 
 "Revenge was within my grasp, and I lauded the 
 master, who has made it possible for me. I fawned 
 upon him, was a sycophant, told myself that it had been 
 but kindness on his part, when I was turned away 
 unsatisfied. 
 
 "My time spent among the dungeons, had greatly 
 changed me. In such a place my wife never thought of 
 seeing me. I had cultivated the heavy beard, which 
 thou see'st, for just this contingency. Neither of them 
 recognized me for a moment. 
 
 "I placed them in separate cells, well lighted; gave 
 them generous allowances of food and some other 
 comforts. For days I waited upon them myself lis- 
 tened to their inquiries as to the reason of their incar- 
 ceration, and made such replies as suited my fancy to
 
 1 84 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 alarm and torment them, all the time guarding the 
 truth. I supplied them bountifully with necessities, 
 that their strength might not give out, not until I should 
 waste it myself. 
 
 "Slowly, day by day, I substracted from the com- 
 fort, I may say, luxury, allowed them on their first 
 entry. Occasionally I allowed her to visit him at the 
 door of his cell, while I beheld her distress and mis- 
 givings. Then I reversed this refinement of cruelty 
 and enjoyed his despair, as he told his misery and 
 uncertainty before the door of her prison. 
 
 "I changed their cells, at last, to less comfortable 
 ones, then to the worst ones, short of the real dungeons, 
 then, denied them further intercourse, and finally, all 
 knowledge of each other save as they obtained it 
 through me. In this fashion a year dragged along, 
 during which time they knew the bitterness of every 
 disappointment I could devise. 
 
 "One day, when I had reduced the Greek to absolute 
 submission through starvation, I brought her to look 
 upon the skeleton of the man she loved. When she 
 saw him, she uttered a cry and ran to his assistance. 
 I grasped her arm, and held her back. 
 
 " 'Hold, harlot !' I cried. Something in my voice 
 startled her memory into keen activity. She gazed into 
 my eyes in horrified recognition as she shrank away. 
 The man dragged his emaciated limbs toward me as 
 though, instinctively, to protect the woman. 
 
 "I felled him with a blow from the club which 
 I always carried, and threw the miserable wreck of a 
 woman to the further side of the cell. Then, standing 
 between the two, I heaped imprecations upon them. 
 
 "The man arose, and, standing as erect as his wasted 
 strength would allow, he dared me to do my worst.
 
 A Story of Revenge. 185 
 
 " 'Strike, coward kill ! I know thee. It is all 
 thou can'st do.' His voice was scarcely more than a 
 whisper for, of a truth, he was barely able to speak. 
 
 " 'Think not so !' I gloated. 'Thy sufferings have 
 only commenced.' 
 
 " 'Mercy !' moaned my wife, and she flung herself 
 at my feet only to be spurned. 
 
 "Why should I continue the story of this horrible 
 revenge, why dw r ell longer upon the torment that 
 I heaped upon them. Shame and indignity I con- 
 stantly brought to them, upbraiding them continually 
 with the infamy they had brought me. I did not cease 
 this until he succumbed, and death put an end to his 
 sufferings. Then I threw his body into her cell, and 
 starved her to death in grief and madness. 
 
 "Herod delighted in the executioner who consum- 
 ated his wicked designs. The dungeons were always 
 filled with those of whom the king wished to be rid. 
 For nearly twenty-one years I fattened on the misery 
 I produced, basking in the favor of the king. Now 
 he hath forsaken me, and given me three days in which 
 to make my peace with God and man. I cannot settle 
 my account. I have been commanded to let out my 
 veins. I know too many of the secrets of the king. 
 Before the sun rises in the morning my time on earth 
 is ended. Behold the water, the bath, there is no escape. 
 'Tis his order. I must die." 
 
 Judas pushed the roll away, and shook the heavy hair 
 from his forehead. 
 
 "This is, in brief, the story of Dan Petros, as he 
 related it to me. Some of the dreadfulness of it may 
 have been conveyed to thee by this reading. Thou 
 could'st not know the intensity of horror that held me 
 spellbound as I listened to his agonized confession,
 
 1 86 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 and saw his wild pleading, as he interruped himself 
 with prayers to his outraged God. 
 
 "I counselled, admonished and encouraged the des- 
 pairing man, who was confronting compulsory death, 
 as best I could; told him of the tender mercy of a 
 heavenly father who pitied his childen, and who had 
 said : 'Though thy sins be as scarlet, yet shall they be 
 white as snow ; though they be red, like crimson, they 
 shall be as wool.' 
 
 "I left him when the gray of the morning streaked 
 through the eastern sky. Friendless, save for the unut- 
 terable pity that filled my being, he closed the door 
 after me, and it was known, among men, that the 
 keeper of the prison had been found, in his bath tub, 
 with his veins emptied." 
 
 Rabbi Hillel sighed heavily as the speaker paused. 
 This was only a new proof of the relentless brutality 
 of the king. 
 
 "Thou wilt be warned, my son," said the priest in 
 tender solicitude, as he beheld the knitting of Pan- 
 thera's brow and his clinched hand. 
 
 The soldier leaned across the table to Hillel. 
 "Thou know'st that I must not be careless of what 
 concerns all my life, and hers," he murmured. Then, 
 rising, he grasped the outstretched hand of Judas, 
 "I know not how to thank thee. I cannot but heed the 
 lesson of this experience, which thou so kindly hath 
 placed before me. But, shall I shirk a duty because 
 danger threatens? No, never! I would have thee 
 know that, henceforth, I am a Jew. I know the disdain 
 in which the tyrant is held. I know the sorrows of 
 this people; already more than human heart can bear. 
 I espouse their cause, I will share their suffering. I will 
 attend the hearing before Herod, even though the pri-
 
 A Story of Revenge. 187 
 
 son doors on Antonia close about me. Neither her 
 name, nor the name of her dead father shall be defamed 
 without my protest." 
 
 The priest and teacher looked at each other in dis- 
 may, as Panthera uttered this intrepid speech. It was 
 plain that this splendid son, of a martyred father, 
 would not be intimidated ; that he would persist in his 
 determination and, in all likelihood, offend the king. 
 
 "Very well," said Judas, seeing a meaning look on 
 the countenance of Hillel. "Rest thee here with us. 
 On the morrow thou shalt be accompanied by a thou- 
 sand students, to the council chamber of the ruler who 
 hath dared to desecrate the temple of the most high 
 God."
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 PREPARATION FOR THE INQUISITION. 
 
 Panthera spent a weary, restless night. The teacher's 
 story, together with the anxieties and events that had 
 crowded so thick and fast upon him, had so jarred his 
 nerves as to make sleep impossible. The discordant 
 awakening of the great city came as a positive relief to 
 his over-strained senses. Action would be the only vent 
 for the indignation and rebellion pent up in the heart 
 of the soldier. The hurry of trampling feet, accom- 
 panied by the cries of fruit venders, told that all the 
 city was astir. These familiar sounds seemed to hold 
 more than their ordinary significance, to convey a fore- 
 boding of evil that Panthera well knew would be 
 wrought. 
 
 The priest, Hillel, had also passed a tiresome night. 
 He joined Panthera unrefreshed, his fine, old face bear- 
 ing every indication of solicitude. 
 
 The friends broke their fast with a light meal, and 
 sauntered forth, hoping to see or hear something that 
 might enlighten them in regard to the proceedings 
 anticipated for the afternoon. 
 
 They made their way slowly up the incline toward 
 mount Zion, directing their steps so as to reach the 
 palace of the king. Wandering from place to place, 
 they joined the groups of people, their eyes and ears 
 constantly on the alert for indications that might expose 
 
 188
 
 Preparation for the Inquisition. 189 
 
 the designs of Herod concerning the Jewish maiden, 
 and the disposal of the estate that was her inheritance. 
 
 As Judas had said, the whole property, of which 
 Joachim had died possessed, was guarded by soldiers 
 and sealed with the seal of the king. Inventories were 
 being made, and the two friends felt little doubt that 
 all this was but the first step toward confiscation. Their 
 conclusion, that the very worst outrage might be 
 expected, was more than confirmed by personal obser- 
 vation and the careful inquiries they made. 
 
 Few words of commendation were uttered for the 
 dead merchant. Those who spoke well of Joachim, did 
 so in whispers, while the distributers of evil rumors 
 displayed an activity that betokened the probability of 
 reward for the industrious scattering of reports deroga- 
 tory to the name and fame of the dead patriarch. These 
 were related whenever an audience could be secured. 
 The very atmosphere seemed full of dread, and the 
 knowledge that whatever was creditable, to the 
 deceased Jew, would find no favor with the king. 
 
 For the most part prejudice was aroused quietly, but 
 some orators grew bold enough to harangue the people 
 from the street corners and in the market places. All 
 these creatures, in the pay of the king, set forth, in 
 glowing colors the extent and proportions of the 
 threatened invasion of Judea and Jerusalem. 
 
 The sum of the charges, as gathered from all sources, 
 was that, during the last few years of his life, Joachim 
 had aided, assisted and encouraged the enemies of 
 Caesar and Herod, who were preparing to lead an army 
 from Persia to over-run the eastern provinces of the 
 Republic, enthrone a mighty prince at Jerusalem and 
 establish a kingdom that should rival Rome in splendor. 
 
 It was freely charged that the great wealth of the
 
 190 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 patriarch had been diverted to this work and that it 
 was now dedicated to this seditious cause. Internal 
 insurrection and revolt had already invaded the very 
 household of Herod. Many of the Jewish soldiers, and 
 some of the German contingent, were under suspicion. 
 It was also claimed that other and more startling accu- 
 sations would be made at the hearing before the king, 
 the chief priests, scribes and elders. 
 
 But for the counsel of the priest, Panthera would not 
 have held his peace, as he recognized, on the surface of 
 all this commotion, the handiwork of the king's emis- 
 saries. Their fraudulent methods were too transparent 
 to require research, or investigation, as to their source. 
 Both Hillel and Panthera were satisfied that public 
 resentment and hatred were being augmented, that a 
 decided denunciation would occur at the hearing. 
 
 In thus learning the situation, the morning \vas 
 spent. Noon came finding the wayfarers an hungered. 
 Hillel turned in at the home of a friend and, with Pan- 
 thera, shared the repast of the family. From this place 
 they observed the relays of troops moving, in com- 
 panies, toward the palace grounds, sufficient evidence 
 that precaution had been taken for the quelling of any 
 hostile disturbance that might be provoked, or that, 
 under the circumstances, the friends of Joachim might 
 be prepared to make. 
 
 After taking leave of their host, Panthera and the 
 priest repaired, without further delay, to the palace 
 grounds where the trial was to take place. It was well 
 nigh the time set when they arrived. 
 
 Stretched before them were the wonderful lawns, 
 their natural green abundantly relieved by artistic set- 
 ting of various hued flowers. Fountains, of every con- 
 ceivable kind of sculptored marble and granite, sparkled
 
 Preparation for the Inquisition. 191 
 
 through the waters gushing from their cunningly 
 devised openings. A profusion of beaten ornaments 
 of brass and copper assisted in giving animation to 
 the scene, attracting the eye and charming the mind. 
 Here and there beneath the shade of mighty branches 
 were placed seats for the public use. 
 
 Broad thoroughfares circled throughout the grounds, 
 converging at a wide court of tesselated marble, white 
 and black and beautifully polished. 
 
 This court lay at the foot of an expanse of granite 
 steps leading to a raised portico of highly polished 
 stone. These steps served for seats from which could 
 be obtained a view of the paved court and the gardens 
 beyond. At the top of the splendid flight, was placed 
 a heavy turreted battlement with embrasures, behind 
 which large bodies of troops could be concealed. 
 
 In the center of this battlement gleamed a dais, 
 draped with crimson. A massive Roman eagle, bur- 
 nished in gold, with outspread wings and head thrown 
 forward, surmounted the canopy, in apparent readiness 
 to swoop down on the multitude. Underneath was the 
 seat of the king, of chiselled stone and raised so that 
 the occupant might have an unobstructed view of every 
 person before him. 
 
 Here it was that Herod chose to sit, and listen to 
 matters which might effect the welfare of his people. 
 Here, in turn, he might carry out his designs against 
 them. Proclamation was always made as to the time, 
 and matter which would be heard, and these days were 
 looked forward to, set apart, as gala days, when the 
 people would be allowed some license and the privilege 
 of taking part in the demonstrations. 
 
 Huge pillars of polished granite were set at regular 
 distances extending from either side of this judgment
 
 192 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 seat out beyond the checkered pavement, a colonnade 
 on which were stretched canvas curtains shutting out 
 the rays of the sun and the glare of the eastern day. 
 
 Soldiers, horse and foot, had been moving all the 
 forenoon, in squads and companies, from the neigh- 
 boring fortresses, taking up positions of advantage in 
 near proximity to the palace. Since daybreak, Jewish 
 horsemen had patroled the grounds. These demonstra- 
 tions had the double effect of overaweing the people 
 and giving the matter in hand a precautionary, war- 
 like appearance. 
 
 The crowd that had gathered at the mount Zion 
 market place in the forenoon, lingered in the vicinity 
 until the hour set for the hearing, then added its number 
 to the motley assembly already gathered before the 
 palace. It was a noisy multitude. Discussion ran ram- 
 pant. Many other themes, besides the one in question 
 were mooted and argued with an earnestness that was 
 surprising, when the awe in which the people stood was 
 considered. 
 
 Students of the different Jewish sects, and from the 
 different places of learning, were present, and promi- 
 nent from the active part they were taking in the vari- 
 ous discussions affecting the welfare of their country- 
 men. Their religious and political differences \vere 
 known by the clothing, or the distinctive marks and 
 badges, which they wore. 
 
 They were united in some things. In general these 
 young men had a deep seated hatred against the gov- 
 ernment of Rome, and, so far as this might include 
 Herod, against him as well. Their reckless indiffer- 
 ence to danger, or the authority of the king, bordered 
 on insane presumption. Frequently these gatherings 
 ended in riot and bloodshed.
 
 Preparation for the Inquisition. 193 
 
 Panthera and the priest forced their way to a posi- 
 tion of advantage at the base of one of the green marble 
 pillars, near the foot of the steps leading to Herod's 
 seat. 
 
 Within a short time a company of trumpeters and 
 other musicians, appeared on the balcony above, all of 
 whom, at the proper signal, were to help announce the 
 presence of his majesty. 
 
 These were followed by the priests, scribes, elders 
 and officers, of the king's household, who passed in 
 single file to the places reserved for them. 
 
 Fine linen, a profusion of gold lace and gaudy uni- 
 forms, and the sparkle of gems and precious stones con- 
 trasted with the sombre robes of the priesthood, as 
 these retainers and supporters of the "king of the Jews" 
 took their positions. 
 
 A body-guard of stalwart warriors with shining 
 helmets, breastplates burnished to the brightness of 
 mirrors, armed with short swords and carrying leather 
 shields, marched into the portico. They were headed 
 by a band and the air fairly trembled with sweet strains 
 of music as these men, clothed in the uniform of the 
 Roman Legendary, filled all the available space near the 
 throne-like structure where Herod was to sit in judg- 
 ment. 
 
 Silence fell upon the spectators. The glitter of the 
 gold bullion decorating the suits of the warriors dazzled 
 the eyes of admiring devotees and disdainful students, 
 as the body-guard became motionless, waiting for the 
 king. 
 
 A gaudily attired herald advanced to a vacant space 
 before the empty seat. He lifted his hand, and a shrill 
 blast from the trumpets pierced the air. 
 
 "Behold thy king! The Lord's anointed! By his
 
 194 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 grace; king of the Jews!" announced the herald in a 
 clear voice that vibrated throughout the beautiful gar- 
 dens. 
 
 At this instant, Herod was discovered coming slowly 
 from within the palace. Alexes, the husband of the 
 king's sister, Salome, supported him on one side, while 
 on the other walked Solan Hai, the rich and opulent 
 seer of Jerusalem. 
 
 "Hail to the king!" and again "Long live the king!" 
 The populace shouted itself hoarse. 
 
 The face of Herod was not an unpleasant one to 
 behold. Black, piercing eyes, that had not lost their 
 lustre, shone from under heavy overhanging brows. 
 A wreath was bound about his scanty white locks, and 
 the flowing beard lent dignity to his commanding 
 appearance. The bent form and stern face, however, 
 betrayed the ravages of time. He was richly clothed 
 in white robes trimmed with purple, and every move- 
 ment of his person brought a gleam of priceless jewels 
 to the light of day. They adorned his breast, his throat 
 and almost covered his fingers, which were plump and 
 white despite his age. 
 
 He exhibited some impatience as assistance was prof- 
 fered him, yet the weight of seventy years of activity 
 was upon him. For thirty years he had been a ruler, 
 a king, a powerful man and a mighty general; feared 
 where he was not respected, and, by many, looked up 
 to as a god. He sat in the councils of his countrymen, 
 demanding, and expecting, the homage due his exalted 
 rank and station. 
 
 His creatures and retainers, were treated as slaves, 
 without distinction, from the lowest in rank and grade 
 to the highest dignitaries. 
 
 Fear had never been an element of the king's charac-
 
 Preparation for the Inquisition. 195 
 
 ter, except that within a short time previous a strange 
 distemper had possessed his body. Its development 
 had disturbed his mind to an alarming extent. The 
 thought of death had forced itself upon him, and he 
 shrank from it in consternation and dread, if not in 
 abject terror. 
 
 To-day he rallied and displayed his customary energy 
 to a very large degree. His cupidity and avarice were 
 aroused; in these propensities there was no satisfying 
 him. His greed for wealth was ever on the increase, 
 that he might indulge his love for profligate display of 
 grandeur. 
 
 He would not allow this opportunity, to secure the 
 riches of Joachim, to pass without due care ; nor, with- 
 out show of due process of law and justice. Every- 
 thing that might dazzle the eyes of the multitude, quiet 
 his own conscience and answer the questions of the 
 reckless, who might be foolhardy enough to interfere 
 with the righteousness of this inquisition, had been 
 done and accomplished. Herod was pleased with the 
 work. 
 
 The old man paused for a moment and gazed into the 
 sea of faces uplifted to him. Without seeming to do 
 so, he shook off the supporting hands, and sanctimon- 
 iously raised his arms and turned his eyes heavenward. 
 He then bowed, in a courtly manner, to the throng, and, 
 ascended to his judgment seat without further assist- 
 ance. 
 
 A cry went up. It seemed to rend the canopy; to 
 shake the very palace. 
 
 "A god! A god! Who is like him? Our king 
 'The King of the Jews.' "
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 JUDGMENT SEAT DEGRADATION. 
 
 The preceding week had been given over to prepara- 
 tions for this day. The proclamation of the king had 
 been supplemented by announcements, from the town 
 criers, of the matter that would occupy the attention of 
 the king and his subjects. The names of the principal 
 witnesses were also known, and such others as might 
 know ought of interest, were invited to appear on this 
 occasion, when they would not only be privileged, but 
 expected, to give their testimony, or submit reasons why 
 judgment should not be entered against the dead mer- 
 chant, and his property be confiscated to the king, by 
 reason of sedition and treason on his part, during his 
 life time. 
 
 The deceased had been a mighty man, a person of 
 good repute; had been a notable giver of large alms; 
 was remembered as a friend of the people. This show 
 of regularity and legal form, with its pompous display 
 of fairness, had for its ultimate object an answer, if 
 inquiries should be made by appeal to Rome. 
 
 Justification for this wholesale confiscation could only 
 be had through the establishing of this charge against 
 the name of Joachim, and even Herod was forced to 
 use both energy and precaution in securing witnesses 
 who could be relied upon to deceive the Jews, not in the 
 confidence of the king, and the Romans, who might 
 investigate. 
 
 196
 
 Judgment Seat Degradation. 197 
 
 Nearly all the priests, scribes and elders, connected 
 with the Jewish system of worship, were creatures of 
 Herod's own making and advancement. They were 
 now in attendance, ready to acquiesce in the desires of 
 their ruler, or perform his bidding. 
 
 The herald advanced to the front and demanded 
 silence, at the same time announcing : 
 
 "All is now in readiness. All persons having know- 
 ledge of the matter before the king are invited to come 
 forward that they may be heard." 
 
 A lawyer, attached to the household of the king, 
 presented the information in which the charges were 
 made. This he proceeded to read from a roll. It was 
 a long, systematic arrangement of statements, made 
 with the customary verbose, and redundant allegations, 
 specifications and particulars, the hearing of which, if 
 it served no other purpose, went far toward mystifying 
 those who listened and impressing them with the 
 importance of the document. 
 
 Throughout the instrument was this ever uppermost 
 prominent charge: "Joachim had maliciously, wick- 
 edly, without fear of God, or regard for the peace and 
 wellbeing of man, conspired, with divers other persons 
 unknown, against the life of the king, the liberty and 
 independence of his countrymen." 
 
 Witnesses were about to be produced who would 
 offer testimony in support of these charges, and all of 
 Joachim's kin and name were here given opportunity to 
 vindicate the honor of the dead Israelite, and to show 
 cause why the property, real and personal, should not 
 become forfeit to the crown. 
 
 Panthera listened to the reading with deep concern. 
 Never so much as a word was lost upon him. Partly 
 prepared for this by the admonitions of the priests, he
 
 198 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 was nevertheless, amazed and indignant, beyond 
 restraint as the reading of the cunningly devised instru- 
 ment was finished. To the honorable Roman, it had 
 been a revelation of the character of Herod. 
 
 Without stopping to consider, and before his com- 
 panion could interfere, Panthera sprang forward and 
 began ascending the steps toward the king. Knowing 
 how ill-fitted the soldier must be to cope with the 
 shrewd advocate, who had prepared the carefully 
 framed information, the priest uttered a low excla- 
 mation of horror and followed instantly in the wake of 
 his rash pupil. 
 
 Half way up the steps he laid his trembling hand on 
 the arm of the soldier. 
 
 "Restrain thyself," he whispered. "Thou wilt injure 
 thy cause." 
 
 A deeper hush fell upon the people. The dullest 
 among them knew that a new element had entered into 
 the plans of Herod. For a moment Panthera hesitated, 
 one foot planted on the step above, his face turned 
 defiantly toward the surprised king and his attendants, 
 he yet allowed Hillel to detain him and listened to the 
 rapid expostulation of the thoroughly alarmed priest. 
 
 This lasted but a moment, then, daring and unsub- 
 dued, Panthera cried in a voice audible to hundreds of 
 expectant ears : 
 
 "I will not listen to such charges ! They are untrue ! 
 False in every particular !" 
 
 A stir suddenly animated the assembly; a murmur 
 of approval arose and some of the students in their 
 zeal cried out: 
 
 "We know it! Joachim was our friend! Proof 
 we demand proof !" 
 
 Confusion and riot seemed imminent. Under cover
 
 Judgment Seat Degradation. 199 
 
 of the commotion, Hillel again attempted to silence the 
 soldier. 
 
 "Wait, I beseech thee," he implored. 
 
 Panthera was about to answer, when a rush of the 
 king's troops, carried both of them to the court below 
 and compelled them to mingle with the turbulent crowd 
 as the guard quelled the demonstration in favor of Pan- 
 thera's interference. 
 
 Hillel clung to the arm of the soldier, determined 
 not to be separated from him. He continued to protest, 
 most vigorously, until at last Panthera yielded to the 
 reasonable importunities and quietly returned to his 
 former position. 
 
 The crowd willingly made way for the champion of 
 their dead countryman. The students gathered near 
 and by their demeanor, gestures and language gave 
 unmistakable indication of their intention to render 
 Panthera active support, should occasion require their 
 assistance. These young men were satisfied that a 
 grave injury was about to be inflicted against the 
 revered name of their patron. 
 
 Solan Hai whispered something to the lawyer, evi- 
 dently calling his attention to the soldier, for the watch- 
 ful eyes of the advocate- turned, in keen discrimination, 
 to the group at the foot of the steps. The king, also, 
 was ga/ing at the soldier, who had become the center 
 of interest for the time being. 
 
 Again the advocate took a position before the king, 
 and in full view of the people. It was a signal for 
 attention. Addressing the king, the priests, scribes 
 and elders, he dwelt in detail upon what had already 
 been read from the roll. He concluded with a grand 
 and eloquent peroration, in which he pledged himself 
 to prove the allegations contained in the information.
 
 2oo Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 Immediately at the conclusion of the oration a shout 
 was raised lauding the advocate of the king. And 
 again did the people hail Herod, "king of kings," 
 "prince of potentates" and "savior of his country." 
 
 The clamor had been skillfully arranged, and was 
 a sure index of the result which might be expected. 
 Renegade Jews and foreigners were ready at signal to 
 make outburst and demonstration in favor of the ends 
 in view. 
 
 "Solan Hai! Solan Hai! Solan Hai!" called the 
 herald. 
 
 The uncouth figure of the wizard was brought into 
 prominence as he stepped briskly to the place assigned 
 witnesses while testifying. The experience was not a 
 new one for him and he looked boldly toward the advo- 
 cate, who was to conduct the inquiry. 
 
 As a witness, Solan Hai was all the king could have 
 wished. He set forth distinctly and with all possible 
 plainness, the facts and circumstances charged against 
 Joachim. The knowledge, he professed, had been 
 obtained from diligent observation and personal inquir- 
 ies on his part in pursuing the various clews that had led 
 to the unearthing of the plot against the king, and 
 from numerous other sources. He dwelt, at great 
 length, upon matters pertaining to the meeting of the 
 wise men near Hebron; coloring and emphasizing so 
 as to make the most of the meager facts in his posses- 
 sion. 
 
 The wizard returned to his place, close to the king, 
 at the close .of the examination of his important self, 
 and waited, lynx-eyed, for the next witness. This 
 proved to be one of the servants of Joachim, who had 
 been with the wealthy Jew at the camp. 
 
 He explained, with great minuteness, the forming of
 
 Judgment Seat Degradation. 201 
 
 the camp at the place near Hebron and the arrival of the 
 persons who had been visitors there ; described in detail 
 the completeness of their traveling outfit, well equipped, 
 having horses and camels to spare and a corps of well 
 trained attendants. 
 
 That they were from the East, he knew because they 
 had come from that direction and returned over the 
 same route, and on several occasions they had men- 
 tioned India, Babylonia and Arabia. They must have 
 been persons of extensive knowledge, for they had 
 displayed a good show of learning and culture. 
 
 The witness believed that they were princes and, in 
 all likelihood, eastern kings. The witness had over- 
 heard much of the conversation between Joachim and 
 his mysterious guests. Frequent mention had been 
 made of the expected king, a mighty personage, an 
 irresistable warrior, who would overcome all enemies 
 and vanquish all governments. The time for the dis- 
 play of this coming man's wondrous power was at 
 hand. There could be no mistake ; the witness had heard 
 with his own ears all the story. He believed Joachim 
 had arranged this meeting for the sole purpose of enter- 
 taining these same people, who had been his guests, 
 because he had broken camp immediately after the 
 departure of the easterners. 
 
 The servant recounted, with great volubility and 
 braggadocio, the story of the attack on the camp on 
 the morning of the day when his master had died; 
 told of his own resistance and brave defense until 
 relieved by one Caius Panthera, a soldier who had 
 arrived but a short time before, and who was holding 
 conference with Joachim at the time of the onslaught. 
 He gave credit to the soldier for service rendered in the 
 extremity of need, and told how the Roman had
 
 202 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 mounted his horse and galloped after the man who had 
 stolen the beloved Mary. 
 
 The witness identified the soldier at the foot of the 
 steps as the rescuer of Joachim's daughter and further 
 testified that the same soldier had been with Mary and 
 Joseph, but a day or so since, when Mary returned to 
 the camp and directed the disposal of the outfit. 
 
 Throughout the questioning of this witness Solan 
 Hai seemed to be compelling the answers that fell from 
 his lips. The wizard had a powerful control over the 
 man. He had bought him with gold. 
 
 Other witnesses were now sworn. Many of them 
 knowing nothing more than what they had been told. 
 The interest waned and the spectators began to con- 
 verse among themselves. 
 
 Simon Gatzor, the merchant from Hebron, was 
 called and the interest revived. 
 
 He said in substance that Joachim had been his coun- 
 tryman ; that the town of Nazareth had been the home 
 of the dead Jew, and their friendly intercourse had 
 extended over a number of years, during which time 
 they had engaged in many business transactions. 
 
 In the presence of this witness, Joachim had fre- 
 quently denied the right of Herod to the title "King of 
 the Jews" ; had declared that one would soon appear 
 who would destroy the present government and set up 
 a kingdom at Jerusalem Rome would be completely 
 overthrown and subjugated, while the Jewish nation 
 would become the head of all nations. The witness 
 knew that Joachim had met with others of this same 
 belief, most of whom were from the far East, and who 
 spoke a tongue with which he, Simon Gatzor, was not 
 acquainted. 
 
 He testified as to the presence of Panthera at Hebron
 
 Judgment Seat Degradation. 203 
 
 on the evening of the day of Joachim's death. The 
 soldier had been the guest of the witness and had left 
 his home very mysteriously, without so much as saying 
 a word of farewell. 
 
 More than all this he mentioned a personal grievance 
 against the Roman. The latter had thrown a spell about 
 Alta, the daughter of the witness. He declared that her 
 natural kindly disposition was changed, so that she was 
 regardless of the wishes of her parent; that since the 
 departure of the man she had been entirely beyond 
 control. All this, the witness verily believed, was due 
 to the baneful influence of this soldier. 
 
 Panthera was pointed out to the witness and he 
 promptly recognized him as the destroyer of the peace 
 of Alta. 
 
 Herod was frowning darkly. He would know what 
 Panthera had to do with this conspiracy, why he had 
 been so much with Joachim and, afterward, with Mary, 
 for what reason he had become the guest of Simon 
 Gatzor. 
 
 "Let the soldier answer!" sharply interposed the 
 king. "Stand aside," to the advocate. "I, myself will 
 examine him. Let his name be called." 
 
 "Caius Panthera!" The herald shouted the name 
 three times. 
 
 Almost before the tones died away the Roman stood 
 before the king. 
 
 "One of the German retinue, thou art a hired sold- 
 ier ?" demanded the king in austere tones. 
 
 "Aye," responded the Roman. "In the pay of the 
 'King of the Jews.' " 
 
 "To betray him to his enemies ?" 
 
 "I trust not," answered Panthera proudly. "I am 
 a soldier, and a Roman."
 
 204 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "Thou hast heard the testimony of these witnesses. 
 Thou may'st answer," said Herod, stern displeasure 
 growing in his voice. "Proceed." 
 
 "I am pleased, oh, king, that thy servant is thus 
 given opportunity to defend the name and fame of an 
 inoffensive old man, who loved his God and revered and 
 obeyed the law of one Moses, an ancient lawgiver of 
 Israel, and had an affectionate place in his heart for 
 his countrymen and a kindly regard for the rest of 
 mankind. 
 
 "That instantly serving God, day and night, he, 
 together with many other holy and devout men, did 
 look forward to the redemption of the promises made 
 of God to his fathers, is most true. From the house of 
 David, of which he was a descendant, being of the 
 tribe of Judah, he looked for a king who would rule 
 his people in equity and righteousness. 
 
 "I regret that it was not my lot to have had an 
 acquaintance with Joachim. He was not a soldier nor 
 a warrior; neither was he engaged in conspiring with 
 others against the rule of Caesar nor, thine, oh, king. 
 But if the Israelitish people would testify before thee 
 this day, thou would'st know that they believe the 
 promises made of God unto their fathers; to which 
 promises the tribes of Israel cling from day to day, and 
 hope to come. 
 
 "Is it not true, ye priests of Jerusalem ? Do ye not 
 expect a king from the royal house of David who shall 
 triumph over all and rule the world? What say ye, 
 priests, scribes and elders? Answer!" 
 
 The fervor of the soldier, his daring and the force 
 of his words carried the cause of Joachim closer to the 
 Jews. With one accord the prominent men present 
 murmured assent to the time-honored prediction and
 
 Judgment Seat Degradation. 205 
 
 expectation. Hillel, above all, fearlessly exclaimed, in 
 a voice of conviction : 
 
 "We do. Most certainly we do expect a king who 
 shall fulfill the prophecy made by the fathers. Thou 
 art right." 
 
 The king understood. His frown deepened to a 
 scowl of displeasure and fear. 
 
 "Go to," he cried. "I do not desire to hear further 
 of this wondrous person expected by the Jews. Nor 
 did I wish thee to speak of Joachim, whom, out of 
 thine own mouth, thou hast condemned and proven a 
 rebel and a seditious person. 
 
 "In thine own behalf thou wert called. Thou hast 
 chosen to disregard thy opportunity. Thou art 
 degraded, and dismissed from the service. Thy case 
 shall be sent to Caesar. In the meantime, thou art lim- 
 ited to Jerusalem and Judea. Report every week until 
 charges shall be duly preferred against thee and inquiry 
 be made. Thou may'st be thankful thou art not confined 
 in Antonia, or sent in chains to Rome. 
 
 "Of this Joachim matter my judgment will be deliv- 
 ered later. 
 
 "My people !" he cried rising and extending his arms 
 toward the gaping crowd. "Remain here. This day 
 I will distribute to each a gift in commemoration of 
 this deliverance from danger. Shout thy praises to 
 God who preserveth his children from the evil designs 
 of men." 
 
 The music swelled into the air. The rabble shouted : 
 
 "Hail to the king ! The Lord's anointed !"
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 
 THE BETROTHAL THE WARNING. 
 
 It was night and the cold gray sky was spangled 
 with myriads of stars. Silence reigned, the palpable 
 stillness of the advanced evening. The philosopher, 
 Hababli Hillel, Caius Panthera and the beautiful 
 daughter of Joachim stood near the memorial stones 
 placed to commemorate the angel visitation to Jacob, 
 over twenty-five hundred years before. 
 
 The calm features of Hillel wore a look of loving 
 tenderness as he gazed upon the two who stood before 
 him. 
 
 "My children," he was saying, "thou wilt join thy 
 right hands. Thou, Panthera, will repeat after me: 
 
 "In the presence of heaven, with its canopy over me, 
 by the silver shining stars; by the sacred associations 
 and memories of this hallowed spot ; by the declaration 
 of the patriarch, Jacob ; that, 'it is the gate of heaven' ; 
 by all that I hold dear in this world, or hope for in the 
 world to come, do I, Caius Panthera, swear fealty to 
 the maiden at my side, whose constant, loving husband 
 I shall be. 
 
 "I solemnly promise at this, my espousal to Mary, 
 whose hand is clasped in mine, that I will cherish and 
 protect her, whether in health or sickness, in riches or 
 in proverty, in her age, as in her youth. I will defend 
 and love her above all others, so long as I may live. 
 I accept her as my betrothed wife, and place. this circle 
 
 206
 
 The Betrothal The Warning. 207 
 
 on her ringer as a token of endless love. May the God 
 of Israel keep me true and steadfast to these, my vows." 
 
 The clear music of the Roman's voice thrilled the 
 heart of Mary as she listened to this formal declaration. 
 Her trusting soul was uplifted by a great hope of hap- 
 piness as she realized the depth of affection that was 
 given her. She lifted her eyes, brimming with tears, 
 to the face of the priest, but her voice never faltered 
 as she reverently repeated after him the beautiful 
 formula : 
 
 "Sacred to my heart is the God of my people. The 
 law of the Lord is my stay, a guide unto my feet, and a 
 light unto my steps. Let my mind be inclined to the 
 oracles of God. May I bring these graces to my hus- 
 band, Caius Panthera, with all else I am possessed of 
 in this world. 
 
 "I promise that I will encourage him in joy and in 
 sorrow ; trust him without wavering ; love him without 
 faltering; for him, bear all things, endure all things, 
 believe all things, and hope all things, so long as I shall 
 live. May the angel messengers of Israel's God hear 
 my vows and preserve me ever steadfast." 
 
 The hand of the aged priest trembled, as he laid it 
 in benediction on the head of the devoted maid. 
 
 "So be it!" he said. "May the richest blessings of 
 heaven fall upon thee, my children. May thou be 
 blessed in thy going out and in thy coming in ; in basket 
 and in store. May thine enemies be destroyed and 
 those who befriend thee be preserved. May thy child- 
 ren be a crown of glory to thee and thine and all the 
 world besides. Should a son be born to thee; grant 
 that he may be a pillar of strength, a strong tower and 
 fortress, a light for thine eyes, a joy to thine heart and
 
 2o8 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 a never ending source of comfort and peace to thee 
 and all the rest of mankind." 
 
 The espoused maid and her lover had bowed their 
 heads while the priest was speaking. At mention of the 
 last word the clear canopy above them took on a lighter 
 hue ; it brightened until the three saw each other's faces 
 as in the white light of noonday. A stir in the air, as 
 of the rustle of wings, lifted the clinging tendrils of 
 curling hair from Mary's brow. The light and the 
 wind lasted but for an instant, long enough for Mary 
 to look into the eyes of her espoused husband and read 
 the longing love that answered her soulful glance. As 
 the brightness died away, he swept her into his arms, 
 where she clung, quivering in his tightening grasp. 
 Bending over her he lifted the tearful face and rever- 
 ently kissed Jier. 
 
 "Mary, my own," he murmured. "My life my 
 wife! Look into my face into my eyes. Tell me 
 dost thou love me?" 
 
 "My lord, my husband !" she answered. "Can it be 
 that thou would'st question my love for thee?" 
 
 "No," he cried, "I will not. I do not, but, I would 
 hear thee say thou lovest, 'tis music in my ears." 
 
 "I worship thee," exclaimed Mary and she nestled 
 her head close to his bosom lest he knew too well the 
 joy that transfigured her enraptured face. 
 
 Panthera turned to where his faithful friend, the 
 priest, had stood. Hillel had withdrawn they were 
 alone. 
 
 At that moment the form of a man glided swiftly 
 into the dark shadows of the night. It was not the 
 priest, another had witnessed the rite of betrothal 
 between Panthera, now a Jewisl>>proselyte, and the 
 daughter of the Jew, Joachim.
 
 The Betrothal The Warning. 209 
 
 When Hillel entered his humble abode he found 
 Joseph seated before the table in the front room. The 
 man's head was bent and rested on his arms. He did 
 not move. Hillel approached and laid his hand on the 
 shoulder of his guest, who started up as though from 
 a dream. 
 
 "Wert thou sleeping, my friend?" asked Hillel. 
 
 "No," Joseph answered, "thinking, dreaming 
 enduring my own misery." He turned a face of ashy 
 paleness toward his questioner. 
 
 Hillel saw that Joseph had been weeping and he 
 beheld the haggard countenance of his guest with con- 
 sternation. 
 
 "What, I pray, hath disturbed thee?" he asked, in 
 anxious solicitude. 
 
 "Nothing I thank thee, nothing. I will seek 
 repose," and Joseph abruptly ended the interview by 
 passing from the room. 
 
 "What can have troubled the faithful Joseph ?" won- 
 dered Hillel. 
 
 Mary and Panthera entered at the moment. Their 
 faces were suffused with the happy glow of love. Again 
 did Hillel affectionately bless them as they bade him 
 "good night." 
 
 At Jerusalem, a few hours later, a dust-stained trav- 
 eler awoke Solan Hai, who gave him immediate 
 audience. 
 
 "Costa, my friend, thou art a jewel," was the sole 
 comment of the wizard after listening to a report from 
 the man. 
 
 The statement of Costa was of much value to Solan
 
 2io Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 Hai it was the news of the betrothal. Thus another 
 became acquainted with the matter that was designed 
 to be imparted to only the immediate friends of Mary. 
 
 It had been agreed that Mary should accompany 
 Joseph to his home at Nazareth; while Panthera 
 returned to Jerusalem to answer the charge of disloy- 
 alty to the king. Accordingly the soldier, on the fol- 
 lowing morning, committed to the care of her country- 
 man the fair maid, with whom he was fain to linger, 
 and with much apprehension departed on his way to the 
 city. 
 
 For days he waited, having taken up his abode at the 
 college, that he might learn more of the Jewish cus- 
 toms and beliefs. 
 
 He grew weary and discouraged as time dragged, 
 when, one morning the captain of the king's guard per- 
 sonally called on him with the information that an 
 interview with the king would be required on the fol- 
 lowing afternoon. The captain vouchsafed no further 
 information. What misfortune awaited him, the soldier 
 could not know. He was aware that power and interest 
 would be required in his behalf, when he remembered 
 that Solan Hai was an avowed enemy. The fact that 
 there was more than a mere coloring in the charge of 
 treason, which might be brought, loomed before him 
 with vivid distinctness. He understood that it would 
 not be difficult for the subtle methods of this man to 
 produce proof sufficient to sustain any accusation he 
 might see fit to make. 
 
 The thing that darkened his soul was the thought of 
 separation from the beautiful maid, who was all in all 
 to him. Now that he was assured of her love, it was a 
 sore trial of fortitude to remember that he might enter
 
 The Betrothal The Warning. 211 
 
 the doors of Antonia, never to see her more. The possi- 
 bility did not seem remote. 
 
 He sprang to his feet intending to find Hillel; to 
 consult with him; to entrust a message of tenderest 
 love and advice in case he were to be deprived of the 
 right to protect his lovely fiancee. He began to upbraid 
 himself for the selfishness that had allowed him to 
 bind Mary by a promise, when it might render her a 
 mourner for a lost love. 
 
 He learned that Hillel had not returned to the city; 
 that he was not expected, and in the anguish of mind, 
 that he suffered, determined to confide in Judas. That 
 learned, kindly teacher, received the soldier with cor- 
 dial greetings. In truth Judas had learned to love the 
 noble Roman. From that interview Panthera went 
 forth as one uplifted sustained by a consciousness of 
 innate rectitude. 
 
 The day after at the appointed hour, he approached 
 the palace. There was a feeling of relief in his heart as 
 he realized, that before the sun should sink behind the 
 mountains of Judea, he would know what was in store 
 for him. 
 
 The grounds were crowded with soldiers and citi- 
 zens. Many of the former had been his companions in 
 arms and friends of Panthera. They greeted him in 
 the off-hand manner, characteristic of the soldier and, 
 in spite of his misgivings, the cheerful familiarity gave 
 him courage. The honest, heartfelt well wishes of 
 these comrades went far to strengthen the soldier for 
 the coming ordeal. 
 
 To be accused of disloyalty, suspended from service 
 in his company and summarily dismissed from the pre- 
 sence of Herod, had been a keen mortification. He had
 
 2)2 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 not appeared among these companions since the day of 
 the hearing. 
 
 A herald called the distinguished name "Caius Pan- 
 thera !" He responded, instantly, following the courtly 
 young usher into the presence of his majesty the king. 
 
 With grave courtesy the soldier bowed before the 
 ruler, but in his demeanor was none of that which sues 
 for mercy. In proud self-possession he stood awaiting 
 the pleasure of Herod. 
 
 "Caius Panthera," spoke the king, "thou hast been 
 charged with a grave and serious offense, not only 
 against the 'king of the Jews,' but also, against Augus- 
 tus and the Senate. I have made diligent inquiry into 
 the facts and circumstances connected with these 
 charges." The speaker paused and looked curiously into 
 the face of his auditor. "I am of the opinion that thy 
 conduct was most exemplary and circumspect," he 
 continued. "Thou art restored to the company of the 
 German retinue, with the vindication of the king, and 
 commended as a brave soldier, a true and loyal citizen 
 of Rome, and a liege retainer of the fortunes of Herod, 
 'king of the Jews.' ' 
 
 An exclamation of glad surprise rose to the lips of 
 Panthera. 
 
 The stern, relentless monarch seemed to enjoy the 
 confusion of the soldier, thrown off his guard by this 
 good fortune, as no disaster, in the power of Herod to 
 cause, would have effected him. 
 
 "Not a word," said the king. "Join thy company, 
 forthwith." He gave a signal. A blast of trumpets 
 echoed through the magnificent corridors of the beauti- 
 ful building. The clanging of swords and shields 
 mingled with the trumpet sounds, and a rush of soldiers
 
 The Betrothal The Warning. 213 
 
 fairly carried Panthera to the outer court before he had 
 recovered from his astonishment. 
 
 In the midst of the congratulations that were show- 
 ered upon him an officer placed in his hands a written 
 permit for absence from duty for the space of three 
 months. The largess of the king. 
 
 A dream of peace and happiness floated before the 
 bewildered senses of the soldier. He thought only of 
 Mary, the maid of his choice. He would lose no pre- 
 cious time. He would repair at once to Nazareth, and 
 inform her of his good fortune, that his rejoicing might 
 be doubled through her thankful pleasure. 
 
 The next day Panthera once more donned the splen- 
 did uniform of his company and prepared to depart for 
 a time from the city. As he passed through the gate 
 a firm hand was laid on his bridle rein. 
 
 "Caius Panthera!" cried a deep voice. "Trust not 
 too much to the snake, that fawns and allures, only to 
 strike and kill. Fly to Rome, the only place where 
 safety is for thee and thine. I have warned thee. For- 
 get it not !" 
 
 The soldier looked down in startled attention. He 
 saw a strange figure, clothed in a dark grab that 
 covered the entire body, while the disguise was com- 
 pleted by a cowl drawn over the face. Before the rider 
 could question, the hold on the rein was relinquished 
 and the strange apparition disappeared in the crowd.
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 LIVING OR DEAD, I WILL RETURN. 
 
 The picturesque village of Nazareth, its white dwell- 
 ings covered with clinging vines, appeared to be a most 
 desirable destination when viewed from a distance. Its 
 narrow streets were not discernable, neither was the 
 deplorable condition of squallor, that prevailed in many 
 parts, perceptible. 
 
 Oxen plowed the little valley below the town and the 
 fields of the great plain beyond ; while mules, asses and 
 camels bore their burdens up the mountain track, as 
 they had done for centuries before. 
 
 The most conspicuous object, in the view of an 
 approaching traveler, was the synagogue. It occupied 
 the most sightly place in the village, an evidence of 
 the reverence and devotion of the inhabitants for the 
 God of their fathers. 
 
 Joachim had been well known and loved by the 
 dwellers within this village. His memory was held in 
 respect, and they welcomed Joseph home in true 
 Hebrew style; while Mary was greeted as the special 
 ward of all the people of Nazareth, the town of her 
 nativity. 
 
 As is the case, in every small place, the people were 
 familiar one with another. The market days, Mondays 
 and Thursdays, the often recurring fasts and feasts, and 
 the Sabbaths, so brought the villagers together that 
 news quickly became general. So it was that the facts 
 
 214
 
 Living or Dead, I will Return. 215 
 
 surrounding the death of their former townsman, were 
 well canvassed by the residents even before the arrival 
 of Joseph and his ward. 
 
 The heroic rescue of Mary had been a common topic 
 of conversation and much curiosity was aroused as to 
 the Roman soldier, who was said to have saved the 
 honor and life of Joachim's daughter. 
 
 Panthera had accomplished his journey and was 
 approaching the home of Mary. Many inquiring 
 glances were directed to the handsome stranger as he 
 rode toward the center of the town, his brilliant uni- 
 form attracting attention at every turn. 
 
 At length he drew rein at the khan and secured an 
 attendant for his horse. His inquiry for Joseph, was 
 answered promptly, and full directions were given as to 
 his place of residence. In accordance with these, Pan- 
 thera walked rapidly through the winding streets into 
 the better part of the town. 
 
 He paused before a white abode in the midst of a 
 fragrant garden. Roses and other bright blossoms, in 
 profusion, filled the air with perfume a sweet welcome 
 to the unexpected guest. Whirling doves circled above 
 his head, and away to their cot, as Panthera made his 
 way along the trim path. The habitation gave no signs 
 of occupation. Could it be that he had mistaken the 
 place or that those he sought were absent ? 
 
 As he stood, irresolutely looking about, a glance 
 toward the street revealed Mary, herself, coming to 
 the gate. She saw the soldier and quickened her steps 
 in joyful surprise. A few paces from Panthera she 
 suddenly paused. The bright uniform had not been 
 worn by her lover when he bade her farewell he had 
 been in disgrace, under charges of dishonor, now he 
 returned more resplendent than before.
 
 216 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 Panthera had overlooked this cause, and he 
 approached Mary, full of astonishment at her abrupt 
 pause. He held his hands out to her. 
 
 "Hast thou no welcome? Dost thou fear me?" 
 
 "The uniform," she explained allowing her hands to 
 remain in the loving grasp. 
 
 "My love, I had forgotten. Herod hath restored me 
 to my place in the company ; completely exonerated thy 
 Iqyer, and graciously given him leave of three months." 
 
 Mary's rosebud face flushed with pleasurable emo- 
 tion. What a glad ending this to her suspense. She 
 looked at the manly beauty of the soldier, displayed to 
 advantage by the becoming costume, and pride swelled 
 warmly into her thankful heart. 
 
 She invited Panthera into the tasty dwelling, a more 
 pretentious place than most of those in Nazareth, and 
 they were presently joined by Joseph. 
 < "Thou art welcome to our home," observed the 
 guardian slowly. But a look of pain glided across his 
 features as he spoke, and Panthera felt a tremble in the 
 hand clasp. What could have given annoyance to this 
 worthy man? The question was the sole mar to the 
 delight of the Roman. 
 
 Days passed into weeks, weeks grew into months. 
 The soldier lingered, and, to the interested villagers, he 
 appeared to have taken up a permanent residence in 
 Nazareth. During this time he obtained a place in the 
 good graces of the people with whom he came in con- 
 tact. 
 
 He was a constant attendant, with Joseph and Mary, 
 at the synagogue, participating with them in all the 
 observances according to the law of Moses. Moreover, 
 he was on intimate terms with the Rabbi and the other
 
 Living or Dead, I will Return. 217 
 
 priests, scribes and elders who administered the rites 
 of the sacred place. 
 
 From all these indications the curious ones might 
 have been pardoned for the statement, given as fact, 
 that the soldier had become a convert to the true faith, 
 had submitted to the rite of circumcision, and was being 
 instructed in the law of Moses, the holy oracles and 
 the traditions of the fathers. 
 
 His constant attendance upon the ward of Joseph did 
 not pass without comment, especially among those of 
 Mary's own sex, who were jealous for the good name 
 of the Jewish maiden, yet many of whom would have 
 been willing to share with her the responsibility of 
 entertaining the cultured stranger. 
 
 The gossips failed to penetrate the mystery, and the 
 constancy on his part at last provoked animosity and 
 scorn. It began to be whispered that no good would 
 come from this protracted visit; that, to say the least, 
 Mary was very imprudent ; that Joseph should concern 
 himself and look into the matter. 
 
 Strange to say, when Joseph was approached, he cut 
 all questioning short by informing the interrogators 
 that it was an affair concerning only the two principals, 
 in which he would not interfere. This much said, he 
 invariably went away, leaving the committee on the 
 affairs of others to settle the matter of their mortifica- 
 tion and chagrin as best they might. 
 
 About six weeks after the advent of the interesting 
 soldier, an occurrence of more than passing importance 
 aroused and piqued the curiosity of the zealous neigh- 
 bors. 
 
 One, evening, at the going down of the sun, two 
 travelers were seen wending their way along the nar- 
 row road leading from the south toward Nazareth.
 
 2? 8 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 They were both aged men, one of them, in particular, 
 being well stricken in years. 
 
 They entered the village and rode to the khan, where 
 they left their horses, as Panthera had done. Unlike 
 the soldier, however, they did not make inquiries, but 
 started as those who are familiar with the way they go. 
 
 One of the travelers was Hillel, the teacher and 
 friend of Panthera, the other, a brother priest. 
 
 They took their way directly to the home of Joseph, 
 where they tarried for the space of three days. During 
 which time the newsmongers noticed that they were on 
 friendly terms and intimately associated with the sold- 
 ier guest. 
 
 On the third night, light glimmered from the habita- 
 tion until a late hour. To add to the mystery of the 
 matter, the venerable priests departed in the night, and 
 before any one had learned ought of their mission. 
 These inquisitive Nazareens believed themselves 
 entitled to some degree of confidence, but their care- 
 fully discreet insinuations gained them no information 
 in regard to the untoward actions of the soldier, and 
 the unusual transactions that must have taken place 
 within their hitherto orderly precincts. 
 
 The reason for the entry and mysterious exit of the 
 priests was withheld, which fact only whetted the cur- 
 iosity of the Jews. Joseph informed his most intimate 
 friends, that a long journey, which lay before his 
 guests, necessitated their early departure nothing 
 more. 
 
 The longer the soldier remained the more attentive 
 he became to Mary. He appeared to anticipate her every 
 wish; seemed to exist only for her and in her society. 
 Tale-bearers wagged their heads and told of fond appel- 
 lations and endearing phrases which they had over-
 
 Living or Dead, I will Return. 219 
 
 heard addressed to the maid by this presumptious 
 Roman. 
 
 Joseph continued to be the same impertrubable non- 
 communicative person he had been ever since this con- 
 dition of affairs commenced. He was constantly pro- 
 curing comfort and pleasure for both Mary and Pan- 
 thera. To all appearances he was genuinely interested 
 in their enjoyments, though he was frequently seen to 
 contemplate the two as if lost in bitter reverie. 
 
 Dispite the freedom with which the soldier greeted 
 those who were thrown in contact with him; for all 
 his generosity, in the treatment of everyone, there was 
 a reserve and austerity about him that could not be 
 penetrated. Something in his grand manner forbade 
 questioning. 
 
 All too swiftly passed the leave of absence given by 
 Herod. The day and hour, when Panthera must return 
 to Jerusalem, was come. Within the room, that had 
 grown to be a shrine, stood the soldier, prepared for his 
 return to the service of the king. Before him, with 
 bowed head and pale face, Mary struggled, in vain, to 
 curb her grief. 
 
 "How shall I live without thee?" she sobbed. "Thou 
 art my all. I shall be alone." 
 
 Panthera brought every effort in his power to subdue 
 his emotions, that he might comfort the woman. 
 
 "Life of my life!" he whispered, drawing her into a 
 fond embrace. "Thou knowest that I will return so 
 soon as I can sever my connection with the army. I will 
 be alone, also. Thou wilt not doubt me?" He held 
 her from him that he might search the face of his love. 
 
 "Never no never, could I doubt thee, my lord, my 
 husband ; but I cannot dispel the fear that torments my
 
 22O Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 soul. If ought befall thee where shall I ever find rest? 
 Where shall I go ? Where shall I dwell ?" 
 
 "Let not thine heart be troubled. I will hasten to 
 thee. Our lives shall be one, only one, all our days." 
 Again he pressed the beautiful form close to his breast, 
 lopking longingly into the white face uplifted to his 
 own. 
 
 "My prayers shall follow thee," she said bravely. 
 "I will try to banish my fears. I know that thou lovest 
 me, that thou wilt return." 
 
 "I do love thee," he answered. "I will love thee even 
 unto death. And after that," he added passionately. 
 "I swear to thee, I will return, even should death itself 
 overtake me, yet shalt thou see me again. I will return." 
 
 Mary trembled, beholding the earnestness of her 
 lover. 
 
 "Joseph, good friend, of ours, will be often at Jeru- 
 salem. Thou wilt send messages by him ?" she entreated. 
 
 "Indeed yes, fond messages," he replied. "The time 
 will fly, mine own. Remember, the sister of the king, 
 is my friend. She will assist in obtaining my release 
 from the service. Then shall I be with thee, never to be 
 parted more." 
 
 Again he kissed the fair face, tenderly reassuring the 
 confiding Mary of the strength of his love for her. 
 
 A knock at the door interrupted them. The discrete 
 Joseph entered. A short time afterward the soldier rode 
 out of the village, traveling south, and disappeared over 
 the hills towards Jerusalem. Mary watched his reced- 
 ing form, dashing away the tears that blinded her, that 
 she might have another glimpse of the man she loved.
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 A CONSPIRACY. 
 
 The home of Simon Gatzor, at Hebron, was closed. 
 Since the day of the hearing at Jerusalem he had 
 remained in the city, and had taken up quarters in one 
 of the most sumptuous residences on mount Bezetha, 
 on the inside of the new wall. 
 
 Alta was installed as mistress of the home, but Simon 
 Gatzor seldom appeared, either in the living rooms of 
 the house, or on the streets of the city. 
 
 The young woman launched into an extravagant 
 mode of living that astonished and dumbfounded her 
 father. Her imperious will seemed to know no law 
 beyond her own desire and the parent ceased to expos- 
 tulate, gradually allowing himself to sink to insig- 
 nificance in the economy of the household. 
 
 Solan Hai was in some way connected with this 
 change of residence and with the handsome young 
 Jewess. He was her ardent admirer, a slave to her 
 every wish and caprice, and a constant attendant upon 
 her. His infatuation carried him to extremes. He 
 obeyed her slightest wish, as though it amounted to a 
 command he was bound to obey. Her rule over the 
 wretch was exacting in every particular, no relaxation 
 or cessation. Her demands knew no limit; no expen- 
 diture seemed lavish enough to satisfy her whims. 
 
 Alta Gatzor' s new position might have been her 
 birthright, so readily did she accept her surroundings, 
 
 221
 
 222 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 so accustomed did she seem to her privileges and 
 immunities. The wealth of the wizard was at her dis- 
 posal, and she used it with a prodigal hand. Servants, 
 equipages, costly apparel, diamonds and rich jewels 
 formed the least of her comforts. The fame of her 
 beauty spread throughout the city and her name was in 
 the mouth of the rabble. Her grandeur and opulence 
 were the subject of universal comment. 
 
 This daring, dashing creature was equal to every 
 emergency. A new existence had opened before her 
 and she seemed to know the way to make the most of it. 
 
 It was late at night. One of Alta's splendid ban- 
 quets had been in progress since the noon hour. The 
 remnants of the bacchanalian feast, betokened the ribald 
 nature of the entertainment. 
 
 Her guests had departed, with the exception of Solan 
 Hai, who lingered awaiting the commands of this 
 woman who governed him, as well as all others who 
 came within the radius of her authority. 
 
 The queenly beauty was seated in an alcove, adjoin- 
 ing the hall. A magnificent robe of velvet and ermine 
 enveloped her voluptuous form and trailed across the 
 costly rug at her feet. Before her stood the wizard, 
 Solan Hai, in an attitude that savored somewhat of 
 dejection, evidently he was not in the favor of Alta at 
 this time. 
 
 "I must retire," she said w r earily, without looking at 
 her companion. 
 
 "Rest may be necessary to thee, my queen. It must 
 be that thou art fatigued. Yet, methinks, nothing 
 could add to the luster of thine eyes," replied the 
 wizard. 
 
 "A compliment from thee, thou arch fiend, is some- 
 thing to dream upon," she sneered. "Solan Hai !" as
 
 A Conspiracy. 223 
 
 with sudden inspiration, "thou must introduce me to 
 the king !" 
 
 Solan Hai shook his ugly head. 
 
 "Since the death of his wife, Mariamne, it is hard 
 to approach the king. His majesty hath no heart for 
 womankind." 
 
 "Think' st thou to make me believe that? Did he 
 murder her to show his love?" cried Alta. 
 
 "Hush!" exclaimed Hai, horrified at such audacity. 
 
 "Dost thou suppose I fear such an old, decrepit, anti- 
 quated mummy as Herod !" said Alta coarsely. "Tell 
 him it is my will he shall come here." 
 
 For the first time in their acquaintance Solan Hai 
 hesitated. Alta understood. 
 
 "Promise me this, as my good night," she whispered. 
 
 "At the first opportunity I will endeavor to satisfy 
 thy wishes," faltered Solan Hai. "By the way there 
 is another, in whose welfare thou hast expressed some 
 interest." 
 
 "Who may that be, pray?" she asked, surprised. 
 
 "Caius Panthera hath returned to Jerusalem," he 
 announced quietly, watching the changing color and 
 expression of the woman as she heard mention of the 
 name. 
 
 "In Jerusalem?" she murmured, leaning forward, a 
 soft light in her eyes. 
 
 "He hath been here for the space of a week or more," 
 still regarding her closely. 
 
 "May I see him?" she breathed, coming closer to 
 the wizard. 
 
 "When wishing other favors, thou dost command. 
 For this man thou dost condescend to pray," he said, 
 insinuatingly. 
 
 Alta sprang to her feet.
 
 224 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "What if I do?" she cried furiously, going toward 
 the wizard. "My compact with thee was his safety." 
 The words were fairly hissed into the ear of the man 
 and her eyes blazed. 
 
 "Herod hath pardoned and restored him to the army. 
 My part hath been carried out. Hast thou any cause for 
 complaint?" asked the wizard coolly unaffected by 
 the storm of anger. 
 
 "I am not complaining, and thou would'st not have 
 dared to leave thy promise unperformed. I also have 
 carried out my agreement." Alta looked down at the 
 man before her defiantly. 
 
 "Dost thou dare to threaten?" he demanded. "Thy 
 stipulation was that no harm should come to him. 
 I will continue the compact. But " he paused looking 
 full into her face. "Thou must not play me false. 
 I know thy love for this fellow, and thou know'st that 
 he is already wedded ; that he is the husband of Mary 
 of Nazareth, the daughter of Joachim." 
 
 The woman clasped her head between her hands and 
 moaned. 
 
 "Thou must dismiss this infatuation," exclaimed the 
 wizard, vehemently. "See I will be to thee what he 
 could never have been thy slave !" The huge creature 
 fell on his knees before the woman, grovelling on the 
 mat at her feet. 
 
 She lifted the folds of her robe, drew them away 
 from his touch as though they would be contaminated. 
 She turned, making no attempt to conceal her disgust, 
 and threw herself again upon the divan. From here 
 she looked at the cringing Hai, contempt curling her 
 lips, and fury glinting from her dark eyes. 
 
 "Arise," she commanded. "Let this scene end. 
 I have had enough of it. I wish to retire."
 
 A Conspiracy. 225 
 
 She struck a gong that swung near. Solan Hai 
 quickly regained his feet, as a number of maids 
 appeared. 
 
 "Good night, my lord," she said, in the sweetest 
 tone at her command, as if nothing had occurred to 
 disturb the even tenor of her mind. At the same time 
 she held out the tips of her dainty ringers that Solan 
 Hai might touch them with his lips. She shuddered at 
 the contact. 
 
 "Thou shalt call to-morrow," she said graciously, 
 "and behold the return of luster to the eyes thou dost 
 admire," she murmured aside, as she passed out with 
 her attendants, "Good night, slave." 
 
 Solan Hai ground his teeth in rage as he departed 
 from the house. His soul was in torment ; he loved Alta 
 Gatzor. A wild masterful passion possessed him, its 
 madness urged the fever of desperation through his 
 veins. 
 
 He walked into the valley separating the mountains 
 of Jerusalem, and betook himself to the home of Costa. 
 Stamping up the steps he struck the door a furious blow 
 with a staff he carried. 
 
 The timbers vibrated from the shock; the sound 
 echoed through the scantily furnished building. Solan 
 Hai waited a moment, then he pulled at the latch; it 
 yielded to his touch and he moved forward into the 
 darkness of the interior. 
 
 "Costa, my good Costa !" he shouted, "Costa, awake, 
 I say ! Thou sluggard, thy master calls." 
 
 He waited in the darkness, and listened to the sound 
 of some one moving about. Presently a light appeared 
 from the back of the house. It was in the hand of 
 "good Costa," who came forward hastily. 
 
 "What would'st thou, master?" he exclaimed, on
 
 226 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 seeing who had disturbed him. "Thou art out late of 
 the night." 
 
 "Thou hast truly spoken," answered Hai. "I come 
 for thine assistance. Where can we go that we may be 
 undisturbed ?" 
 
 Costa turned to a room at hand, held the light above 
 his head, that its rays might show the way, and waited 
 for Solan Hai to move past him into the apartment. It 
 was a bare place with no opening save the door by 
 which they entered and a hole in the wall which served 
 the purpose of a window. 
 
 The wizard seated himself on a rickety chair. Costa 
 drew a bench before his master, settled his half-clad 
 body on the hard seat, placed the light beside him and 
 gazed into the face of his companion in crime. 
 
 The two men remained in this position for a short 
 time before Solan Hai came to the business that brought 
 him to Costa. The latter watched him narrowly and 
 saw that he was troubled. 
 
 "The king hath strange notions of late," said the 
 wizard, at last. "I can scarcely comprehend his 
 humors." 
 
 "Quite likely," was the non-committal reply of Costa. 
 "Kings are privileged in such matters. Would that 
 we all were kings." 
 
 "That it not the thing most to be desired," said 
 Solan. "I have been the recipient of many favors at 
 the hand of the king. What concerns me most is the 
 manner of gratifying his demands." 
 
 "One good turn deserves another," remarked Costa. 
 "What doth he require of thee?" 
 
 "He believeth that thy master is possessed of a 
 familiar spirit," grumbled Solan. "That I can summon 
 the dead, and such like stuff."
 
 A Conspiracy. 227 
 
 "Well " observed the cautious Costa. 
 
 "A strange fantasm hath seized his mind," continued 
 Solan. "Death is staring him in the face he knows 
 that it is inevitably near. Mariamne, whom he dis- 
 patched, is always before his clouded vision. He insists 
 that, being a wizard, a necromancer, I must have the 
 ability and power not only to converse with the dead, 
 but to raise the departed so that he, too, may see and 
 commune with them." 
 
 "Well," said the sagacious Costa. "Surely thou 
 can'st perform a small matter, such as that." 
 
 "Dost thou mock me?" Solan glared into the face of 
 Costa with angrily knitted brows. "Bah!" he con- 
 tinued. "Thou know'st better. Let there be no jesting 
 between us." 
 
 "Whence cometh all thy power and knowledge, if 
 thou hast not a familiar spirit, and can'st not commune 
 with the unseen ?" asked Costa. 
 
 "All fraud, trickery, deceit dammed deceit. Fraud, 
 beginning, end and middle; nothing but fraud!" 
 
 The wizard brought his fist down on his knee, so 
 violently that the light wavered and all but flickered 
 out. 
 
 "I am informed," said Costa carefully, "that the 
 average man, not excepting kings, is fond of being 
 deceived, that he doth not object to lies and that he 
 loveth deeds of darkness. It may be that thy deceiving 
 is to the king's taste. Mayhap, therein lieth the reason 
 for his liking of his friend, the wizard." 
 
 Solan Hai watched Costa with discriminating atten- 
 tion during the delivery of this suggestive speech. He 
 was not altogether pleased with the penetration dis- 
 played by his rascally associate. 
 
 "I did not come here to reason along these lines,
 
 228 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 neither do I care to do so," he said finally. "I must 
 hold his favor and he insists that I exert my power over 
 the dead, and raise Mariamne, the wife he " 
 
 "Killed," concluded Costa boldly, as Solan paused. 
 
 Again the wizard scowled, but he did not comment 
 on the daring of his confederate. 
 
 "The madman hath intimated, pretty forcibly, that 
 I must obey his commands in this respect, or I may 
 find a residence somewhere within the walls ot 
 Antonia," admitted the wizard, his anxiety exhibiting 
 itself in more scowls. 
 
 Costa uttered an exclamation, and seemed lost in 
 thought for some time. 
 
 "Thou hast come to thy servant for counsel and 
 advise ?" he asked at last. 
 
 "Thou hast said," replied Solan, studying the cun- 
 ning face before him. 
 
 "Thy servant can assist thee in the matter, ' 
 announced Costa. "Trust me I will deliver thee from 
 all thy fears." 
 
 "If thou can'st perform that service, thy master will 
 not soon forget," and the speaker leaned forward in 
 agitation, hoping that Costa spoke truly. 
 
 "Can'st thou answer for the assistance of Alta, the 
 daughter of Gatzor of Hebron?" inquired Costa. 
 
 "I presume so," answered the wizard. "What of 
 her?" 
 
 "She is the express image, both in face and figure, of 
 the dead queen Mariamne." 
 
 "And if that be true, what of it?" said Solan. 
 
 "Did'st thou not say that Herod must needs see his 
 dead queen?" asked Costa. "Answer for Alta. The 
 rest is easy. She must personate Mariamne." 
 
 Solan Hai comprehended the project.
 
 A Conspiracy. 229 
 
 "How dost thou know that Alta resembles the dead 
 Mariamne?" he inquired doubtfully. 
 
 "During the lifetime of the queen, I served for years 
 in her house," exclaimed Costa impatiently. "I was 
 struck with her resemblance to the queen the first time 
 I met Alta Gatzor. I tell thee, the likeness is complete." 
 
 The wizard jumped to his feet. 
 
 "By the gods, thou hast solved the problem/' he cried 
 in a voice of intense satisfaction and relief. "The king 
 shall see his Mariamne." 
 
 "Will the daughter of Gatzor consent to the imposi- 
 tion?" asked Costa, considering. 
 
 "No doubt of it. She dare not refuse," answered the 
 wizard. 
 
 "Let her but be willing, the rest will take care of 
 itself," remarked Costa. 
 
 "This very night she requested a meeting with the 
 king," said Hai, unwisely telling secrets in his elation 
 at the scheme. "She will enter into the deception with 
 a will. There is nothing she would not dare undertake. 
 Besides" viciously "I hold the means of compelling 
 her." The wretch rubbed his hands together gleefully, 
 at the thought of the new triumph he would win. He 
 blinked his eyes, his face widened, and a sardonic grin 
 of supreme confidence in the result of the plan upon the 
 credulity of Herod swept across his visage. 
 
 "Think of the power it would give us over the mind 
 of the king," ventured the man, Costa, after a silence, 
 during which Solan Hai paced the little room, too much 
 pleased to speak. He wheeled about, as Costa spoke, 
 and looked sternly into the face of the impudent rascal. 
 
 "Us," he drawled slowly and fiercely, "who in 
 Satan's name is us?" his eyes flashed with displeasure.
 
 230 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "Thou art presumptuous. Remember, Solan Hai hath 
 no rival, shares with none, acknowledges no partner." 
 
 Costa made haste to crave pardon for his unfortu- 
 nate speech. 
 
 "'Tis enough," said Solan Hai to the suppliant. "Thy 
 reward shall correspond in magnitude with thy service. 
 The value of thy suggestion is not lost upon thy 
 master." 
 
 The peculiar emphasis on the last word did not fail 
 to impress the slave. Neither did it subdue the storm 
 of mortification that raged beneath the servile exterior 
 of the man. He closed the door behind the wizard and 
 stood still, listening to the sound of retreating footsteps 
 as they died away in the distance. 
 
 "Step aside, slave," he muttered to himself. "No 
 interference. Thy suggestion shall be rewarded as thy 
 master sees fit. Wait, Solan Hai, thou may'st be nearer 
 Antonia than thou would'st care to know." The gleam 
 of hatred in Costa's eyes boded no good to the wizard. 
 "The proverb 'every dog shall have his day' is none the 
 less true because of its age," he thought, and shambled 
 off to bed, where he dreamed of revenge.
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 THE SEANCE NECROMANCY. 
 
 "Thou hast magnificent apartments," was the com- 
 ment of king Herod, as he moved along, supported by 
 Solan Hai and another, to a seat prepared for his 
 majesty in the supper hall of Alta, the daughter of 
 Simon Gatzor. 
 
 The place bore no semblance to its customary appear- 
 ance. The tables had been removed and the walls cov- 
 ered with new hangings, priceless rugs were strewn 
 about the floor, and furniture that would have adorned 
 the palace of any king was displayed. 
 
 Across one end of the room hung a heavy curtain of 
 silken texture. This was the occasion for a trial of 
 the wizard's reputed power and ability to raise the 
 dead. 
 
 "Everything thou dost behold was procured for thy 
 pleasure, that thy poor servant might aspire to entertain 
 his benefactor," said Solan Hai, in reply to the remark 
 of the king. 
 
 Herod's eyes wandered over the sumptuous arrange- 
 ments for his reception. 
 
 "Thou art reported to be as rich as any at Jerusa- 
 lem," he said, reflectively, looking keenly into the eyes 
 of the wizard. "Is it true?" 
 
 The wizard was struck with misgiving. If he should 
 answer in the affirmative, the king might wish to become 
 his debtor. He knew that loans were easily effected on 
 
 231
 
 232 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 the credit and security of Herod, so he refrained from 
 his usual bombast and answered humbly enough. 
 
 "Thy servant is very much overrated, but what he 
 hath is always at the disposal of his friend." 
 
 "I will remember thy loyalty," answered the king, 
 "I stand in no doubt of thy sincerity." 
 
 The hour was in the silent watches of the night, fit 
 time for the uncanny doings. The pretentious wizard 
 had insisted that the king comply with certain condi- 
 tions and restrictions, that would insure immunity 
 from detection in this contemplated cheat, for it would, 
 of course, be surrounded with all the senseless display 
 attendant upon these deceptive manifestations. 
 
 With skillful care and patience the king had been 
 tutored into complete submission to the directions of 
 the wizard and his assistants. His receptive mind had 
 been completely impressed with the belief, that, in order 
 to appreciate the supernatural phenomena which he 
 might witness, perfect harmony should exist between 
 himself and the medium through whom these mani- 
 festations were to become real. He understood that 
 without this absolute passiveness on his part, no satis- 
 factory results could be hoped for. Thus, actuated by 
 desperate longing for the beautiful princess, whom he 
 had never ceased to mourn, he surrendered himself to 
 the keeping and power of Solan Hai, and entered upon 
 the mysteries of this midnight seance. 
 
 After the king was reclining on the couch prepared 
 for him, all the lights in the room were extinguished, 
 with the exception of two small ones that burned dimly 
 immediately back of where the monarch rested. Herod 
 looked up at the fantastic shadows, flickering on the 
 high arched ceiling, and the chill of awe went over him. 
 Again did Solan Hai admonish him to " 'trust in the
 
 The Seance Necromancy. 233 
 
 power of his obedient servant' no matter what might 
 develop, for this was to be a meeting between the living 
 and the dead." 
 
 "Thou shalt see, oh, king, a number of persons from 
 the other shore. It would be a favor to thy servant if 
 thou would'st describe thy beloved queen." The wizard 
 bowed low before his master, who, for the first time 
 regarded him with undisguised suspicion. 
 
 "Beware! Solan Hai," he thundered. "There must 
 be no chicanery. Thou shalt not dare to inquire as to 
 any thing which might give thee advantage in this 
 matter." 
 
 The king raised himself so as to look full into the 
 face of his companion. The wizard met the gaze with- 
 out so much as flinching. 
 
 "Such requirement hath not been made of any sooth- 
 sayer since the days of the prophet Daniel. Be patient 
 with thy servant, oh, king!" the wizard said, bowing 
 again to conceal the grin that distorted his features. The 
 king had fallen into the trap. 
 
 "There must be no jugglery," said the monarch, 
 sternly. 
 
 "It grieves thy servant to the soul, that the breath of 
 suspicion should come from his gracious master," 
 murmured Hai. "Art thou ready, or would'st thou 
 that we disturb not the unseen ?" 
 
 "Proceed!" exclaimed the king, energetically. "It 
 is my wish, I command thee, redeem thy promises. 
 Prove thy boasted power." 
 
 The wizard advanced to the silken curtain. It swelled 
 like a filling sail, and parted in the center. The space 
 beyond lay in impenetrable darkness, intensified by the 
 dim light of the wavering flame near the king.
 
 234 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 Solan Hai waved his arms above his head, as if to 
 implore some unseen power. 
 
 A moving sound, as of winds whistling through the 
 place, answered the motions of the enchanter, the silver 
 tinkling of a bell followed, and died away. 
 
 Herod sat upright, eager expectancy and hope made 
 him alive to the slightest sound. A noise, as of untuned 
 stringed instruments, greeted the hearing. It grew in 
 volume, gathering discord after discord until it reached 
 a pitch unbearable to the nerves of Herod and impos- 
 sible to describe. 
 
 This continued until the king cried out in alarm. The 
 wily conspirator immediately ran back to his dupe and 
 fell prostrate before him, begging him to be patient and 
 fear not; imploring him to preserve the conditions; 
 assuring him that these signs were propitious ; that the 
 heavenly visitors would surely condescend to satisfy 
 his majesty in every particular. Solan Hai remained 
 before the king while the distracting roar lessened, 
 falling to sweet strains of harmony that gradually 
 filled the air. 
 
 Herod lay back again among the soft cushions and 
 furs, the dreamy music had soothed his fears. As one 
 enraptured he listened the melodious waves vibrated 
 through the room. 
 
 Trumpet blasts roused the monarch, clear liquid 
 notes, thrilling, soul stirring. Herod succumbed to the 
 spell of his own superstition. He no longer questioned 
 the power of Solan Hai. 
 
 A rumbling, as of distant thunder, replaced the 
 music. Clouds of smoke rolled from the dark recess 
 and fitful jets of flame illumined the vapor. The odor 
 of fragrant incense impregnated the atmosphere. The
 
 The Seance Necromancy. 235 
 
 king abandoned himself to the intoxicating effects as 
 one who, after weary days, finds rest. 
 
 Flames danced across the dark space. At first they 
 gave little light, but they brightened, and the king sat 
 up again, with bated breath and staring eyes, for, 
 beyond the smoke and flames a form became discerni- 
 ble. Another and another appeared before his fixed 
 gaze, floating through the misty vapor. Some of the 
 forms were beautiful to behold; others grotesque and 
 hideous beyond description. 
 
 It was whispered to the king that no alteration of 
 the conditions must occur. That no sound from inquis- 
 itive human kind must mar the materialization, else 
 the queen would be hindered in her attempt to manifest 
 herself to the king. 
 
 Herod remained motionless; fear and expectation 
 held him speechless. Solan Hai was now convinced 
 that there could be no danger in allowing the well 
 arranged spectacle to proceed. 
 
 "She comes ! she comes !" shouted the wizard. "Let 
 every head, except the king's, be bowed." He threw 
 himself on the floor as he finished speaking, and the 
 attendants bent their heads in obedience. Herod strained 
 his eyes in an agony of yearning, as he watched the 
 space beyond the curtain. The forms disappeared, the 
 murky vapor grew white, back of this, the light turned 
 rose color. All at once, as a vision, appeared the beau- 
 tiful form of a stately woman. The light increased, 
 showing full upon her handsome features. Transpar- 
 ent garments floated about her, and to the enthralled 
 senses of Herod an ethereal creature moved. 
 
 Again the enchanting music was wafted to the ears 
 of the king; the light beyond the curtain changed to 
 intense whiteness, and Solan Hai arose from the floor.
 
 236 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "Herod, 'king of the Jews!' " he cried. "Behold thy 
 queen !" 
 
 Overwhelming joy transfigured the face of the king. 
 It was she, the wife he had loved, whom he had caused 
 to be murdered through his jealousy. 
 
 Once more he beheld the beautiful arms of his lost 
 mistress extended toward him. The spell, that had held 
 him, was powerless now. He sprang from the couch, 
 and rushed toward her. 
 
 "Mariamne ! Mariamne !" he cried. "My love ! my 
 wife." 
 
 Instantly a discordant noise crashed through the 
 room. Before the king had taken three steps forward, 
 everything was enveloped in impenetrable darkness. 
 The remaining lamps were dashed to the floor. All 
 was confusion and uproar. Pandemonium reigned 
 in the place. 
 
 The king sank to the floor, wringing his hands, and 
 moaning aloud in grief. When the servants brought 
 lights they found the wizard face downward among the 
 rugs, where he lay for some time as one dead. 
 
 "Costa! Costa!" 
 
 "Here am I, mistress." 
 
 The man, Costa, answered the summons of Alta 
 Gatzor, the reckless, successful actress in the recent 
 imposition. He entered the room where she had 
 resumed her customary attire. The discarded clothing 
 of gauzy texture still littered the floor. 
 
 The excitement, of her achievement, glittered in the 
 eyes of the woman, her face was flushed and her bosom 
 heaved, she still labored under the nervous strain.
 
 The Seance Necromancy. 237 
 
 "Are they gone?" she questioned eagerly. 
 
 "Every mother's son of them," was the reply, "the 
 wizard hath accompanied the king. He is making the 
 most of his success." 
 
 "Is the king completely deceived?" asked Alta. 
 
 "Not the remotest doubt of it. , Solan Hai is in high 
 glee," answered Costa. 
 
 Alta's eyes flashed. 
 
 "By all the powers," she cried, excitedly and wildly, 
 "his triumph shall be of short duration ! The wizard is 
 in my power. As he hath done to others, so shall it 
 be doled out to him." 
 
 Costa heard the venomous threat with astonishment, 
 and he realized, with lively apprehension, that for some 
 reason, Alta hated the wizard. 
 
 "Have a care, my mistress," interposed the cautious 
 retainer. "The king will not forgive, if he discover 
 that he hath been fooled." 
 
 "He will forgive all except the contemptible author 
 of the deception," declared the woman. "I will not 
 hesitate. Thou wilt help me. I must act act at once. 
 I will undertake the management of the undoing of 
 Solan Hai ; assume the whole responsibility ; accept all 
 the blame. Trust thy mistress to smooth the troubled 
 waters, in whose billows the wizard shall drown." 
 
 Costa looked admiringly at the daring creature before 
 him. 
 
 "Thou would'st rush into certain danger," he said. 
 "Perhaps thou dost not understand the extent of Solan 
 Hai's power. Let not thine anger and hatred involve 
 thee in indiscretions." 
 
 "Thou hast spoken well, my Costa, thou art faithful 
 and thy counsel is not thrown away. Yet, thou must 
 arrange a meeting for me with the king, either at this
 
 238 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 place or in his palace. After that I will act independ- 
 ently. It must be done at once." 
 
 "What would'st thou do?" asked the man, in alarm 
 at the energy of Alta. 
 
 "I will expose the deception to the king. Crush the 
 wizard," said Alta in a, low voice that thrilled the hearer 
 with horror, so vindictive was the tone. 
 
 ""Pis a desperate undertaking. Thou wilt not betray 
 thy servant ?" said Costa uneasily. 
 
 "Not a hair of thy head shall be harmed." Alta 
 looked somewhat contemptuously at the servant. "Is 
 it not a common cause? Dost thou not, also, despise 
 Solan Hai ? Thou hast reason. Trust me and do not 
 fear." 
 
 Costa still hesitated. 
 
 "Hast thou considered the danger and the risk?" he 
 ventured. 
 
 "I certainly have," exclaimed Alta, impatiently. 
 ""I am determined to destroy the wizard, or be, myself, 
 destroyed. Hark thee tell me, Costa, what said he 
 to the king before they went away ?" 
 
 "Thou know'st that Solan Hai had taken much 
 wine," began the man apologetically, "his tongue was 
 loosed and he boasted to the king of his wonderful 
 power; pretended that what had been seen was but a 
 small matter ; promised marvelous results in the future ; 
 the king could scarce brook delay in resuming the 
 mysterious experiments, but Hai insisted that his 
 energy and strength were exhausted by the act of the 
 king in springing toward the queen." Costa bent in 
 comical homage as he uttered the last word, but Alta 
 was in no mood for trifling. 
 
 "The wizard thinks he will recover his wasted 
 strength in about a week," Costa said.
 
 The Seance Necromancy. 239 
 
 "Dost thou mean that the king hath been promised 
 another visitation ?" she demanded. 
 
 "Thou hast said," answered Costa, "another visita- 
 tion from the unseen world." 
 
 "And what more was promised his majesty?" 
 
 Costa' s face reddened. 
 
 "I may not have heard all that was promised," he 
 said, evasively, "and I would not shock thine ears, my 
 mistress, with what a blatant drunkard might utter." 
 
 "By theGod of Israel, thou shalt keep back nothing?" 
 cried Alta, in a furious passion. "Tell me everything!" 
 she commanded, coming close to Costa, "every jot and 
 tittle!" 
 
 "The passion of the king is inflamed to madness at 
 the thought of the possibility that he may again fold 
 Mariamne to his breast. Thou know'st that Solan Hai 
 would skillfully use this longing to his own ends," said 
 Costa. "The most exacting conditions have been agreed 
 to by the king. Death is the penalty held as the result 
 of the slightest infringement on the rules laid down by 
 the wizard, to which the king hath agreed to submit, 
 and to which, he hath promised most implicit compli- 
 ance." 
 
 "Go on! There is more of this," screamed Alta, 
 grasping the man by the shoulders, and glaring into his 
 frightened eyes. "Go on ! What hath Solan Hai pro- 
 mised the king?" 
 
 "That thou, my mistress, shalt again appear before 
 the king ; that after he hath beheld thee, in the light, and 
 is assured that thou art truly Mariamne," Costa lowered 
 his voice. "The king is promised thy company for the 
 space of two hours in total darkness. For the accom- 
 plishment of this thing, the king hath solemnly agreed 
 to protect this great prophet in Israel, safe in all his pos-
 
 240 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 sessions, and to add to them many shekels of gold, as 
 an offering to the spirits who delight in ministering to 
 the wants of Solan Hai, and, who will assist him in 
 maintaining the conditions that will make this pos- 
 sible." 
 
 "The dastard!" exclaimed Alta. "He would use, 
 and sell, even me, just as he does every other creature 
 within his power. We will outwit him but, my good 
 Costa, thou must promise me one thing before thou 
 shalt leave my presence, that thou wilt keep good faith 
 with thy mistress." 
 
 "With all my heart and soul, I promise thee that/' 
 said Costa heartily. 
 
 "Wilt thou arrange the meeting I mentioned, with 
 the king?" she questioned. 
 
 "I will do so at the earliest opportunity. In some way 
 thou shalt gain audience with him. I will go about the 
 matter at once." 
 
 Costa no longer hesitated, like every one else who 
 fell within the sphere of her influence, he worshiped 
 this radiant creature. 
 
 "Then thou may'st go," she said softly ; holding out 
 her hand to the man. He seized it and falling upon his 
 knees covered the soft white ringers with kisses. Then 
 he arose and respectfully backed out from her presence. 
 
 Alta threw herself across the couch. Shame and 
 mortification struggled within her for mastery. She 
 had lent her beauty to further the schemes of Solan Hai 
 for the control of the weak, superstitious mind of the 
 king, with one only purpose before her ; that of further- 
 ing her own designs, but she had not counted on insult 
 to her womanhood. She had believed that the wizard 
 held some respect for her sex; and she gave over the 
 hours of the night to anticipations of revenge.
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 THE KING'S VISITOR. 
 
 "Let the woman enter. If her message be so import- 
 ant, then I will give her audience." 
 
 Herod spoke to one of his attendants, who was 
 prostrate before him. The slave arose, and departed to 
 convey the order of the king. At the same time, two 
 eunuchs took their places between the couch, where the 
 monarch reclined, and the doorway where the expected 
 visitor would enter. 
 
 The king occupied the room in the palace where he 
 passed his afternoons when desiring to be alone. The 
 couch was placed near a large latticed window com- 
 manding a view of the gardens without ; and the splash 
 of waters dripping from the fountains fell musically 
 on the ear. 
 
 The drapery of the couch was artistically embroid- 
 ered and gorgeous pillows were heaped upon it. Ele- 
 gantly carved seats of ivory, and ebony tables stood 
 about, and the floor was covered with skins entire, the 
 claws being gilded. Vases of beautiful flowers stood 
 everywhere; and graceful ornaments of alabaster were 
 scattered through the apartment. A peculiar, indescriba- 
 bly fascinating charm reigned over the apparently 
 careless arrangement of these various objects. 
 
 Above the king's couch was a canopy of polished 
 wood, wonderfully inlaid with malachiti and so carved 
 that the impression of lace was given the beholder. 
 
 241
 
 242 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 Tassels of gold and silver hung from the points of 
 the carving. The walls were draped with tapestry of 
 crimson and gold, and the ceiling was of burnished 
 brass, beaten into non-descript figures. 
 
 This day the king was in a gracious humor. The 
 intrusion was not unwelcome. It might afford him 
 interest, or amusement, he cared but little which. At 
 the least intimation of anything disagreeable, he could 
 dismiss both the woman and her grievance should it 
 prove that she had one. 
 
 Having thus rapidly arranged the matter in his mind, 
 his majesty was kindly disposed toward giving ear to 
 the supplicant, a woman who had earnestly craved his 
 attention, claiming that the person and honor of the 
 king was the subject of which she would speak. 
 
 She had been bold and persistent characteristics 
 admired by Herod in women; she did not, would not, 
 accept the refusal, given by the chamberlain, but had 
 demanded that a personal interview with the king be 
 granted her. This had a charm for Herod. It was out 
 and beyond the ordinary happenings of the day, and, in 
 consequence, commended the woman and her mission. 
 What had most astonished him was the report that she 
 was disguised, a cowl covering her features, and that 
 she utterly refused to give her name. 
 
 Every precaution was taken to protect the king from 
 hostile molestation. The eunuchs were powerful Ethio- 
 pians, always in readiness for any emergency besides 
 a company of body-guards, commanded by a centurion, 
 was within easy call. 
 
 Herod was secure. He knew it. There was not the 
 slightest danger that he would not be the full master of 
 the situation. 
 
 A moment, and the curtain was lifted. The usher
 
 The King's Visitor. 243 
 
 stepped aside, and the veiled figure of a woman entered 
 the room. She wore a long robe of costly material but 
 dark in color and of studied simplicity. There was no 
 betrayal of fear or hesitancy in her manner, but she did 
 not remove the covering from her face. She went 
 directly, though slowly, to a position before the king. 
 She appeared unconscious of herself, but nothing in her 
 exterior was unpremeditated, and the noble form, in the 
 plain gown would have been certain to attract atten- 
 tion anywhere. 
 
 She paused before Herod, bowed her head and sank 
 to her knees, remaining mute and motionless in his 
 august presence. 
 
 "Speak!" exclaimed Herod, gazing at the cowled 
 figure. "Speak! What so urgent as to bring thee 
 before the king?" 
 
 "I come to seek thy pardon, oh, king ! To expose and 
 make known to thee a wicked imposition which hath 
 been practiced upon thy majesty, by one who hath 
 gained thy confidence through cunning deceit." 
 
 Clear and low the voice of Alta Gatzor fell upon the 
 ear of the king. 
 
 "If thy face be as beautiful as thy voice is musical, 
 thou art already pardoned," said Herod. 
 
 "While thy servant liveth, the compliment shall 
 never be forgotten," murmured the voice. 
 
 "Remove the cowl, that I may behold thy features," 
 commanded the king in his blandest tones. 
 
 "Thou would'st not be impatient should' st thou be 
 disappointed in the comeliness of thy servant?" ques- 
 tioned the woman. 
 
 "My word for it," said the king, reassuringly. 
 "Remove the covering." 
 
 The visitor proceeded to do as she was requested.
 
 244 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 Rising to her feet, she loosened the cowl and allowed it 
 to fall to the floor. Undaunted, motionless as a carved 
 statue, she stood with her dark, luminous eyes fixed 
 steadily upon the king. 
 
 His careless glance became riveted, he stared as one 
 demented into the gloriously beautiful face. 
 
 "Heavens !" he gasped rising from the couch, "I have 
 seen that face before. Woman, I command thee, tell 
 me where?" 
 
 "At the rendezvous of the reputed wizard of Jerusa- 
 lem, Solan whose sirname is Hai," answered Alta in 
 her most winning tones. 
 
 The king continued to gaze at the woman. 
 "And thou," he began, "thou art " 
 "I am Alta, the daughter of Simon Gatzor, of 
 Hebron," she said composedly. 
 
 "Make known thy mission," commanded the king, 
 scarcely able to control his voice. 
 
 "I am come to expose the wicked imposition, that 
 hath been practiced upon thee by Solan Hai," replied 
 Alta deliberately. 
 
 "By the powers that guard us, thou shalt have oppor- 
 tunity!" cried Herod energetically. "Dost thou refer 
 to the meeting two nights ago ?" 
 "I do, oh, king," 
 
 "I half suspected that I had been deceived," said the 
 king, with a groan. "Alas! It may have been thee 
 whom I saw. Is it true?" 
 "It is true," conceded Alta. 
 "Be seated, and at rest." 
 
 He motioned to a seat, and one of the eunuchs placed 
 it instantly at the disposal of Alta. These attendants 
 might have been black marble statues, for all the inter- 
 est they evinced in what was occurring. At a signal
 
 The King's Visitor. 245 
 
 they now retired. Alta's object was attained, she was 
 alone with the king. 
 
 She accepted the almost unknown situation with 
 equanimity. To be seated, a stranger, in the presence 
 of the austere ruler was a rare privilege. Only to fav- 
 orites and distinguished guests did Herod so unbend. 
 Now he feasted his eyes, with unconcealed pleasure, 
 upon the voluptuous creature before him. 
 
 "I see it all," he said slowly. "Thou art wonder- 
 fully like her my lost love. Mariamne thou art gone, 
 my soul, my life; doubly lost to me in that I had 
 thought to see thee again. This woman is but thine 
 image a shadow." 
 
 The suffering king turned his face downward among 
 the cushions and wept, in an agony of impotent grief 
 and despair. 
 
 "Thou can'st not know how hard is this disappoint- 
 ment to bear," he said at last, in a broken voice. "I for- 
 give thee, Alta Gatzor, but, thou shalt keep back noth- 
 ing. Thou must tell me all." 
 
 "Most willingly will thy servant do so," Alta replied. 
 "It is said that I am somewhat like thy lamented 
 queen." 
 
 "Thou art the very embodiment of her, as I knew her 
 first, the likeness is wonderful. She was truly a queen, 
 easily touched by the sorrows of others, ever ready to 
 hear the cry of distress brave and considerate." 
 
 The king left his place and strode about the room 
 endeavoring to control his emotions. He returned and 
 stood before Alta. 
 
 "Thou may'st take her place thou wilt let me drink 
 in thy beauty," said the king, in a voice of terrible inten- 
 sity. His face was white and his lips of ashen hue.
 
 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "I will dream her soul into thee, I will adore thee as the 
 reflection of my life's love. I will listen to thy story 
 tell me all. I am weary of perfidy. Do not attempt to 
 deceive me. Let the spirit of my love, for the lost one 
 thou did'st personate, possess thy soul. Thou shalt be 
 given such power, such triumph, as no woman in all 
 Israel dare aspire to reach. See, the king, who may 
 command, is at thy feet relate thy story, leave nothing 
 untold." 
 
 The vehemence of the king frightened even Alta 
 Gatzor, but her splendid audacity served her well and 
 she told all the particulars of the cruel deception. She 
 saw her way to a place that would be the envy of Jeru- 
 salem, and her most ambitious thought had been the 
 downfall of Solan Hai. Every word she uttered 
 advanced her in the favor of the susceptible king, her 
 winsome manner conveying open sympathy to his tor- 
 tured mind. 
 
 When she had finished, he sat for a long time in silent 
 contemplation. The veins of his face were swollen, the 
 heavy brows drawn in a malignant frown, every fea- 
 ture betokened the most furious anger and hatred. 
 
 "I have long despised the presumptions of this Hai/' 
 said the king at length. "He hath been my secret 
 adviser, in whose judgment I trusted, and to whose 
 counsel I listened to his advancement and my own 
 peril as I now believe. He shall no longer have a 
 place in my esteem, but, for a few days, I would that 
 thou continue on friendly terms with this wizard, until 
 I shall be able to conjure up an adaquate punishment 
 for his crimes. Mayhap thou, too, dost not bear him any 
 too good a will. 
 
 "I hate him !" she hissed.
 
 The King's Visitor. 247 
 
 "It is well," said the king. "Thou may'st whet thine 
 appetite, for methinks I shall afford thee ample oppor- 
 tunity for revenge. Thou may'st depart. I would be 
 alone, but when thou dost return, Herod will have that 
 to say to thee, that will make thee the proudest woman 
 in Israel."
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 THE REFINEMENT OF TORTURE. 
 
 "Solan Hai, the wizard of Jerusalem, friend of the 
 king." 
 
 The announcement was made by Herod's chamber- 
 Iain. The personage named entered, accompanied by 
 the two Ethiopians, who walked on either side of him. 
 They arrived at the farthest end of the long room where 
 sat his majesty, Herod, and paused. The eunuchs 
 assumed reclining positions on each side of where the 
 monarch looked down on the visitor. 
 
 The room was, in many respects, similar to the one 
 in which the king had been entertained on the occasion 
 when the supposed Mariamne had appeared. The hang- 
 ings were arranged in the same way, even to the cur- 
 tain, heavy and opaque, drawn across the end of the 
 room opposite the king. The floor was bare and polished 
 so that it reflected like a mirror. The draperies about 
 the seat of the king were of exquisite texture, fine linen, 
 threaded with gold. The latticed windows were pro- 
 vided with inside shutters, firmly closed, and the room 
 was lighted by numerous lamps at the sides. 
 
 Solan Hai had heard the summons of the king to 
 this interview with much misgiving. Fear was foreign 
 to his sturdy nature, but, he dreaded the questions as 
 to his occult powers. However, he was well prepared 
 for inquiries, long practice and immunity had given him 
 confidence in his ability to ward off suspicion and con- 
 
 248
 
 The Refinement of Torture. 249 
 
 ceal subterfuges, notwithstanding the most searching 
 investigation. 
 
 The uncertain realm of the supernatural presented an 
 obtuse problem, knowledge of which was exceedingly 
 limited. This strange freak of cunning and duplicity, 
 known as the "wizard of Jerusalem," found it an ample 
 field for the display of his peculiarities. He surrounded 
 himself, and those whom he desired to influence, with 
 enforced conditions and unrelenting restrictions. 
 
 If the manner of the king was any index of his feel- 
 ings, Solan Hai had nothing to fear. There was naught 
 in the face of Herod that conveyed ought but the kind- 
 liest regard for the man standing in his presence. If 
 he was indignant, or mortified, or angered he gave no 
 indication of either, and, if he had any resentment, it 
 was hidden under the most bland and cordial demeanor. 
 
 "I have sent for thee, my friend, because none other 
 hath done the works thou hast performed. Not even 
 Daniel, nor Aaron, nor Moses. Thou art truly the 
 friend of the king." 
 
 The welcome came smoothly from the lips of Herod, 
 and Solan Hai allowed every misgiving to take wings, 
 as he listened to this greeting. Bowing low before the 
 king the wizard answered : 
 
 "Most gracious sovereign, it is the pleasure of thy 
 most unworthy servant to live only in obedience to thy 
 will. Peace be unto thee the Lord's annointed. ? ' 
 
 "Thou art the greatest in Israel," said the king. 
 "Slave a seat for one who sooths my troubled mind." 
 
 One of the black attendants placed a seat at the right 
 and slightly in front of Herod. The wizard accepted 
 it and, lifting his snaky eyes, looked into the face of 
 the king. 
 
 "Nebuchadnezzar commanded that an oblation and
 
 250 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 sweet odors should be offered, and he made Daniel a 
 great man, giving him many gifts, and rule over the 
 whole province of Babylon. In after years Belshazzar 
 clothed this same Daniel with scarlet, put a gold chain 
 about his neck and made proclamation, concerning him, 
 that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. Am 
 I right?" The king earnestly scanned the face before 
 him. 
 
 "Thou art right, oh, king!" replied Solan Hai, with 
 a glow of satisfaction that tingled from the soles of his 
 feet to the roots of his hair. 
 
 "Moses and Aaron did many wonders before the king 
 of Egypt. It is also recorded, that a woman, at Endor, 
 raised Samuel from the dead," continued the king. 
 "Are these things true?" 
 
 "Could the king doubt?" modestly inquired the 
 wizard. 
 
 "Not after what mine eyes beheld while in thy com- 
 pany. Thou art greatest of them all." 
 
 A steely tone had stolen into the voice of the king, 
 Solan Hai noticed it and a strange terrified feeling sent 
 a shiver through his body. 
 
 "It was a small matter, oh, king," he said quietly. 
 
 "Say'st thou so," said Herod, "and hast thou recov- 
 ered thy usual energy?" 
 
 "To a limited extent," answered the wizard, cau- 
 tiously. 
 
 "Thou did'st promise that again I should behold that 
 vision. The week, for which thou did'st stipulate, is 
 nearly past. On the morrow would have been time for 
 the redemption of thine agreement. Surely to one, 
 great as thou, a few hours could make no difference. 
 Look about thee. See what I have prepared." 
 
 The king waved his hand toward the back of the
 
 The Refinement of Torture. 251 
 
 room, and the wizard took a hasty survey of the place. 
 For the first time he noticed the curtain swinging across 
 the farther end. 
 
 "I invited thee to be all alone with myself. We will 
 invoke and conjure together. The invisible will be 
 revealed to us. Thou shalt practice thine art. The 
 king will be thy pupil." 
 
 Thus, as the wild beast caresses the prey soon to be 
 devoured, did the king toy with his victim. 
 
 In all his long experience and acquaintance with 
 Herod, the wizard had never known him to speak in 
 this manner. A flush of excitement, or anger, was creep- 
 ing over the face of the king, and Solan Hai felt that 
 the gravest danger of his life threatened, yet, he looked 
 steadily into the gloomy eyes of Herod and answered 
 collectedly : 
 
 "The king requires a most extraordinary thing. No 
 magician can teach. Their gifts are given of the gods, 
 and not to be acquired by man." 
 
 "When did'st thou discover thy marvelous gift?" 
 asked Herod. 
 
 "It is the earliest recollection of thy servant," replied 
 the wizard. "Such things are born with those to whom 
 they are given." 
 
 "Thou can'st not lose this wondrous power ?" said the 
 king. 
 
 A flush akin to the color that dyed the face of Herod 
 appeared on the cheek of the wizard. He could ill 
 brook this questioning with its hidden meaning. For 
 a moment he lost sight of the danger, and anger pre- 
 dominated the tones of his voice as he answered shortly: 
 
 "Such queries I have never discussed with mortal 
 man. Thy servant only knows that the power is within, 
 and only works under proper conditions."
 
 2$2 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 The king took no heed of the sullen countenance of 
 the wizard. 
 
 "Name the most exacting conditions !" he exclaimed. 
 "Thy king will furnish every requirement and place it 
 at thy disposal. My soul longs for further display of 
 thy power. Go within the curtain yonder. Examine 
 carefully the room. Come ! do not hesitate." 
 
 Solan Hai had recovered his self-control. 
 
 "I go, my king," he said, rising, "because thou dost 
 command." 
 
 He passed to the curtain, did examine it closely, and 
 the room beyond. He looked keenly at the floor and felt 
 the walls ; both were bare and smooth. His investigation 
 revealed nothing absolutely nothing back of the cur- 
 tain. But the scrutiny gave him time to think and plan. 
 To gain time and put the king off was the burden press- 
 ing on his mind. 
 
 "Is all as thou would'st desire?" inquired the king, 
 as the wizard, after delaying as long as he dared, came 
 forth. 
 
 "Everything is adjusted as might be required," 
 replied the perplexed Hai. "But, thy servant can not 
 answer for the conditions. To tempt the unseen may 
 bring frightful disaster to both of us." 
 
 "Or one of us," added the king, in a tone so signifi- 
 cant as to alarm the wizard. 
 
 "Oh, king, have patience!" cried Hai, driven to his 
 wit's end. "Thy servant will explain. The powers 
 governing the spirit world must be propitiated by fast- 
 ings and supplications." 
 
 "If that be so the conditions have been complied 
 with," asserted Herod calmly. "Since the time I beheld 
 Mariamne, at thy residence, have I not eaten meat, 
 neither hath wine passed my lips and my soul hath
 
 The Refinement of Torture. 253 
 
 been so troubled that sleep hath forsaken my eyes. Do 
 not disappoint thy king. I command thee, proceed." 
 
 In sheer desperation, no other available excuse offer- 
 ing itself, Solan Hai turned his face toward the cur- 
 tain. At a signal the Ethiopians extinguished the 
 lights, save the two that flickered weirdly behind the 
 couch where the king reposed. The incantations of the 
 former exhibition were repeated all in vain, the cur- 
 tain remained immovable, and the wizard protested that 
 under the existing conditions his efforts must remain- 
 futile. 
 
 Notwithstanding all the resources, with which he 
 was gifted, it was not quite clear to Solan Hai how he 
 was to satisfy the king and extract himself from the 
 unenviable situation. He watched the changing humor 
 of the king, who was playing fast and loose with him, 
 and almost despaired of satisfying this seeker after the 
 hidden mysteries of the beyond. 
 
 As effort after effort of the wizard passed without 
 the slightest manifestation of anything like success, and 
 no answer came to the desperate invitations and 
 beseechings of the thoroughly wearied imposter, Herod 
 began to show signs of impatience. 
 
 "Stand aside !" he exclaimed, abruptly. "Thou shall 
 take my place. I will take thine." 
 
 "Not so, my king!" cried Solan Hai, almost per- 
 suaded that the king had lost his senses. 
 
 "But I say, it shall be so !" promptly replied the king 
 stepping toward the curtain. "Seat thyself. Thy mas- 
 ter shall try." 
 
 Hai had nothing left but to accept this challenge and 
 await the disappointment of the monarch, whom he now 
 believed to be actually mad. 
 
 His majesty passed slowly to the center of the floor
 
 .254 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 motioning toward the closed curtain, meanwhile stamp- 
 ing violently. The heavy curtain swayed, parted and 
 moved slowly aside. A rumbling, as of the tramp of 
 horses' feet, shook the room for a moment and died 
 away. Sweet strains of music were borne to the ears 
 of the astonished wizard. He sprang to his feet and 
 started forward. The king turned : 
 
 "Dare'st thou break the conditions?" he stormed. 
 
 At the word Solan Hai felt his wrists grasped by the 
 eunuchs, his giant arms were pinioned, held as if in a 
 vice. The wizard could neither move forward or back. 
 
 Again the king turned his attention to the work 
 before him. He lifted his arms above his head and 
 waved his hands in perfect imitation of the gestures 
 employed by the wizard. 
 
 Sweet incense, fragrant odors and perfumes per- 
 meated the whole room. The king paced slowly back- 
 ward, past where stood the eunuchs and their prisoner. 
 He ascended the steps of his resting place and sank 
 upon the cushions. 
 
 "Move forward, somewhat, thou may'st better see 
 if thou art a little closer," said the king, and the 
 eunuchs led Solan Hai a few steps nearer the curtain. 
 
 "Mark well the conditions, oh, wizard of Jerusalem ! 
 Thou may'st be assisted in thy future incantations," 
 continued the king. 
 
 This bit of sarcasm was the first intimation Solan 
 Hai had of the real disposition of the king, and it was 
 not lost upon the impostor. He was well aware that 
 Tie might expect no manner of consideration, clemency, 
 or mercy at the hands of offended dignity. He braced 
 "himself for any calamity and resolved to betray neither 
 curiosity nor fear. 
 
 "With exercise of the gift within thee, thou, oh
 
 The Refinement of Torture. 255 
 
 king, shalt outrival even Daniel, or, the famous lady 
 of Endor." He answered back firmly and promptly. 
 
 "This night shalt thou outrival Hamon !" retorted 
 the exasperated king. "Thou hast digged a pit ; into it 
 thou shalt fall!" 
 
 "So be it, oh king! And I will return to teach thee 
 that gods rule, not men." 
 
 Solan Hai had succeeded in having the last word. 
 The superstitious fear of Herod was aroused. Not- 
 withstanding his conviction that the wizard was not 
 what he pretended to be, and that unmerciful deception 
 had been practiced, the dread of that unknown, under 
 world, where demons dwell, was securely held in the 
 make-up of the men of the time, and the king was not 
 exempt. The threat of the wizard struck terror to the 
 heart of Herod. It was a bold, masterly stroke, and 
 inspired a spirit of apprehensive fear in the mind of the 
 revengeful king. Yet, he did not hesitate, had he wished 
 to do so, his plans were so well laid, that it would have 
 been weakness to turn back. 
 
 The curtained place took on a luminous aspect. Vol- 
 umes of vapor poured from the recesses. Forms flitted 
 to and fro, forward and back, seeming to grow up from 
 the floor, before the dilating eyes of the wizard, as on 
 a former occasion. Some of them were white robed, 
 while others were veiled in black. They took up a 
 line and marched in single file toward where the wizard 
 and eunuchs stood. They all circled about the three 
 men silently, except that as they passed, every one of 
 them whispered some epithet of opprobrium into the 
 ear of the wizard. He gazed at the scene like one petri- 
 fied, realized his standing with the king, and, without 
 once giving intimation of the anguished working of 
 his thoughts, bore this torture with great fortitude.
 
 256 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 During these marches and countermarches the king 
 had time to collect himself. He watched the spectacle 
 of the moving forms, and a feeling of his own strength 
 returned. His decision was confirmed and he became 
 encouraged in his purpose, besides, the novelty of this 
 form of amusement was a positive pleasure. 
 
 The spectres gathered, in grim array, at the sides of 
 the center opening. The vapors grew thin and a pale 
 light appeared in the recess. A halo of color encircled 
 the actors. Even to the condemned onlooker the irre- 
 sistible charm of the picture was felt. 
 
 The king arose and clapped his hands three times. 
 
 "Alta!" he called dramatically. "Alta, daughter 
 of Simon Gatzor, the merchant of Hebron !" 
 
 In a moment, seemingly in the twinkling of an eye, 
 the beautiful Alta, robed as queen Mariamne, came into 
 full view, languidly floating among the clouds of 
 vapor, which now slowly disappeared, revealing the 
 woman, radiant with almost unearthly loveliness. 
 
 She raised her rounded arm and pointed a delicate 
 finger to where the wizard stood. 
 
 With a superhuman effort, the maddened victim 
 wrenched himself free from the grasp of the eunuchs. 
 If there had ever been, in the life of the infuriated 
 wretch, one disinterested thought, or sentiment, it had 
 been in the love he bore this same splendid creature, 
 who had betrayed him, and accomplished his downfall. 
 
 In simple justice it should be said, that the promise, 
 to the king, had been made without the least intention 
 of fulfillment, and in acquiescence to the desires 
 expressed by the monarch. 
 
 He understood now. She had refused him the kind- 
 ness she showed the servants, even while she recklessly 
 accepted the bounty he lavished upon her. She would
 
 The Refinement of Torture. 257 
 
 become the mistress of the king, he thought. It should 
 not be. In desperation he sprang toward her it was but 
 a step. 
 
 Crash every light went out. A heavy body dropped 
 to the polished floor; it was a solid partition coming 
 from above and sliding into place, just between the 
 curtain and the frantic wizard. 
 
 "Lights!" cried the king. "Lights!" 
 
 From the adjoining apartments a number of retainers 
 filed in, passing on either side of the king, taking places 
 about the room. They bore lighted torches, and the 
 king was found seated on his couch. The eunuchs 
 bore the unconscious Solan Hai forward. 
 
 They laid him near the center of the floor, with his 
 head toward the king and his feet extended toward 
 the partition wall that had taken the place of the cur- 
 tain. They then assumed their usual positions at the 
 feet of Herod. All the other actors, mundane or 
 heavenly, had disappeared.
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 CHAMBER OF DEATH. 
 
 The features of Herod wore a dark and sinister 
 expression as he regarded the insensible rogue at his 
 feet. The blackness of night was in the glance of his 
 keen old eyes, and from his heart pity was as far 
 removed as the east is separated from the west. 
 
 He was painfully alive to the fact, that, for a long 
 period past, the wizard had used his pretended powers 
 as a screen for crimes, and that during this time the 
 schemer had so ingratiated himself with the king as to 
 use his majesty in the aid and furtherance of nefarious 
 and diabolical transactions. 
 
 That Solan Hai was, in all probability, much worse 
 than a cheat and swindler, Herod was convinced ; more- 
 over, the wizard had the reputation of being one of the 
 wealthiest men at Jerusalem. This, of itself, was no 
 small matter, and weighed heavily in the scale against 
 Hai. A golden opportunity was offered for the serv- 
 ing of a double purpose ; to get even with the man who 
 had deceived him for a lifetime, and to seize the ill- 
 gotten gains of the deceiver. The day of reckoning had 
 come, the king would not pass it by. He had decided to 
 make brief the disposal of his hitherto trusted servant. 
 
 The torch-bearers proceeded to relight and adjust 
 the lamps. Never one of them so much as looked 
 toward the man lying on the floor. Severe training had 
 taught them to evince neither surprise nor concern at 
 
 258
 
 Chamber of Death. 259 
 
 what they might behold. Their service finished, they 
 filed from the room, apparently as oblivious of the 
 scene they had witnessed as though they had been mere 
 machines, moved and directed by an unseen power. 
 
 The wizard gave indications of returning conscious- 
 ness. He turned on his side and emitted a groan, as 
 if in a spasm of pain. 
 
 The indomitable Herod rose to his feet. 
 
 "Lift him up," he commanded, "something to restore 
 and nourish him. I am not through with the seer of 
 Jerusalem." 
 
 The black men went about the executing of these 
 orders with dispatch. Strong drink was quickly pro- 
 cured, the head of the prostrate man was raised, and 
 the cup pressed to his lips. A few drops of the liquor 
 trickled into the mouth of Hai, and his throat became 
 moistened. The fluid revived him almost immediately. 
 He reached forth eagerly and, grasping the cup, drained 
 its contents to the dregs. Dropping the vessel and 
 clasping his head with nerveless hands, he staggered to 
 an upright position. 
 
 He gazed about in bewilderment and exclamations 
 fell disconnectedly from his faltering lips. With an 
 effort he gathered his scattered senses, and the objects 
 about him became familiar. Mind and memory asserted 
 their sway. Looking up at the king, as if to assure him- 
 self, he met a stony gaze of indignant anger. 
 
 "Thou son of perdition, can'st thou answer?" fumed 
 the king, without attempting to disguise or smother his 
 resentment. 
 
 "Softly, softly, most gracious majesty!" murmured 
 the oily ruffian, in his most insinuating tone, "such 
 language does ill grace the tongue of the king, who 
 rules by sufferance and permission of Augustus."
 
 26o Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "What mean'st thou, churl?" Hotly rejoined the 
 king. 
 
 "A dog may suffer at the hand of his master may 
 be kicked, smitten, cuffed and cursed, yet, will the poor 
 cur gladly lick the hand that dealt the blows. Think' st 
 thou thy servant is a dog?" cried Solan Hai, unable to 
 restrain his passion. 
 
 "No!" answered the king, unutterable scorn vibrat- 
 ing through his tense tones. "No, thou art no dog. Far 
 be it from me to insult such faithful kind by liking thee 
 to the lowest cur that crawls the gutter and exists upon 
 the offal. Enough ! Thou shalt not banter words with 
 thy king, who holds thee over a pit much as he would 
 a loathsome reptile cringing and twisting above a 
 flame." 
 
 "Thy servant might have craved thy mercy, even 
 for a fancied offense, if he had thought thou had'st 
 knowledge of such a quality," retorted Hai, with a 
 reckless sneer on his ugly lips. 
 
 "Silence thy tongue !" thundered the king. "Did'st 
 thou have mercy when ruthlessly tearing open the 
 wounds of a broken heart ? Did'st thou remember ought 
 of pity when thou did'st awaken the smoldering pangs 
 of the soul and conscience of thy king? Answer me, 
 thou scorpion ! Tell me of thy mercy, when thou did'st 
 make of me a shuttlecock and plaything through 
 accursed witchery and lying wonders." 
 
 Solan Hai regretted his hasty defiance of the king. 
 He would fain have conciliated the outraged monarch. 
 
 "To what thou dost refer, I am at loss to under- 
 stand," he said slowly. "Thou dost darken counsel by 
 thy riddles. I cannot comprehend. What put thee in 
 this frame of mind? Why rail at thy minister, who 
 hath served thee long and well ?"
 
 Chamber of Death. 261 
 
 "Cease this argument, thou whited sepulchre," 
 ordered the king. "Persistence in deceit, coupled with 
 a lying tongue, doth but add insult to the injury of 
 already irreparable wrong." 
 
 The bitter accusation stung Hai to further insolence. 
 
 "It is meet thou should'st prove before venturing to 
 accuse," he said deliberately. "I, also, am a subject of 
 Augustus." 
 
 "If so?" said the king. 
 
 "Thou wilt not dare to harm a hair of my head, oh 
 king, without proof of thy wanton charges. I will 
 depart. Thine ingratitude hath deprived thee of the 
 best among thy counsellors. If there be ought against 
 me, thy faithful servant and retainer until this present 
 moment, that could have given thee offense, it should 
 be charged in public and so proven. When thou hast 
 fairly considered the issue, methinks thou wilt not 
 push this matter further." 
 
 "So, before the people of Jerusalem, thou would'st 
 make of thy master a laughing stock. Every contin- 
 gency hath been duly considered. Even now, thine 
 habitations are in the possession of my trusted officers. 
 Thy retinue of servants, spys, robbers, assassins, all 
 thy minions, are by this time safely confined within 
 the friendly walls of Antonia, from whence none shall 
 ever come forth, save and except, those who may best 
 suit the purposes of the king. They cannot escape, 
 neither can'st thou, oh seer of Jerusalem, hope for 
 release." 
 
 "Would'st thou add another murder to thy many 
 crimes?" asked the victim. 
 
 The speech was unfortunate. Again the fury of the 
 king blazed forth. 
 
 "Inch by inch piece by piece with less compunc-
 
 262 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 tion than I'd feel in the smiting of a serpent, would 
 I kill thee," snarled the monarch. 
 
 "Then I may expect neither mercy npr considera- 
 tion at thine hands," said Hai boldly. "Thou know'st 
 not the meaning of justice. Already I am condemned. 
 Proceed, executioner." 
 
 "Thy marvelous presumption and audacity amaze 
 me," said Herod. "Thou shalt be confronted, face to 
 face, with witnesses." 
 
 "Thy threats become thee, oh master of ceremonies," 
 was the contemptuous reply. 
 
 "Less of bravado might have prolonged thine exist- 
 ence," rejoined the king. 
 
 "I neither fear thine anger, nor trust thy promises," 
 coolly answered Hai. "Do thy worst and utmost. 
 There will be a day of judgment." 
 
 "So far as thou art concerned, that day is come," was 
 the uncompromising retort. "Behold thy confederate 
 and accuser." 
 
 Herod stepped backward to his couch and leaned 
 against the framework of the canopy. At the right, the 
 curtains, concealing an entrance, parted, and Alta 
 Gatzor, still arrayed in the diaphanous draperies, in 
 which she had impersonated queen Mariamne, stepped 
 from between the folds. 
 
 The wizard darted one swift glance in the direction 
 of the woman. He saw the air of triumph, plainly 
 expressing her relentless disposition toward himself, 
 and he knew that he was within her toils. 
 
 "I understand and divine, oh king, how cunningly 
 thou hast been deceived," Hai exclaimed in a changed 
 voice. "How we both have been cruelly wronged and 
 outraged by the Jezebel, standing at thy side. I see it 
 all! I see it all!"
 
 Chamber of Death. 263 
 
 Receiving no answer to this adroit attempt to turn 
 the tables upon the woman, whom he was convinced 
 had become his mortal enemy, he ignored the look of 
 disdain with which she was regarding him and con- 
 tinued. 
 
 "This woman is the most skillful sorceress and witch 
 in all Judea. She is the author of all our trouble, oh 
 king ! Having in her treacherous mind the purpose to 
 destroy thy faithful servant as a rival for thy favor." 
 
 Solan Hai looked hopefully at the king. There was 
 no misinterpreting the open hostility of Alta. 
 
 "Thou art the Alpha and Omega of all lying hypoc- 
 risy, and the consummation of all villainy!" she 
 exclaimed, angrily. 
 
 Solan Hai gazed, spellbound for a moment, into 
 Alta's beautiful face. He saw, in her, the fire that was 
 consuming his dearest aspirations, and he saw, too, the 
 beauty of the flame. Her power, he had never surmised ; 
 she had won the confidence of the king; she was 
 greater than he had believed. 
 
 "Say on " he exclaimed as she paused. Then as 
 Alta declined to reply, he continued : 
 
 "Trust her not, oh my king ! In time she will be thine 
 undoing, as this day she is mine. Listen not to the 
 voice of the siren. The volubility of her tongue is 
 equaled only by her power to deceive. She will lure 
 thee to destruction. Behold, on my knees I implore 
 thee !" He fell prostrate. "Let thy servant be heard," 
 he pleaded. "I have been cruelly deceived by her 
 sorcery and led to believe in the return of thy wife from 
 the dead." 
 
 "Monster of iniquity," replied the king, "again hast 
 thou outraged the truth." 
 
 Hai sprang up in a fury.
 
 264 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "Send for my butler," he hissed. "He had charge 
 of Alta Gatzor's house. Send for her father, he will 
 explain the conduct of this woman. She is the accom- 
 plice of Panthera." Hai entirely forgot himself in his 
 rage. "Panthera," he repeated, "who was the companion 
 of Joachim, the rebel and conspirator. Thy majesty 
 will remember this disturber; the soldier, whom thou 
 did'st degrade." 
 
 "But, thou did'st speak well of him. In the consid- 
 eration of his case, thou did'st crave my forbearance," 
 answered Herod. 
 
 "Truly hast thou spoken, most gracious king," 
 replied Hai, earnestly. "It was a price insisted upon 
 by this woman. I was to protect her lover, she, in 
 turn, was to deliyer into the hands of thy servant all 
 the other conspirators. Instead, she hath taken this 
 cunningly devised plan as a means of overthrowing thy 
 servant and deceiving thyself." 
 
 The king seemed not to give ear to the words of the 
 wizard. 
 
 "Let Simon Gatzor be produced," he ordered. 
 
 This cringing, fawning wretch, the father of the 
 gloriously beautiful Alta, walked from behind the cur- 
 tain, or rather, shambled out, for it appeared impossi- 
 ble for the poor whining sycophant to lift his feet ; more 
 especially was this characteristic marked, as he shrank 
 back from before the clouded countenance of his olcf 
 master. 
 
 "Simon," the wizard fixed his compelling eyes on the 
 frightened man, "Simon, my good Simon, speak!" 
 
 "Silence," interposed the king, "he shall speak for 
 himself, and without interruption. Go on Gatzor!" 
 
 Simon Gatzor shifted his weight from one foot to 
 the other and back again.
 
 Chamber of Death. 265 
 
 "Well " he began, "well, it is quite true, my daugh- 
 ter, Alta, hath always been a wayward child." The 
 man twisted his long bony fingers together and drew 
 his ungainly shoulders up until they seemed to rest 
 against the back of his head. All the time he gazed, as 
 though fascinated, into the intent face of the wizard, 
 who returned the look with an intensity born of hope. 
 "Still, she's my child ! My little child ! My God ! My 
 only child !" In dread lest harm was to come to her 
 the head of the poor father sank forward, and tears of 
 pitiable anguish rolled down his furrowed cheeks. 
 
 Hai took a quick stride toward where the man 
 stood. At a signal from Herod, one of the stalwart 
 eunuchs passed between the wizard and the man, Gat- 
 zor. 
 
 "I must have knowledge of everything between thy- 
 self and Solan Hai," said the king, addressing the 
 broken tool. "Go on my man. Tell me thy story." 
 
 "Father dear, tell the king all. Be not afraid." The 
 silvery voice of his beloved daughter, encouraged the 
 weeping man. He lifted his head and turned fully 
 toward the king. 
 
 "I was a small trader, a very small trader, in the 
 town of Nazareth, where I was born," he commenced, 
 humbly. "We were happy, my wife, my child, and 
 myself. One day this man, Solan Hai, darkened the 
 light of our little home. Since then I have been only a 
 slave, his dog. He opened up to me questionable 
 schemes whereby wealth and riches flowed into my 
 hands. The first step was easy, and when I had yielded 
 to the first temptation, another quickly followed. There 
 could be no receding, no turning back. At last crime 
 was added to my misdoings, and I was completely in his 
 power my life, my home, my property, my God, my
 
 266 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 family, my child. He demanded of me, that she should 
 come to Jerusalem to live he told me it was her wish 
 she said it was. As long as I dared, I resisted this. 
 He had placed me in business in a large way, a mer- 
 chant and trader in the town of Hebron. He threat- 
 ened to ruin me if I did not consent to the arrange- 
 ment. He promised to marry my poor child she 
 seemed to be willing, and, oh king, she came to the 
 city. We could not stay behind, her poor mother and 
 I, we followed her, and lived here in great style and 
 magnificence all furnished by his hand." The voice 
 of the speaker shook with fear and emotion and grew 
 shrill as he excitedly continued : "She had been very 
 poor all her life, dear little girl. Have mercy on her, 
 and on her poor, old, broken-hearted father." 
 
 In abject grief and despair the dupe of Solan Hai 
 threw himself on the floor, at the feet of the king. 
 
 "Arise !" commanded Herod, "be seated here," 
 pointing to a place near Alta. "Let the butler be called." 
 
 Again the curtain parted and Costa came forth. The 
 wizard gave one swift look, and knew Costa would say 
 nothing that could be used to extract him from his 
 awkward dilemma. 
 
 Without hesitancy the trusted confederate of Solan 
 Hai proceeded to expose the dual life of the wizard. He 
 related the history of his intercourse with the king's 
 friend, for the last twenty years. The king listened; 
 Solan Hai scowled. There could be no answer; the 
 acquisitions were overwhelming; the evidence was 
 complete. 
 
 "'Tis enough !" cried the king, interrupting the tirade 
 of Costa, who could have consumed the entire night 
 with denunciations. "Alta Gatzor, thou may'st remain." 
 
 Simon Gatzor and the garrulous Costa retired imme-
 
 Chamber of Death. 267 
 
 diately, and Solan Hai stood alone before his deadly 
 enemies, the king, whom he had betrayed, and the peer- 
 less beauty, who had used him as a stepping stone to 
 the favor of Herod. 
 
 "Solan Hai," spoke the king. "Prepare to die." 
 
 "I am ready," was the grim answer. 
 
 The Ethiopians seized the wizard and half carried 
 him backward to a diamond shaped figure inlaid in the 
 smooth floor. They left him there, and he stood erect, 
 seemingly careless of his surroundings. 
 
 "Alta, thou queen of beauty and love," exclaimed 
 Herod, "be at rest, and behold the vengeance of thy 
 king." 
 
 He made room for her and she sank into a place on 
 the couch, near enough to have touched the skirt of 
 his garment. 
 
 "With thee, alone, is there mercy for him," continued 
 the king. 
 
 "With me, there can be no mercy," Alta said vehe- 
 mently. "My heart finds no pity for such a monster. 
 He is not fit to cumber the earth. If thy power can 
 compass it, let him die." 
 
 "It is said!" pronounced Herod solemnly. 
 
 The floor of the room shook slightly. There was a 
 whirring, rasping sound. The face of Solan Hai was 
 set and stern. A black scowl, of hate and fury, low- 
 ered his heavy brows, and his eyes snapped with 
 venom, that found expression, as he looked at the 
 tableau before him. Alta, radiantly lovely, seated on the 
 very couch of the king. 
 
 A sudden jar, the section of the floor, on which the 
 wizard stood, dropped, bodily, for a distance of several 
 feet. For the first time, a look of consternation betrayed 
 the fear of the seer. He started forward to gain a foot-
 
 268 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 ing on the part of the floor in front. It was swinging 
 slowly downward, revealing a dark line of space 
 between him and where the others were seated. He 
 hastily faced about. Back of him was only the blank 
 partition wall, that had fallen before the curtained 
 recess. 
 
 Scarcely an instant passed before he realized his pre- 
 dicament, and perceived the danger. The portion of 
 floor, on which he found footing, was now, also, bend- 
 ing rapidly downward, making an incline so steep that 
 it would be impossible for him to remain much longer 
 in an upright position. 
 
 A giddiness came over him, as the parting platforms 
 separated, with their edges slowly, but surely, moving 
 apart. He hastily estimated the width of the black 
 chasm, now between himself and the other portion of 
 the floor. With desperate energy, he gathered himself 
 for the effort, and sprang across the yawning space. 
 The distance was too great, and he found himself vainly 
 endeavoring to obtain a grasping place on the smooth 
 surface. 
 
 A bitter howl of rage emanated from his coarse 
 mouth, followed by horrible imprecations and curses 
 against his tormentors, who sat deliberately watching 
 his struggles. 
 
 Like a flash of light, across the brain of the doomed 
 man, came the recollection of the dungeons and reser- 
 voirs beneath the palace. For all their intimacy, Herod 
 had never revealed to Solan Hai this trap floor. A 
 dreamy, wondering thought drifted through his mind 
 as to whether dungeons and years of confinement 
 awaited him, or if his death struggle would be a bat- 
 tle with the chilly waters of the great slimy cisterns. 
 In spite of every effort, the clutching grasp failed, and,
 
 Chamber of Death. 269 
 
 with a gasping, despairing cry, the unfortunate victim, 
 of his own villainy, fell into the dark abyss below. 
 
 The floor, directly before the king, lightened of its 
 load, straightened into place almost at once, the lowered 
 portion rising slowly to its proper level. The noise of 
 the upper movement, effectually shut out any sound 
 that might have come from below. 
 
 Alta sat rigidly in her place, only the tense line of 
 her lips indicating the horror that must have filled 
 her being. She listened to the grating and grinding of 
 the machinery that lifted the heavy timbers, until the 
 edges of the floor struck together, and the last bolt 
 shot into its socket, then she drooped forward and fell 
 helplessly in a deathlike swoon. 
 
 Again did the attendants procure the strong drink. 
 The arms of the king were folded about the unconscious 
 woman in fondness and alarm. His own hand held 
 the draught to her lips. 
 
 She recovered quickly, and lifted her hand weakly 
 to her brow. 
 
 "Let us leave this place," she murmured. "Can he 
 trouble us any more?" 
 
 "Never any more," answered Herod tenderly. And 
 he gently conducted Alta from the chamber of death.
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 A STRANGE INVITATION. 
 
 Beautiful, queenly Alta Gatzor continued her career 
 of splendid extravagance. After the disappearance of 
 the seer of Jerusalem, and her acquaintance with the 
 king, it surpassed anything she had ever attempted 
 before. 
 
 Two eunuchs constantly attended her; anticipating 
 every wish, executing her orders and obeying her every 
 whim. Besides these, she maintained a retinue of 
 other servants, and her pretentious mansion was the 
 one most of interest in the new town. 
 
 Her gorgeously furnished apartments, with every 
 luxurious appointment in perfect taste, were incom- 
 parably elegant, and evidenced, among her many won- 
 derful elements of character, the ability to group count- 
 less costly furnishings with perfect harmony of color, 
 and an appearance of exquisite simplicity. 
 
 The advent of this strange woman had astonished 
 all Jerusalem. Her lavish expenditures distanced all 
 competitors; her beauty and the magetism of her 
 presence, eclipsing even that of the famed queen of 
 Egypt; or the equally remarkable sovereign of Sheba. 
 
 How, and from where, Alta Gatzor had come, were 
 questions answered not at all. The members of her 
 household were entirely non-communicative ; they knew 
 nothing; or they resolutely declined to refer to the 
 matter. 
 
 270
 
 A Strange Invitation. 271 
 
 She ruled her dependents with a despotic sway. They 
 obeyed without protest. She was austere and exacting, 
 yet all, who were admitted to her exclusive circle, 
 became fascinated with her dark beauty. The adora- 
 tion, so freely offered her, she did not value, and, save 
 for the affectionate respect, with which she at all times 
 honored her father and mother, she seemed devoid of 
 the most lovable, womanly traits. Her conduct toward 
 all others was in marked contradistinction to the con- 
 sideration always evinced by Alta, when the welfare or 
 happiness of her parents was involved. 
 
 The mystery of her household and movements con- 
 tinued to defy penetration, except in that she, herself, 
 chose occasionally to lift the veil. She was a revela- 
 tion to the people of Jerusalem; by her magic touch 
 every avenue was opened and closed at will. 
 
 Even the king, when he could forego his baths 
 beyond the Jordan, sought her side and spent much time 
 in her society. Many perceived the likeness of Alta to 
 the unfortunate, but beloved, Mariamne and, to this 
 remarkable resemblance, the knowing ones attributed 
 the partiality and favor bestowed on her by the "king of 
 the Jews." 
 
 The distinction, conveyed through the flattering con- 
 descension of the king, was enough to give her place 
 among the highest and greatest, if not the best, of the 
 city. 
 
 The scandal mongers and sensation venders gossiped 
 and whispered among themselves, and to all others who 
 could be induced to listen to their cunningly devised 
 innuendoes, that Herod was enslaved by the sorcery, 
 and completely enthralled by the witchery of Alta Gat- 
 zor. In their estimation, this was true, not only of the 
 king, but of all others who came within her influence.
 
 272 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 She was a royal entertainer, and the guests, who par- 
 took of her generous hospitality, went away loud in her 
 praise. For all the busy voice of prejudice and adverse 
 criticism, the king's new favorite was soon advanced 
 to a position that made her the envy of all her sex, and 
 the sensation of the hour. Surprise at the sudden ascen- 
 sion to power, mingled with disapproval of her daring 
 disregard of conventionalities, kept busy tongues 
 employed with malicious discussions. 
 
 Panthera had heard much of the brilliant Alta; on 
 several occasions, he met her at the festive entertain- 
 ments where the king's guard was summoned to add 
 zest to the animated scenes. Always, she bestowed 
 upon the soldier, not only recognition, but also, her 
 most winning smiles. On his part these friendly over- 
 tures were received with a grave courtesy that forbade 
 tamiliarity. He was compelled, however, to acknow- 
 ledge himself under somewhat of an obligation to the 
 imperious woman, who did not attempt to conceal her 
 preference for the distinguished looking Roman. 
 
 He remembered her bitter arraignment of the 
 wizard, in the cave at Hebron ; the passionate voice that 
 had denounced her father's destroyer, and he had 
 watched with wonder the apparent standing of the out- 
 law at the home of the Gatzors. 
 
 He knew that Solan Hai was his enemy, and he 
 could not guess why the hostilities should cease. The 
 wizard had become an unknown factor in the life of 
 Panthera, since he was no more seen in the city. The 
 soldier had missed him, it is true, but he did not care 
 to inquire what had become of the seer. It was rumored, 
 that this unique personage had been seen on the way 
 from Jerusalem to Rome; that he was bound on an 
 important mission concerning the king. Panthera did
 
 A Strange Invitation. 273 
 
 not concern himself as to the truth or falsity of this 
 report, having no disposition to pry into the affairs of 
 so dangerous a foe. 
 
 With his mind constantly occupied with love for 
 the amiable, affectionate Mary, he had small time for 
 thought of Solan Hai, much less of Alta Gatzor. 
 
 Over at the little city of Nazareth, the wife of his 
 choice waited for him, yet, in vain was his every effort 
 to obtain a discharge from the service of Herod. Dis- 
 tinction and honor had been thrust Upon him. He had 
 been advanced in place and power, and the king had 
 been pleased to notice and mention him with approval. 
 In the discharge of his duties, which, of late, had been 
 enlarged and had increased in responsibility, he had 
 been commended. 
 
 Salome and Alexes had assured him of their com- 
 bined influence with the king in obtaining the desired 
 release, but disappointment was the only result of their 
 efforts, until Panthera turned from their promises with 
 a heavy heart, his oft deferred hopes creating a spirit 
 of gloom and impending disaster. 
 
 Thus it was with Panthera, until, one day, he ling- 
 ered in the palace gardens, as the sun disappeared and 
 the shades of evening blended into the gloom and dark- 
 ness of night. 
 
 Messages had come to him, through the constantly 
 faithful Joseph. Between the lines and words, of 
 loving tenor, he detected the presence of downright 
 anguish at the procrastination. As time lengthened, 
 this state of distress was aggravated, at last, it was too 
 much to bear, and the suspense bordered on distraction. 
 
 Mary, soul of his soul, would he ever return to her 
 waiting arms ? "Living or dead I will return to thee," 
 he had promised. How often the words rang out to his
 
 274 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 weary brain. Heartsick and homesick, tonight he 
 stretched his arms above his head in longing loneliness 
 for the white cottage with its vines and shrubs ; its dove 
 cots and garden; its dainty mistress danced before his 
 mental vision; he was lost in contemplation of the 
 reunion at Nazareth, and his soul thirsted for its frui- 
 tion. 
 
 A pitch torch shed a flickering glare of light over the 
 scene before the soldier. Long and short shadows 
 wavered in fantastic shapes over the flowers and 
 grasses of Herod's lawn. Panthera abstractedly gazed 
 through the light, into the murky darkness beyond. 
 
 Out of the misty shadows glided the spectre like form 
 of a man, disguised in dark robes, and with covered 
 features. He moved silently, and advanced straight 
 toward where the soldier was seated. The new actor 
 on the scene attracted the attention of Panthera and 
 aroused him from the absorbing train of thought into 
 which he had fallen. As he contemplated the advanc- 
 ing figure he could not repress a foreboding, that who- 
 ever it might be, he would be the bearer of something 
 of interest and concern. The soldier felt his heart 
 throb with anticipation; an indescribable impression, 
 that he did not attempt to analyze, took possession of 
 his mind an assurance that, on some former occa- 
 sion, he had beheld the somberly clad creature. 
 
 As the figure came into the full rays of the light, 
 Panthera felt a constraining sense of certainty that it 
 was coming directly to where he was seated. Phantom 
 thoughts of this character rushed through his mind. 
 
 The advancing form was lost to sight close under 
 the torch, then, emerging from the shadow, quickened 
 its pace, and stood before the soldier.
 
 A Strange Invitation. 
 
 "Caius Panthera," spoke the man, confronting him. 
 " Wilt thou follow me?" 
 
 "Who art thou?" was the prompt question. 
 
 "The servant of Alta, whose sirname is Gatzor," was 
 the response. 
 
 "Where would'st thou lead?" 
 
 "To the mansion of my mistress." 
 
 "Why should I follow thee?" 
 
 "My mistress requests it. 'Twas she who sent me 
 hither." 
 
 "Why doth she request my presence?" 
 
 "It is her will." 
 
 "For what purpose?" 
 
 The man shrugged his shoulders impatiently, but 
 he answered civilly enough : 
 
 "Sir, I know not. Only she will tell thee." 
 
 "Should I refuse to attend thy bidding what 
 then?" 
 
 "Most certainly thou would'st offend, past pardon. 
 My mistress would not soon forget such an affront." 
 
 "Thy mistress hath no right to demand my pre- 
 sence." 
 
 "Thou may'st speak truly, but her power should not 
 be despised, nor her wishes denied. Wilt thou follow 
 me?" 
 
 Panthera thought of the day when he had been the 
 prisoner of Alta Gatzor; of her voluntary assistance 
 in securing his escape, unmolested, from Solan Hai. 
 Of her own accord, she had guided him to where Mary 
 sojourned. Now Alta had influence with Herod could 
 it be, that she knew of his fruitless efforts to secure a 
 discharge from the service? Was it not possible that 
 again she had determined to intervene in his behalf? 
 For the sake of the lovely Mary, herself, whom all
 
 276 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 must love, the powerful favorite of fortune might have 
 generously decided to aid the soldier. It was the 
 explanation that flashed into the mind of Panthera, 
 born of his own desperate longing. It was plausible 
 he dared not fail to avail himself of every hopeful 
 opportunity. 
 
 He recollected her words, when he had acknow- 
 ledged his love for Joachim's daughter, at the mountain 
 entrance of the cave, and through the length of dreary 
 weeks, he seemed to hear again the sound of her clear 
 voice : 
 
 "Thou may'st trust me!" and "Alta will be thy 
 friend." 
 
 He hesitated no longer. 
 
 "Lead on !" he said. 
 
 The stranger glided away among the shadows and 
 Panthera, gathering his cloak about him with a swift 
 motion, sprang to his feet and followed after.
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 THE SORCERESS. 
 
 The gliding, muffled form kept a short distance in 
 advance of the soldier. Without conversation, the two 
 moved through the narrow streets of Jerusalem, down 
 the incline, by way of the Cheesemonger's valley, 
 toward mount Bezetha. It was later in the night than 
 the soldier imagined. While indulging in reverie, in 
 the garden of the king, time had passed without notice. 
 The deserted streets were hushed into silence, broken 
 only by the footfalls of Panthera and his guide, as 
 they passed swiftly along the space allotted for travel 
 now beneath the stone archways, and again in more 
 open spaces, where the gliknmer of stars lent a faint 
 light. 
 
 They halted before an imposing structure the end 
 of their journey from within no ray of illumination 
 found its way ; no appearance of life was visible ; it was 
 the home of Alta Gatzor. 
 
 The guide laid his hand on the rail of an iron gate, 
 touched a hidden spring, and the way into the court 
 surrounding the mansion was open. 
 
 Panthera paused inquiringly as the guide waited out- 
 side the gate. 
 
 "Step in!" invited the messenger. 
 
 Panthera did so. The guide followed. A snap of the 
 spring announced the closing of the gate, and the form 
 passed forward across the court. 
 
 277
 
 278 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 The forbidding walls of the gloomy looking build- 
 ing loomed tall and silent, as if waiting for some one 
 to speak animation into their gray, cold depths. The 
 guide, familiar with the surroundings, ascended a flight 
 of massive stone steps, to a landing between two of 
 the marble pillars of the open colonnade. In the dusky 
 shade, this person found and opened a door, giving 
 admission to the interior of the house. 
 
 "Enter!" was all he said to Panthera, who had 
 accompanied him, without question. 
 
 The huge door swung shut, enveloping them in 
 intense darkness and closing away the outer world. 
 
 The soldier waited for the voice of his conductor, it 
 came not. In the darkness and stillness he became 
 aware that he was alone. Suspicion of evil, for the 
 first time, entered his mind. He feared the existence 
 of some trap. In the impenetrable gloom he imagined 
 a new presence near, but he remained motionless. The 
 guide had left him when the door had closed, now, as 
 the soldier grew impatient, a light appeared, and Pan- 
 thera saw the muffled figure advancing quickly toward 
 him. 
 
 "Come!" commanded the person, leading the way 
 across a large semi-circular anteroom. 
 
 All the way, through the streets and while waiting 
 in the obscurity of the lobby, the mind of the soldier 
 had been struggling with the problem, where had he 
 seen this figure before ? He was following lightly up a 
 carved stairway to the upper floor, when, suddenly, 
 clear and as though it had been but yesterday, that 
 it happened, there came to his memory the episode, at 
 the gate of the city, when he had last left Jerusalem on 
 his way to Nazareth. The cowled figure its warn-
 
 The Sorceress. 279 
 
 ing unheeded at the time and during the happy days 
 that followed. 
 
 He sprang forward with an exclamation, they 
 reached the landing simultaneously, and, before Pan- 
 thera could speak again, a sliding door opened, flood- 
 ing the place where they stood with light. They entered 
 a spacious apartment. It was the banquet hall, where 
 the king had been entertained by the wizard with the 
 spirit manifestations, said to have been from another 
 world. 
 
 The eyes of the soldier swept rapidly over the scene 
 before him. Every detail of magnificence was noted. 
 The yielding velvet of the rugs rendered his step noise- 
 less ; the display of wealth and glittering grandeur was 
 enhanced by myriads of lamps with colored shades. 
 
 Near the center of the room the guide stopped 
 abruptly : 
 
 "Caius Panthera, of the Germans!" he announced 
 and immediately retraced his steps, leaving the soldier 
 a solitary figure, amidst the splendor. 
 
 At the side of the room the purple curtains of an 
 alcove trembled, and were drawn aside. 
 
 "Thou art welcome, most excellent Panthera!" The 
 voice was the well remembered one of Alta Gatzor. 
 
 Panthera turned sharply. Within the curtained 
 alcove, lovely flushed with pleasure radiant, stood 
 the speaker. One jeweled hand held back the folds of 
 the curtain, the other was outstretched in glad greet- 
 ing to the soldier. 
 
 "Thou wilt accept a seat, my friend," she continued, 
 pointing to a divan before her. 
 
 Panthera bowed, with courtly grace, above the per- 
 fect hand and accepted the proffered seat. 
 
 Alta had slipped into her favorite reclining posture
 
 280 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 on the purple draped couch. Her garment was the 
 wonderful, transparent robe of gauze that she had worn 
 when personating queen Mariamne. Her perfect 
 throat and arms were bare, and the warm glow of 
 health shone through the clear skin. From one slender 
 foot the lace trimmed hem of the robe fell away, and 
 the nervous tapping of the silken slipper alone betrayed 
 of what moment was this interview to Alta Gatzor. 
 
 "Thou hast been most considerate to come at my 
 invitation," she responded, watching him closely. 
 
 The charm of her presence, the tone of her voice, 
 could not fail to place the man at his ease ; but the frank 
 admiration that spoke in his open glance was not the 
 sentiment she had wished to arouse. 
 
 "It affords me much pleasure to place my services at 
 thy disposal," he said quietly. "Command me." 
 
 "Know'st thou not why I have sent for thee?" 
 
 The crimson color mounted to her cheek. She sat up 
 and looked directly into the soldier's upturned face. An 
 alluring, wanton smile heightened and strengthened her 
 beauty, and her dark eyes widened passionately. 
 
 Had Panthera been gifted with the intuition of 
 womankind, he would have made a discovery that would 
 have placed him on his guard. He would have seen 
 that his hostess was seated in a position to avail her- 
 self of every advantage of light and shade in the dis- 
 play of her magnificent proportions. 
 
 He gazed, into her enchanting face and upon her 
 voluptuous form, with all the ardor of unalloyed pleas- 
 ure in beholding such ravishing beauty. She did not 
 seem to take from her surroundings, rather, in his 
 estimation, did she shed brilliancy upon them. 
 
 The costly robe, artistically arranged and skillfully 
 designed to make the most of her figure, left every line
 
 The Sorceress. 281 
 
 of her person full and distinct in marvelous, rounded 
 outline. Beneath the lace-like, silken folds the move- 
 ments of her graceful limbs and body were exposed. 
 To the vision of the soldier, there was no mar or defect 
 in the pose and picture befor him, and his senses could 
 not but do homage to the captivating woman. 
 
 Vases of fragrant flowers stood everywhere; their 
 odors filled the atmosphere, and added a dreamy feel- 
 ing of contentment and abandonment to the influence 
 of Alta's absorbing fascinations. 
 
 Of all the men, who had sued for her favor, none 
 had ever awakened, in the proud heart of Gatzor's 
 daughter one throb of response ; her life was bound up 
 in the hope of one day winning the love of Panthera. 
 She had determined on his subjugation. The more 
 distant seemed the accomplishment of her purpose, the 
 more intense grew her longing, until her very being 
 was devoured with ungoverned passion. The price she 
 might be called upon, and which she was willing to pay, 
 was past computation all, everything, was at his feet, 
 within his grasp, under his control. He had only to 
 reach forth and partake of the fruit forbidden. What 
 if dishonor, shame even death followed? What was 
 death to Alta Gatzor ? 
 
 Would he not divine behold her intent and pur- 
 pose? No! Unaccountable perversity, he appeared 
 indifferent to lascivious glance and wily flattery alike. 
 
 Panthera was trusting to his ingenuity to interest 
 this woman, whom he knew to be a power at the court 
 of Herod, in his plans for emancipation from the duties 
 that prevented his return to the confiding, gentle Mary, 
 who waited, longing, hoping for the soul comfort his 
 presence would bring into her life. He labored under a 
 serious misapprehension of the true situation.
 
 2$2 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "I have not the remotest knowledge of why thou 
 did'st send for thy servant," he said in reply to her 
 question, "except " he paused and looked into her 
 face. 
 
 "Except," she interrupted, taking up the word, "that 
 I should be interested in thy welfare and advance- 
 ment." 
 
 "Daughter of Gatzor," he exclaimed, "I came here 
 with some such thought 'tis true. Thou art, perhaps, 
 aware that, for some time thy servant hath been 
 endeavoring to obtain an honorable discharge from 
 the service of Herod?" 
 
 "I have been so informed," she answered coldly. 
 "I knew, in fact, of thy first effort in that direction." 
 
 "And thou wilt assist?" he cried, eagerly springing 
 to his feet. 
 
 "I will hinder," answered Alta, with flashing eyes. 
 "Thou can'st not leave Jerusalem because I have willed 
 otherwise. Pray resume thy seat." 
 
 The light died out of the soldier's face. He sank 
 reluctantly into his former position, looking at her for 
 explanation. 
 
 "Thou art astonished at my statement?" she con- 
 tinued. 
 
 "I am, indeed," answered Panthera sternly. "Why 
 should'st thou oppose my dearest wish and hope?" 
 
 "Give me thy serious attention." She hesitated, in 
 perplexity, as to where she would best begin. "From 
 the time thou did'st first cross the threshold of my 
 father's home, I have never known an hour of peace. 
 Thy face, thy form, hath haunted me by day and by 
 night hath filled my visions. I fought this infatua- 
 tion ,this insanity, for I divined thy love for the maid 
 of Nazareth, and had confirmation from thine own
 
 The Sorceress. 285 
 
 lips. I hid myself from thee, denied myself the pleas- 
 ure of thy company; prayed and agonized to be deliv- 
 ered from the overwhelming love that mastered me. 
 All in vain. I could not break the silver chain binding 
 my soul to the one purpose the possession of thy 
 regard and love." 
 
 "Thou know'st not of what thou art speaking!'* 
 exclaimed Panthera in utter consternation. 
 
 All the art of the heart bent on conquest was to be 
 brought to bear upon this man during the interview. 
 Alta did not dream of failure in her undertaking. All 
 men would yield; none were impervious to the bland- 
 ishments of a woman, a capable woman, who, urged 
 on by maddened desire, would not relinquish an oppor- 
 tunity to crush the loyalty of her victim. Panthera was 
 only a man, she reasoned. 
 
 Although young in years, she was too experienced 
 a judge of human nature, as well as of the man in her 
 toils, to attempt weakening his confidence in the idol 
 of his heart. She was not wholly lost to the sting of 
 inward, conscious shame, as her active mind dwelt 
 momentarily upon the course she was pursuing. Not- 
 withstanding these recurring qualms she was not the 
 woman to turn from a set purpose. Passion was master 
 of discretion. As a result she desperately persisted in 
 her assault upon the integrity and virtue of her victim. 
 
 "Thou art mistaken," she answered him, calmly reso- 
 lute. "I know everything. Thine every movement hath 
 been under my surveillance. The restoration of thy 
 place in the German company and the arresting of the 
 king's displeasure, was my work, through the wizard, 
 Solan Hai. Thine advancement, to place and power, 
 is within my hands. Solan Hai was thine enemy; 
 would have destroyed thee, he is removed, forever,
 
 284 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 from thy way. There is nothing that can separate us 
 from happiness. I have both wealth and power it 
 shall be freely bestowed upon thee all shall be thine." 
 
 "I implore thee, speak no more of this. There are 
 insurmountable obstacles to all thou dost propose, ' 
 interposed Panthera. 
 
 "Thou dost, perhaps, refer to thy marriage with the 
 maid of Nazareth?" said Alta. 
 
 Panthera started, surprised. 
 
 "How did'st thou know of that?" he asked. 
 
 "I tell thee, I know everything of thy movements," 
 reiterated Alta. "From the time of thy betrothal thou 
 hast been under the constant, watchful observation of 
 my servant. Thy marriage, at Nazareth, was well 
 nigh more than my soul could bear. At that time I had 
 less power with the king else would'st thou not have 
 accomplished thy desire." 
 
 Panthera dashed his hand across his face. Tears of 
 fond love, of hopeless yearning, for Mary of Nazareth, 
 stood thickly under his heavy eyelids. He brushed 
 them away. The unexpected mention of the relation 
 he bore the maid was more than his overwrought heart 
 could endure. 
 
 "Then thou wilt be gracious," he said. "Pity for 
 a sister, one whom thou, thyself, know'st is the best, 
 the noblest, the truest of earth, shall find a place in thy 
 heart. Even now, the dawn of motherhood brings 
 her fresh longing for the husband whom she blesses. 
 See on my knees I plead with thee. Thou hast power, 
 thou can'st restore me to my wife. Without her, my 
 arms are henceforth empty. Thou can'st do this thing. 
 Place thy servant under a never ending obligation to 
 thy goodness and generousity. A life of service shall 
 bind me to thy fortunes. We both shall pray for thy
 
 The Sorceress. 285 
 
 prosperity; shall heap blessings upon thy head; our 
 child shall be taught to enshrine thee as a benefactress. 
 Respect and honor shall take the place of that which 
 thy unworthy servant hath kindled in thy bosom. 
 When fortune's fickle hand shall be withdrawn from 
 thee, I will render thee the strong comfort and protec- 
 tion of a brother. When the day of adversity and sor- 
 row comes upon thee, I shall bear its burden. Upon me 
 it shall fall and not on thee. Do not turn away ! Give 
 me thine answer !" 
 
 Alta turned from the impassioned face; put out her 
 hand, as if to ward off .the unwelcome pleading. 
 
 "I will never assist thee!" she said deliberately.
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 ANTONIA AND OBLIVION. 
 
 This answer, delivered in a steely tone, carried con- 
 vincing proof, to the mind of the soldier, that the 
 woman would not turn from her purpose. He remem- 
 bered that every effort on his part to bring the con- 
 versation to the matter uppermost in his thoughts, and 
 nearest to his heart, had been skillfully parried and 
 diverted. To sue for mercy, or hope for favor, would 
 be equally futile. 
 
 Panthera rose to his feet, drew his form to its full 
 "height and waited. 
 
 "Dost thou think me cruel, in that I decline to lend 
 assistance that would crush my dearest hopes?" Alta 
 questioned. 
 
 "Thou can'st have no hope in this matter," replied 
 Panthera. "I am the loyal husband of one true woman." 
 
 Alta's eyes fastened on the face of the man before 
 "her. For the allegiance he had sworn to another, she 
 would have given life itself. In the beginning of the 
 interview she determined that he should foreswear his 
 vows; that she alone would be the possessor of his 
 love. Now she brought herself to make a proposition 
 that would have been beyond consideration before. 
 
 "It is not an unheard of thing for a man to have more 
 than one wife. It is the rule is it not?" 
 
 For the first time a shade of contempt passed across 
 the set features of the soldier. 
 
 286
 
 Antonia and Oblivion. 287 
 
 "I have been a plain, simple man," he said, "and 
 I have not cared to inquire into such matters." 
 
 "There is no law in Rome, or among the Hebrews, 
 denying thee the right to take to thyself another wife," 
 cried Alta vehemently. 
 
 "I am not versed in the law pertaining to these 
 things," responded Panthera. "Knowledge of my own 
 heart prompts me to say, there is only one woman who 
 shall rule and control it, and she is already my wife." 
 
 The eyes of Alta Gatzor quailed before the steadfast 
 gaze of the incorruptible man. Mortification and shame 
 took hold of her, and her courage faltered. Then she 
 remembered her power and returned once more to her 
 purpose. 
 
 "Cains Panthera, beware!" she exclaimed angrily. 
 "Thinkest thou I will brook the spurning of niy friendly 
 overtures ?" 
 
 "If thou wert friendly, thou would'st act friendly," 
 he said sadly. 
 
 "Never one word of consideration, or commiser- 
 ation, hast thou bestowed upon me," Alta cried bitterly. 
 "Like every other, of thy sex, thou art supremely sel- 
 fish." 
 
 "Unkindness and injustice characterize thy charge," 
 was the cold reply. "Far be it from me to injure thee 
 or cause thee pain. I have offered thee all within my 
 power to give." 
 
 "I refused and spurned thine offer of friendship. 
 I do so again." 
 
 She paused, all the tense, drawn lines of her face 
 melted into sweetness, the wide, dark eyes filled with an 
 expression of unutterable love; in an abandon of 
 misery, she threw herself at his feet, twining her bare 
 arms about his knees.
 
 288 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "Do not turn me away !" she sobbed. "Let me be thy 
 slave ! Thy needs shall be anticipated ; thy wants sup- 
 plied. I am rich. All I own is at thy disposal. Thou 
 art all the world to me. Do not spurn me. Do not 
 remain so silent. Speak ! Speak ! Tell me that I may 
 find a place in thine heart." 
 
 Panthera stooped to the weeping woman, lifted her 
 to her feet. In a paroxysm of passion she flung her- 
 self on his breast. Clasping her arms about his neck, 
 she rained kisses upon his face, calling him every dear 
 name as she clung closer to him. 
 
 To the astonished soldier this demonstration was a 
 revelation. He looked into the upturned face of Alta. 
 The clear olive skin glowed with excitement, and her 
 eyes glittered with the intensity of her desperation. 
 
 Panthera forcibly pushed her from him, held her at 
 arm's length in an iron grasp. 
 
 "For the sake of heaven, what would'st thou?" he 
 demanded. "Art thou lost to all shame? Hast thou 
 forgotten thy self respect thy father thy mother! 
 Let us part. We must do so. Summon thy servant 
 to conduct me hence." 
 
 Alta shook off his restraining hands. With a mighty 
 effort she governed her shaking voice. 
 
 "Never !" she declared. "Never ! Thou shalt remain 
 of thy free will, or against it, as thou shalt choose." 
 
 "Thou art mad," he said. "Calm thyself. Let this 
 be forgotten; never mentioned in the future. Let me 
 forget that I ever came here. Do so thyself. Again 
 I say I swear I will be to thee a brother a pro- 
 tector !" 
 
 "Thou art a fool," hissed the woman, forgetting her- 
 self. "I have weighed this matter carefully." 
 
 She stepped backward to the couch, where she had
 
 Antonia and Oblivion. 289 
 
 reclined, and sank upon it as though exhausted. With 
 a fixed stare she regarded the man. Anger and hatred 
 mingled in the baleful look, so swiftly had her feelings 
 undergone transition. Her love had been scorned ; the 
 temptation of riches had been offered without avail. 
 Place, power and grandeur were no object to this extra- 
 ordinary man ; from her charms he had recoiled in aver- 
 sion even threats were lost upon him. It was too late 
 to turn back, had she so desired ; he should not escape ; 
 there could be no compromise between them. Here- 
 after they must be enemies, at least it would be so upon 
 her part. She would not fail in her endeavors; he 
 should be humbled, made to realize her might. 
 
 Panthera turned, as if to leave the apartment. Her 
 voice arrested his movement at the first step. 
 
 "Thou would'st carry from my presence the story of 
 my love; the crime of a woman's heart against the 
 modesty of her nature. Perhaps, among thy comrades, 
 thou wilt make boast of thy powers ; to while away an 
 idle hour, thou wilt recount thy victory." 
 
 The venomous insinuation stung the soldier to the 
 quick. 
 
 "Not for worlds would I breathe a word of this 
 scene," he cried in swift indignation; "no, not even 
 to my dearer self, the woman of my choice. I can 
 trust that time will make us understand each other bet- 
 ter, that thou wilt forgive the soldier, and forget that 
 he ever crossed thy path or give up thine unholy pas- 
 sion, and regard him as thy friend." 
 
 He had meant to be generous, and Alta was con- 
 vinced of his sincerity, but the mention of Mary 
 crushed whatever of pity 'might have been left in the 
 breast of the woman ; it sealed his doom. 
 
 Henceforth Alta would be a demon, controlled by
 
 290 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 embittered hate, the root of murder. Panthera instinc- 
 tively knew this as he looked into her face, observed 
 the dark, leaden shade that suffused her features, and 
 gave to her beauty a tinge of malignant fury. 
 
 "Listen," she said in a low, dangerously steady tone, 
 "to the last word of the woman whom thou hast dared 
 to thwart whom thou dost despise. I have power to 
 cast thee off, to destroy thine every prospect and, af 
 last, to take thy life. An hour ago, I loved thee. Now 
 I hate, abhor thee. The earth is not large enough to 
 hold us both." 
 
 "Surely thou would'st not have my blood upon 
 thee!" exclaimed Panthera, horrified. "Thou know'st 
 not what thou art saying. Thou art tormented by 
 fear ; consumed by rage. When the gentle soothing of 
 sleep shall have lulled thee to forgetfulness, thou wilt 
 arise with better, nobler thoughts. Cease this war of 
 words. Let thy servant return to his place among men. 
 If he may not count on thee as his friend, at least give 
 him the privilege of forgetting that he ever looked 
 upon thy face. I will go hence. No doubt, I shall find 
 my way unassisted." 
 
 He moved peremptorily toward the door, when, as 
 he was about to lay his hand against the panel, his arms 
 were grasped and he found himself irresistibly forced 
 back to the place where he had been standing. 
 
 The soldier recognized the two Ethiopian atten- 
 dants. No sound had betrayed their entrance, or 
 signified from whence they came, or the means used to 
 summon them to the presence of their mistress. Not 
 a word was uttered, they simply held Panthera, in 
 relentless grasp, before the place where Alta reclined, a 
 bitter smile of triumph on her handsome lips. 
 
 The wrath of the soldier was aroused. He could not
 
 Antonia and Oblivion. 291 
 
 submit quietly to the outrage. With a superhuman 
 effort he threw his hands up and, dexterously thrusting 
 them forward, brought his assailants violently against 
 each other. Their heads struck together, and they stag- 
 gered from the blinding contact. 
 
 Taking advantage of their momentary bewilderment, 
 Panthera reached for his trusty short sword, only to 
 discover that it was gone ; had been extracted from the 
 scabbard, probably as he waited in the dark entry before 
 ascending the stairway. This was a sore disappoint- 
 ment. Armed with this weapon, he would have had no 
 fear of the outcome between himself and the two dis- 
 comfited brutes. As it was, he knew he would be under 
 serious disadvantage should they attempt further 
 assaults. 
 
 The attendants recovered themselves, and looked first 
 at each other, then glared at the soldier, who was 
 slowly moving toward the opposite wall. They glanced 
 at Alta, the same smile of unconcern curved the line 
 of her mouth, but she did not speak. 
 
 The slaves lost no time, but rushed upon Panthera 
 with the evident intention of seizing him before he 
 could reach the position of advantage he was seeking. 
 As the foremost reached the soldier, he received a blow, 
 followed by a kick, that completely whirled him off his 
 feet, and, at the same time, hindered his burly com- 
 panion from advancing to a place that would allow 
 him to render assistance. Before the dazed eunuch 
 gathered himself for another attack, Panthera seized a 
 heavy stone pedestal. Striking, right and left, he soon 
 leveled the two huge specimens of humanity to the 
 floor. With the unwieldy weapon, in his hand, he 
 dashed through the door into the hall followed by the
 
 292 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 two desperate and bleeding retainers. In the dark- 
 ness a fierce and protracted struggle ensued. 
 
 Alta did not stir; she could not have done so. She 
 listened to the sounds of the unequal conflict with vary- 
 ing emotions. She admired the fearless courage of the 
 soldier and could not suppress the sympathy and con- 
 cern that welled within her, as she longed to know of 
 his welfare, neither could she forgive his refusal to 
 listen to her appeals. 
 
 The order had been given, the eunuchs would cer- 
 tainly obey. She heard the hastily approaching foot- 
 steps of the other retainers ; knew that Costa would soon 
 come to the assistance of the Ethiopians. No cry for 
 mercy came from the dark hallway. He would be 
 overcome, and then she staggered to her feet, swayed 
 fell back against the couch. 
 
 Presently she became aware that lights had been 
 procured ; that her servants were on hand to render aid 
 to each other. She could no longer endure the sus- 
 pense. 
 
 Rushing into the hall, she was in time to see Pan- 
 thera lift one of the black men bodily and hurl him 
 headlong down the stairs, while Costa, stealing up 
 behind the devoted soldier, dealt him a treacherous 
 blow with a bludgeon that felled him. The marble 
 balustrade saved him from death on the stone floor 
 below, as he rolled half way down the stairs after the 
 luckless eunuch. Panthera was the helpless prisoner of 
 Costa, and Alta Gatzor. 
 
 The victim was securely bound forthwith so that it 
 would be impossible for him to offer further resistance. 
 Alta watched these preparations coldly. At a sign from 
 her the servants, awe stricken and wondering, lifted
 
 Antonia and Oblivion. 293 
 
 the body of the black slave and silently carried it from 
 sight. 
 
 Again Alta looked upon the face that had been her 
 undoing. It was more beautiful, in the repose of uncon- 
 sciousness, than she could have guessed. A wave of 
 pitying love surged over her. She battled for mastery 
 of her emotions, spoke a low word to Costa and van- 
 ished within her apartment. 
 
 Almost tenderly did the rascally minion apply restor- 
 atives to his charge. He ran to the outer door and set 
 it widely ajar, that the cool night wind might fan the 
 temples of the unconscious soldier. Slowly the life- 
 blood coursed back through the benumbed brain of 
 Panthera, a wave of feverish color trembled in his 
 face. The strong arms, of Costa, lifted the prostrate 
 man to his feet and supported him. 
 
 The cowl had been re-adjusted; the long flowing 
 garment re-arranged. When Panthera opened his eyes 
 he saw the same figure that had lead the way to this 
 dread rendezvous. 
 
 "Thou must follow me," said Costa, from beneath 
 the cowl. 
 
 "Lead on," answered Panthera, "any place is pre- 
 ferable to within these walls." 
 
 The chill of the gray dawn refreshed the weary sol- 
 dier. He walked, for a time, unheeding the direction. 
 Suddenly he knew, that close behind him, moved other 
 forms, silent, unobtrusive, but there doubtless to assist 
 his guide, should occasion require. 
 
 They were moving toward the prison, Antonia. The 
 captive pressed his hand to his throbbing brow, a 
 delirium seized his senses. The outer door of the awful 
 prison opened. He saw only the portal of Mary's home 
 at Nazareth he passed within the guide bent toward
 
 294 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 him and whispered : 
 
 "I warned thee once to 'beware.' " 
 
 Panthera started, realized his situation. 
 
 "I remember thee," he said. "It was at the north 
 gate." 
 
 The man in the cowl nodded. 
 
 "Farewell !" he muttered. The dismal clank of bolts 
 was heard, and the ponderous door shut Caius Panthera 
 in and the world out forever.
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 EGYPT, INDIA A VISION. 
 
 Time swung along, on the weary wing of expect- 
 ancy, for Mary at Nazareth. Hope changed to des- 
 pondency that bordered on despair, as she waited for 
 the one who never returned. Alive or dead, he came 
 not. Her heart ached, and her soul yearned in anxious, 
 suffering suspense, for the comfort of the man she 
 adored, the father of her unborn child. 
 
 His absence, at this time, was a great affliction, the 
 calamity of her life, for which there was no consolation. 
 Her faith, in his constancy, sustained her broken spirit 
 and saved the golden thread, binding her to life and 
 love, from snapping. 
 
 Patient, loving Joseph moved about his daily duties 
 in a sort of pre-occupied silence. When Mary was not 
 gazing at him, his looks dwelt upon her in pitying 
 commiseration. The pallor of his face was only equaled 
 by the pathetic whiteness of her own. The constrained, 
 troubled cast of his benign features, betrayed his deep 
 concern in the trial of his ward. 
 
 He knew not what had become of the soldier, and 
 now it had come to pass that he did not mention the 
 name of Panthera, unless it was first referred to by 
 Mary. Notwithstanding the most diligent inquiries, 
 and frequent trips to the city, he had been unable to 
 learn anything which might account for the mysterious 
 disappearance of Mary's husband. The friends of 
 
 295
 
 296 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 Panthera were also mystified, they could only wonder 
 and surmise the worst. 
 
 Another source of pain and mortification entered 
 into the life of the sensitive Mary. The women of the 
 place, not knowing the facts, were not slow in divin- 
 ing evil and insinuating wrong. This being the rule, 
 time out of mind, they were, to some extent, blame- 
 less. What else could they think ? They had not been 
 called into the confidence of Mary and Joseph; no 
 explanations had been forthcoming from any source. 
 As a consequence, their curiosity was naturally 
 aroused, and their suspicions, fomented by gossip and 
 scandal, placed upon the acute edge of inquiry. 
 
 As time precluded further concealment of the deli- 
 cate condition of Mary, these dames looked their vir- 
 tuous horror, shook their heads, and remarked : 
 
 "We knew it ! We told thee so !" 
 
 Thus went up a chorus of righteous indignation, the 
 refrain, of which, penetrated the isolation, and reached 
 the ear of Mary, whose burden was already more than 
 she had strength to bear. Yet, did she not complain, 
 or murmur at her lot. She could still afford to suffer 
 reproach, if need be, rather than divide her secret with 
 any, without his permission and sanction. 
 
 Panthera had thought it wise, not dreaming that the 
 separation would be for more than a fortnight, to 
 leave the matter of the marriage unknown, lest the king, 
 in his unreasonable prejudice, might refure the release 
 from service, to the husband of Joachim's daughter 
 she would wait. 
 
 Again it was spring in Judea. A year, or thereabouts, 
 had passed since the eventful morning when Panthera, 
 the Roman soldier, came into the camp of Joachim with 
 his warning from the sister of the king.
 
 Egypt, India A Vision. 297 
 
 On the pastures of Galilee the shepherds were tend- 
 ing their flocks, and the day closed in, with peace and 
 quietness reigning in all the region round about 
 Nazareth. 
 
 Night came to Mary a night of darkness and the 
 shadow of death. She entered the gates of dissolu- 
 tion, and in sorrow and travail, brought forth a son. 
 
 The mid-wife came because she saw a brightness 
 about the cottage, and she wondered whereof it shone. 
 This woman's hands were light, her movements prompt 
 and efficient, and her presence soothing. She it was, 
 who fanned back her sister into life, and comforted her 
 with the whispered story of a man born into the world. 
 Mary forgot her agony for joy and held the precious 
 babe close to her breast, murmuring endearing mes- 
 sages to the innocent newcomer concerning the father 
 not there to share with her, in the unspeakable delirium 
 'of pleasure. 
 
 Joseph was nigh through all the distress of the night. 
 He heard the music of the child's first cry, and it fell 
 upon his ear as never sound had done before. The 
 appeal of that wailing voice touched the innermost 
 depths of his soul. His heart went out to the defense- 
 less creature, and he loved the babe and made him wel- 
 come. 
 
 When the mother had fallen into deep slumber, 
 Joseph set out again toward Jerusalem. To bring the 
 soldier home, to restore him to the wife and com- 
 plete her happiness was his mission. The gray dawn 
 saw his departure, and the dusk of evening shadowed 
 the white cottage when he returned. 
 
 Mary heard the sound of his entrance. She turned 
 her wan face, flushed and hopeful, toward the kindly 
 man who approached her bedside.
 
 298 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 Joseph bent his head. 
 
 "I bring thee no knowledge of him," he said sadly. 
 "Among all those who knew him, not one could tell me 
 more than we already knew." 
 
 Mary did not speak. She turned her face away and, 
 under the long lashes of her closed eyes, Joseph saw the 
 tears stealing. That moment he made a vow unto the 
 Lord, that henceforth he would be to the child, a 
 father, so long as he should live. Should the soldier 
 never return, he would give the remainder of his life 
 to the adoration of the mother and the service and 
 love of her son. 
 
 "The Lord Almighty hear my vow, and keep me 
 faithful !" he exclaimed, smiting himself on the breast 
 and looking heavenward. A voice came back in imme- 
 diate answer : 
 
 "'Tis a covenant between thee and me. Remember 
 thy vow!" 
 
 Joseph was sore afraid, for he heard the voice, but 
 saw no person. When he came to himself he was aston- 
 ished, for there was none other in the house, except the 
 woman who waited upon Mary. 
 
 As the hours passed by, his affection grew for the 
 helpless stranger, who nestled so quietly in the arms of 
 his mother, and he again strengthened himself for the 
 new responsibility that had come to him. 
 
 On the eighth day the child was circumcised, and 
 dedicated to the service of the most high God. 
 
 Mary made a vow, that, if the child should be spared 
 to her, she would raise him in the fear of the Lord, and 
 in the knowledge of the law, from his youth up. In 
 this obligation Joseph voluntarily joined her, in the 
 synagogue, before Annas, the priest, who registered
 
 Egypt, India A Vision. 299 
 
 and witnessed these vows, as made by Mary and 
 Joseph. 
 
 It came to pass that Mary was again strong. Daily- 
 was she seen in the temple of God. In prayer and suppli- 
 cations, fastings and thanksgiving, the greater part of 
 her time was spent. 
 
 The child grew and waxed strong, a pride and com- 
 fort to his mother. Some of the other mothers in Israel 
 envied Mary the interesting child, who grew more beau- 
 tiful as the age of understanding dawned in his mind~ 
 
 About this time Mary had a vision, as she slept, 
 and, behold she saw the father of her child, and with 
 him other persons, whose raiment did shine with a 
 brightness as of the noonday sun. And an exceeding 
 great light filled the room wherein lay the babe and 
 his mother. Mary was not afraid, but welcomed the 
 heavenly visitors and hearkened unto their voices, giv- 
 ing heed to their words. 
 
 Above the couch where she rested, bent the beloved 
 face of Panthera. Eagerly she lifted the little one, that 
 the father might behold the perfection of his child, and, 
 a, she did so, she heard the music of the husband's 
 voice : 
 
 "Mary, my life, be not afraid. Comfort thyself 
 for I have seen thy sorrow and know of thy constancy. 
 Take our child and flee into Egypt, for there are those 
 who would take his young life." 
 
 At these words, spoken in the familiar tones, Mary 
 became frightened because of the warning. Grasping 
 the babe in her arms, she shrieked out in her excite- 
 ment, and instantly the vision faded. 
 
 Joseph rushed to the room, as did, also, others, hear- 
 ing^ the cry of the mother. When they were come into 
 the apartment where she was, they found her sitting
 
 300 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 upright, with the babe strained tightly to her bosom. 
 
 She requested all of them to leave her, save her 
 guardian. When they were all gone out, Mary told 
 Joseph all her vision and he was sore perplexed. He 
 looked at the woman in doubt fearing that her trouble 
 and weakness had unsettled her reason. But Mary per- 
 sisted in the assertion that she had seen the spirit of her 
 husband that she had received a message from him, 
 although she had been spellbound and amazed so that 
 she remained speechless in his presence and the pres- 
 ence of those messengers, whom she had seen in his 
 company. 
 
 Nevertheless, when Joseph had pondered the thing 
 Mary related, he counselled her not to mention the 
 vision to any other person. 
 
 And yet, in that very same night, Joseph, too, was 
 warned by an angel in a dream, to take the child and 
 his mother, and fly into Egypt, there to remain until 
 he should be commanded to return to Galilee. 
 
 Now Joseph was a devout man, and was not unmind- 
 ful of the heavenly message, but set about the matter 
 of his journey with all haste. 
 
 Afterward he, with Mary and her child, sojourned 
 in the land of Egypt. Joseph worked at his trade, of 
 contractor and builder, and was well regarded and 
 respected by the Egyptians, so long as he remained a 
 'stranger within their gates.' 
 
 The little family lived in the humble manner befitting 
 their straightened circumstances 'for nothing of 
 Mary's rightful fortune had been recovered all of 
 Joachim's wealth having been absorbed into the coffers 
 of Herod and the young child and his mother were 
 entirely dependent upon the care and means of the faith- 
 ful Joseph.
 
 Egypt, India A Vision. 301 
 
 When they had been several months in the land of 
 Egypt, they were one day seated at the door of their 
 tent, at the going down of the sun. 
 
 Across the space, before the humble abode, moved 
 the stately form of a priest from the temple of Isis. He 
 approached and bowed himself low before Mary and 
 her son, saying: 
 
 "Blessed woman. Peace be with thee." 
 
 Knowing the holy office of the man, by his garb, 
 Mary saluted the stranger with kindly greetings, and 
 Joseph did constrain him, beseeching him that he would 
 partake, with them, of the evening meal. Being per- 
 suaded, the priest tarried at the tent and ate of the 
 meal cake and the lamb that had been prepared by 
 Mary. 
 
 When the priest had been refreshed, he spoke to 
 Joseph and said : 
 
 "Behold, in thy servant, a man who is a worshiper of 
 the true God, a minister and teacher, a magician and 
 soothsayer, as were his fathers before him, time out of 
 mind, for many generations, since the time when Abra- 
 ham dwelt in this same land. 
 
 "'Fastings and prayers have been meat and drink to 
 thy servant since his earliest remembrance, and now, 
 the whiteness of age is upon him and the experience and 
 wisdom of years. Thrice hath an heavenly vision come 
 unto thy servant, commanding him to find one Mary 
 and her guardian, Israelites, sojourning in this country, 
 and bid them welcome to the temple of Isis, near by the 
 great and holy river of God. 
 
 "Thy servant remonstrated with the angel of the 
 vision saying : 'The land of Egypt is a domain of vast 
 extent, and where shall thy servant go to find such per- 
 sons among the many Israelites dwelling within its
 
 302 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 borders.' The answer was : Thy steps shall be ordered, 
 fear not !' I have never ceased from the quest. Answer 
 me truly, art thou the persons?" 
 
 "Surely it must be that we are those, whom thou dost 
 seek," replied Joseph, astonished. "This is Mary, my 
 ward, and this child is her son." 
 
 "Shalt thou be inclined to visit the temple?" inquired 
 the priest. 
 
 "Surely we will." It was Mary who answered, Joseph 
 seeming to reflect. 
 
 "Then thou wilt follow me, for the Gods have a mes- 
 sage for thee." 
 
 Forthwith, the magician went out of the tent, fol- 
 lowed by Joseph, and Mary. When they were come 
 unto a temple nigh the river Nile, the priest entered, and 
 bade them follow fearlessly. 
 
 The huge pillars, supporting the massive structure 
 were everywhere ornamented with beautiful carvings 
 of symmetrical perfection. 
 
 Mary and Joseph observed the quaint and curious 
 objects cut from the solid rock; the perpetual fires that 
 burned on the altars ; the priests ministering to strange 
 gods and the attendants running to and fro with tem- 
 ple messages. They heard the tinkle of silver bells and 
 the monotonous chant of the singers. Awe and rever- 
 ence filled them, as these secret rites were exposed, and 
 they followed the priest expectantly, until the door of an 
 inner chamber closed, shutting out all the sounds of the 
 temple, and enveloping them in complete darkness. 
 
 The priest guided them to a seat and bade them be 
 at rest. The child had fallen asleep, but, in the uncer- 
 tainty of their surroundings, Joseph did not relin- 
 quish his hold, keeping the tender body of the infant 
 closely in his arms.
 
 Egypt, India A Vision. 303 
 
 In the black silence a voice spoke to Mary, in her own 
 tongue : 
 
 "Mary of Nazareth, daughter of Joachim, fear not. 
 Thy sorrow hath come up before us. Be of good cheer. 
 We are here to comfort thee, and strengthen thee for 
 the work that is given thee to do. What thine ears shall 
 hear and thine eyes behold, treasure up in thine heart 
 against the time to come." 
 
 A sudden beam, as though lightning had shot across 
 the space, illuminated the obscurity. 
 
 Mary and Joseph had time to catch sight of a form, 
 in the similitude of a man, whose hair was white and 
 fell in silken waves upon his neck, whose body was 
 clothed in linen, and whose loins were girded with 
 fine gold. His face did shine, like unto the sun, and 
 his eyes were as lamps of fire, while his arms and feet 
 were, in color, like unto polished brass. 
 
 The apparition was seen, but for an instant, when 
 the darkness again fell upon them and became blacker 
 than before. 
 
 Joseph still clasped the child, but he dared not stand 
 in the presence of the holy one, he had seen in the bright 
 light. He prostrated himself on the floor. Yet, Mary 
 was upheld by a strength, new to her, that seemed to 
 permeate all her being. 
 
 Immediately she was conscious that the gloom was 
 gradually disappearing. A halo of light came softly 
 before her sight and then a brilliancy that rendered the 
 most minute object visible. 
 
 She beheld the priest slowly arising from the floor. 
 He beckoned her forward, and she unhesitatingly fol- 
 lowed toward the spot where the beautiful vision had 
 stood. From beyond, echoing among the vaulted 
 recesses came a melodious voice, clear and tender :
 
 304 Joachim's Daughter. 
 
 "Mary, blessed among women, wife of Panthera, the 
 beloved, thou art welcome. Thrice hast thou been 
 blessed in thy lineage, in thy marriage, and in the 
 fruit of thy womb. Henceforth, take good courage, be 
 strong for in thy son, shall all the nations of the earth 
 be crowned with glory, and honor, and peace. Return 
 again to thine own land, for they that sought the life 
 of the child are dead. When thy son shall have come 
 to the age of twelve years, thou shalt deliver him to the 
 Magi of India. They will instruct him in all the mys- 
 teries, and in the way of godliness, until he shall arrive 
 at the time when he shall enter upon his mission and 
 priesthood." 
 
 Mary gave heed to these words with understanding, 
 and she looked with new joy into the face of her child 
 because of what she had heard. 
 
 So it came to pass that, afterwards, Joseph and 
 Mary returned to Galilee, where Joseph again worked 
 diligently at his trade and did truly fulfill his vow, 
 made unto the Lord devoting all the rest of his life 
 to the comfort and adoration of the child and his 
 mother; while Mary kept all these revelations and 
 pondered them in her heart. 
 
 THE END.
 
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