CHAPTER XVII.
DEPARTED.
When Zarah, trembling and pale, after her interview with Lycidas, fledto the apartment of Hadassah, she left her water-jar behind her at thespring. The sight of her grandmother, stretched on her low couch, withher eyes closed, and her lips parched and dry, recalled to theremembrance of the poor young maiden the errand for which she hadquitted her side.
"The water! the water!" exclaimed Zarah, striking her brow. "She musthave it. But oh! I dare not--I dare not go back; for nothing on earthcould I go through that terrible struggle again!"
As Zarah stood on the threshold, in a state of painful indecision, toher great relief she heard the voice of Anna below, and called to herto bring up the jar of water which she would find at the fountain.Anna quickly obeyed, and came up the stairs laden, not only with thecooling fluid, but with ripe fruit and vegetables, which she hadbrought from Jerusalem--the white mulberry and the nebeb, with earlyfigs, cucumbers, and a melon.
Very grateful was the supply to Hadassah; but more refreshing by farthan the draught of cold water were the tidings which Anna had broughtfrom the city. The Jewess was full of eagerness to a impart herglorious news.
"I saw them myself--Giorgias and his horsemen--jaded, crestfallen, asthey rode through the streets," cried Anna. "I marvel that they daredshow their faces: they had not so much as crossed weapons with ourconquering heroes!"
"Or they had not lived to tell the tale," exclaimed Hadassah, to whomthe news of the victory at Emmaus seemed to give new energy and life.
"We dared not clap our hands and shout," continued the Jewish servant;"but there is not a Hebrew child that is not wild with joy. We blessedthe name of Maccabeus, though we could only breathe it in whispers."
"But a day is coming when the welkin shall ring with that name, and thewalls of Jerusalem echo back the sound," cried Hadassah. "Oh, mychild!" she continued, glancing joyfully at Zarah, "there will be athankful celebration of the Passover to-morrow. The Lord is givingdeliverance to His chosen, even as He once did from the power of thehaughty Pharaoh."
"It must be a very quiet keeping of the Feast," observed Anna, shakingher head. "It is said that King Antiochus is raging like a bear robbedof her whelps at the flight of Nicanor and the disgraceful retreat ofGiorgias. A courier has ridden off, post-haste, bearer of despatchesfrom the king to Lycias, the regent of the western provinces."
"Is it known what the despatches contain?" asked Hadassah.
"It is reported in the city," said Anna, "that Lycias is to raise amore mighty and terrible army than any that has swept the countrybefore--more mighty than those led by Apollonius, Seron, or Nicanor.King Antiochus has sworn by all his false gods that he will destroy theAsmoneans root and branch."
"What God hath planted, who shall root up? what God prospers, whoshall destroy?" cried Hadassah. "Thinks Antiochus Epiphanes that hehath power to strive against the Lord?"
"He has terrible power to use against man," said Anna, who had a lesscourageous spirit than her mistress. "Sharper measures than ever, itis said, are to be taken to put down our secret worship. Woe unto themwho are found keeping the Passover to-morrow! It will be done untothem, as it was done to Solomona and her sons."
"Would that God would give me strength to attend the holy Feast!" criedHadassah, on whom the idea of danger following its celebration appearedto act as a stimulant; "no fear of man should keep me away. But He whowithholds the power accepts the will of His servant."
"I will go with my uncle Abishai," said Zarah.
"To rejoice and give thanks," cried Hadassah.
But Zarah's sinking heart could not respond to any accents of joy. Shebowed her head on he clasped hands, and faintly murmured,--
"To pray for you, for myself, and--"
No human ear could catch the word which pale lips inaudibly framed.
"Go to our young Greek guest, Anna," Hadassah. "Bear to him some ofthis ripe, cooling fruit, and tell him of the triumphs of Judas.Though Lycidas be but a heathen," she added, as her handmaiden quittedthe apartment to do her bidding, "he has a soul to admire, if he cannotemulate, the lofty deeds of our heroes."
In a brief space of time Anna returned to the upper room, with alarmand surprise depicted on her face.
"I can nowhere find the Greek lord," she exclaimed. "He has made hisescape from the house. There is nothing left but his mantle, and thathad fallen near the spring."
Hadassah glanced inquiringly at Zarah. But the maiden betrayed nosurprise, uttered no word. She only trembled a little, as if fromcold; for the sultry heat of Nisan seemed to her suddenly to havechanged to the chill of winter. Hadassah made little observation onthe flight of Lycidas until Anna had again quitted the apartment, whenthe widow lady said abruptly,--
"It was strange to leave without a word of farewell, a word of thanks,after having been for months treated as a guest, almost as a son!"
Zarah, with her cold, nervous fingers, was unconsciously engaged intearing the edge of her veil into a fringe.
"If I were not uneasy regarding the safety of Abishai," resumedHadassah--
But here, for the first time in her life, Zarah, with an appearance ofimpatience, interrupted the speech of her revered relative.
"Have no fear for Abishai," cried the maiden, raising her head, andthrowing back the long tresses which, from her drooping position, hadfallen over her pallid face. "Have no fear for Abishai," she repeated."The Greek will never repay your generous hospitality by revenging hisprivate injuries upon your son. I can answer for his forbearance."
"You are right, my child," said Hadassah, tenderly. "I did Lycidas awrong by expressing a doubt. Abishai is secure in his silence; and,such being the case, I believe--nay, I feel assured--that, it is betterthat we harbour the stranger here no longer. I am thankful thatLycidas has left us though his manner of departing seem somewhatchurlish."
Was Zarah thankful also? Perhaps she was, though a miserable voidseemed to be left in young heart, which she felt that nothing couldever fill up. More an orphan than the fatherless and motherless, moredesolate than the widow, loving and beloved, yet--save for one sick andaged woman--alone in the world, it seemed to Zarah that a slight tiebound her to life, and that even that tie was gradually breaking. Onthe eve of that day of sore trial, the spring behind the dwelling hadquite dried up: not a single drop gushed forth from the hill to revivethe fading oleanders.
Just before sunset a laden mule was driven to the door of Hadassah'shumble retreat. It was led by Joab, a Jew who had in former years beenservant to the lady, and who had been one of those who had bravelyassisted in digging the grave of the martyrs. His presence, therefore,in that unfrequented spot excited no alarm.
"Anna," said he, addressing the handmaid who stood in the doorway (forhe knew her by name), "help me to unload my mule; and do you bear whatI bring to your mistress."
"From whence comes all this?" asked Anna, with no small curiosity.
"I met to-day," replied Joab, "the same stranger whom we caught lurkingamidst the olives on the night of the burial of Solomona--(that wasnigh being his last night upon earth!) He looked ghastly, as ifhimself new risen from the grave, and scarcely able to drag his stepsalong. I helped to raise him on my mule, and it bore him to a house inthe city which he mentioned. I doubt whether the Gentile recognizedme--his mind seemed to be strangely wandering--till I asked him wherehe had been since we had met by moonlight under a tree; and then hestarted, and looked fixedly into my face. He knew me, and did notforget that I had been one to spare his life by stepping over thespear," continued the muleteer, with a grim smile. "The Gentile is notungrateful. I suppose that he remembered that he owed a debt inanother quarter also, for he bade me return in a few hours; and when Idid so, charged me to bear these things to the dwelling of the LadyHadassah--ay, and gave me this purse of silver for her handmaid."
"The Lord Lycidas has a noble heart! Would that he were a son ofAbraham!" exclaimed the delighted Anna, as she re
ceived the gift of theGreek. With mingled curiosity and pleasure Anna then carried up whatJoab had brought to the housetop, on which the Hebrew ladies were thensitting, for the sake of the cooling breeze of even. At the bidding ofHadassah, Anna removed the outer wrappings which enclosed what Lycidashad sent, and drew forth a store of goodly gifts, selected withexquisite taste--graceful ornaments, embroidery in gold, the lamp ofdelicate workmanship, the mirror of polished steel. Anna could notforbear uttering exclamations of admiration; but Hadassah and hergrand-daughter looked on in grave silence, until a scroll was handed tothe former, which she opened and read aloud.
"With these worthless tokens of remembrance, accept the deep gratitudeof one who has learned in a few too brief months under your roof morethan he could elsewhere have learned in a life-time, of the loftinessof faith and the heroism of virtue."