That night, watching from the roof of her house by the light of the fullmoon, Miriam saw Marcus ride away at the head of his band of soldiers.On the crest of a little ridge of ground outside the village he halted,leaving them to go on, and turning his horse's head looked backward.Thus he stood awhile, the silver rays of the moon shining on his brightarmour and making him a point of light set between two vales of shadow.Miriam could guess whither his eyes were turned and what was in hisheart. It seemed to her, even, that she could feel his loving thoughtplay upon her and that with the ear of his spirit he could catch theanswer of her own. Then suddenly he turned and was lost in the gloom ofthe night.
Now that he was gone, quite gone, Miriam's courage seemed to leave her,and leaning her head upon the parapet she wept tears that were soft butvery bitter. Suddenly a hand was laid upon her shoulder and a voice,that of old Nehushta, spoke in her ear.
"Mourn not," it said, "since him whom you lose in the night you may findagain in the daytime."
"In no day that dawns from an earthly sun, I fear me, Nou. Oh, Nou! hehas gone, and taken my heart with him, leaving in its place a throbbingpain which is more than I can bear."
"He will come back; I tell you that he will come back," she answered,almost fiercely; "for your life and his are intertwined--yes, to theend--a single cord bearing a double destiny. I know it; ask me not how;but be comforted, for it is truth. Moreover, though it be sharp, yourpain is not more than you can bear, else it would never be laid uponyou."
"But, Nou, if he does come back, what will it help me, who am built inby this strict command of them that begat me, to break through whichwould be to sin against and earn the curse of God and man?"
"I do not know; I only know this, that in that wall, as in others, adoor will be found. Trouble not for the future, but leave it in thehand of Him Who shapes all futures. Sufficient to the day is the evilthereof. So He said. Accept the saying and be grateful. It is somethingto have gained the love of such a one as this Roman, for, unless thewisdom which I have gained through many years is at fault, he is trueand honest; and that man must be good at heart who can be reared in Romeand in the worship of its gods and yet remain honest. Remember thesethings, and I say be grateful, since there are many who go through theirlives knowing no such joy, even for an hour."
"I will try, Nou," said Miriam humbly, still staring at the ridge whenceMarcus had vanished.
"You will try, and you will succeed. Now there is another matter ofwhich I must speak to you. When the Essenes received us it was solemnlydecreed that if you lived to reach the full age of eighteen years youmust depart from among them. That hour struck for you nearly a year ago,and, although you heard nothing of it, this decree was debated by theCourt. Now such decrees may not be broken, but it was argued that thewords 'full age of eighteen years,' meant and were intended to meanuntil you reached your nineteenth birthday; that is--in a month fromnow."
"Then must we go, Nou?" asked Miriam in dismay, for she knew no otherworld but this village in the desert, and no other friends than thesevenerable men whom she called her uncles.
"It seems so, especially as it is now guessed that Caleb fought theCaptain Marcus upon your account. Oh! that tale is talked of--for onething, the young wild-cat left a claw behind him which the gardenerfound."
"I trust then it is known also that the fault was none of mine. But,Nou, whither shall we go who have neither friends, nor home, nor money?"
"I know not; but doubtless in this wall also there is a door. If theworst comes to the worst, a Christian has many brothers; moreover, withyour skill in the arts you need never lack for a living in any greatcity in the world."
"It is true," said Miriam, brightening; "that is, if I may believeMarcus and my old master."
"Also," continued Nehushta, "I have still almost all the gold that thePhoenician Amram gave us when I fled with your mother, and added to itthat which I took from the strong box of the captain of the galley onthe night when you were born. So have no fear, we shall not want; norindeed would the Essenes suffer such a thing. Now, child, you are weary;go to rest and dream that you have your lover back again."