CHAPTER XXVII.
FLIGHT.
It was with a strange sense of happiness mingling with fear that Zarahfollowed her father out of the apartment which had been her place ofconfinement. The blessing of Abner lay so warm at the heart of hisdaughter! Zarah was no longer like one peering into depths of darknessto catch a glimpse of some terrible object below; she had discoveredwhat she had sought, and by the cords of love was, as it were, drawingup a perishing parent into security and light. It was rapture to Zarahto reflect on what would be the joy of Hadassah on the restoration ofher son. The maiden could rejoice in past perils, and, with a couragewhich surprised herself, confront those before her; so clearly couldshe now perceive that her sufferings had been made a means of blessingto those whom she loved.
With a light, noiseless step, Zarah, obeying the directions of hernewly-found parent, and keeping his form in sight, crossed the firstcourt which they had to traverse. It was paved, surrounded by pillars,and open to the sky, of which the deep azure was paling into morning.The place was perfectly silent. Zarah observed that her father glancedup anxiously towards the building which formed the south side of thecourt, where marble pillars, with wreathed columns and richly carvedcapitals, supported a magnificent frieze. Antiochus himself occupiedthat part of the palace. But no eye peered forth at that early hour onthe forms that glided over the marble-paved court below.
Under the shadow of the colonnade now reached, Pollux awaited hisdaughter;--the first point of danger was happily passed. Pollux nowpointed to a broad, covered passage to the right, lighted by lamps, ofwhich some had already burnt out, and others were flickering. Zarahsaw at the further end forms of men dimly visible. The guards, wearywith the long night-watch, were apparently sleeping; for they appearedto be half sitting, half reclining on the pavement, and perfectly still.
Zarah had now to go first, and with a throbbing heart the maidenapproached the soldiers, breathing an inaudible prayer, for she feltthe peril to be very great. The passage at the end of which the guardskept ward opened into one of the small gardens which adorned theinterior of the extensive edifice, with a tank in the centre, fromwhich a graceful fountain usually rose from a statuary group of marble,representing Niobe and her children. The fountain was not playing atthis hour, and there was not light sufficient to throw the shadow ofthe statues upon the still water below.
It was impossible to reach the garden without passing between the twoguards. Zarah could not tell whether they were indeed sleeping, andthe space left between them was scarcely sufficiently wide to admit ofher traversing it. Frightened, yet clinging to hope, Zarah, with herjar on her head walked slowly and cautiously on. Just as she wasgliding by the guards, one of them started and caught hold of her dress.
"Ha! slave, what mischief are you after at such an hour as this?"
"My lord has bidden me dip my jar in yon tank," said Zarah, in as calma tone as she could command.
"I trow your lord has heated himself with a stronger kind of drink, orhe would not need water to cool him now," said the Syrian, releasingZarah, who, wondering at her own success, rapidly hurried into thegarden. She almost forgot, in her haste to escape, that it was needfulto dip her jar into water, as she was still within view of the Syrian.The maiden had to turn back one or two steps, and bend over the brinkof the tank. Its cool waters refreshed her, as she dipped her slenderfingers therein.
"Now," thought Zarah, "there is a long dark passage to traverse--is iton the right or the left? I scarce can remember my father'sdirections; and a mistake now might be fatal both to him and to me.Oh, may Heaven direct me!"
As Zarah glanced anxiously on either side, she perceived to the left anarrow opening in the mass of buildings which enclosed the garden. Theopening was so utterly dark, that it looked to the trembling girl likethe mouth of a sepulchre, and she feared to enter into it. As Zarahstood hesitating, she could hear Pollux behind her giving the passwordto the sentries. His voice strengthened the courage of his daughter;it was a comfort to know that he was near. Quitting the garden, Zarahentered the gloomy passage. It was not quite so dark within as it hadappeared from without. The maiden could dimly distinguish a niche inthe wall, in which she deposited her jar, which could now only burdenher in her flight.
The passage along which Zarah was groping her way was one merelyintended as a back-way, along which slaves carrying viands or otherburdens might pass, though it was not unfrequently used by courtiersbound on secret errands. It conducted to a much wider passage orcorridor, which crossed it at right angles, and which led direct to apostern-door of the palace, by which four guards kept watch night andday. When Zarah reached the point where the smaller passage openedinto the larger, she became aware of the most formidable obstacle whichshe had yet had to encounter--the presence of these guards; and to theyoung fugitive the obstacle seemed insuperable. The door was stronglybolted, and the soldiers were wide awake; there appeared to the mind ofZarah not the smallest chance that they would unbar the door for her,or suffer her to pass.
The heart of the young fugitive sank within her. It was terrible to beso near to liberty, and yet have that impassable barrier between herand freedom! How formidable looked the deadly weapons of the soldiersas they gleamed in the waning torch-light; how stern the weather-beatencountenances of that warriors of Antiochus Epiphanes!
Zarah leaned against the wall of the dark narrow passage, and listenedfor the footsteps of her father behind her. She dared not venture outof the shadow into the lighted corridor. Presently Pollux was at herside; she felt his hand gently laid on her shoulder.
"All will be lost if you attempt to save me, father," murmured thetrembling girl. "Oh, go on without me--leave me to God's care; I cannever pass those guards."
"When I raise my hand, come forward and go forth," whispered Pollux.Not like a prisoner escaping, but with the firm tread of a man whodoubts not his right and power to go where he will, the courtier ofAntiochus strode into the corridor and advanced towards the guards, whosaluted, in Oriental fashion, a noble of high distinction, whose personwas familiar to them all.
"The word is 'The sword of Antiochus.' Unbar that door, and quickly; Iam on business of importance which brooks no delay," said Pollux to theguards in a tone of command.
The order was instantly obeyed. Zarah joyfully heard bolt after boltwithdrawn, and then the creaking of the door upon its hinges; and feltthe freshness of outer air admitted through the opening.
Pollux seemed to be about to pass out, when he suddenly raised hishand, as his appointed signal to his daughter. Zarah, gasping withbreathless anxiety, obeyed the sign, and glided forward to go forthfrom the palace. One of the soldiers, however, instantly barred herpassage with his weapon.
"Let the slave pass," said Pollux sternly.
The point of the guard's weapon was lowered; but another of thesoldiers was about to remonstrate. "It is against orders," he began,when Pollux interrupted him.
"Methinks you are one who served under me in the force of Giorgias,"observed the courtier, with presence of mind.
"Ay, my lord," answered the soldier.
"When we next see Maccabeus, we must come to closer quarters with him,"observed the noble. "Here, my brave men,"--he drew forth a purse heavywith gold--"share this among you, and drink success to the brave."
The soldiers could scarcely repress a shout at the unexpectedliberality of Pollux. Not one of them so much as looked at Zarah asshe glided forth into the open air.
Oh, transporting sense of liberty! How delicious was the breath ofearly morn on the fugitive's cheek; how glorious the open vault spreadabove her, blushing in the first light of dawn! Pollux experienced,though in a very inferior degree, some of the pleasure felt by hisdaughter, as he joined her on the broad marble steps which led downfrom the Grecian-built palace of Antiochus to the platform on which iterected.
"This way, my child," whispered Pollux, as drew Zarah in the directionof one of the high narrow streets of Jerusalem. "W
e must put as muchspace as possible between us and pursuers before sunrise. Would thatwe had started hours ago! Many dangers yet are before us."
One was nearer than the speaker was aware of. Scarcely had thefugitives entered the nearest street when they encountered a Syriancourtier, splendidly attired, whose unsteady gait betrayed in whatmanner he had been passing the night. More than half intoxicated as hewas, Lysimachus instantly recognized Pollux.
"Ha! whither bound?" exclaimed Lysimachus, standing, or ratherstaggering, in the narrow path directly in front of the fugitives.
"I give an account of my movements only to such as have a right todemand it," said Pollux haughtily, attempting to pass his rival, whileZarah kept close behind her father.
"The fox has caught sight of the trap--Pollux has found out that I holdhis death-warrant," cried Lysimachus; "and that his head must fall atsunrise!"
Pollux started at the words of his enemy.
"He is making his escape!" continued Lysimachus, in a louder voice;"he's falling off to the Hebrews! but this shall stop him!" and with aquick, unexpected movement, the Syrian plunged a dagger into the breastof Pollux, then himself fell heavily rolling over into the dust!Lysimachus had been struck down by a blow from the hand of Lycidas, whohad been but a few paces behind him!
Zarah had caught sight of the Greek, and of the venerated form ofHadassah at that momentous crisis; her eyes riveted on them, she hadnot seen the blow inflicted on her father, who, though mortallywounded, did not instantly fall. For Pollux also beheld his mother,and the sudden, unexpected vision of her from whom he had so long beendivided, seemed to have power to arrest even the hand of death. Parentand son met--they clasped--they locked each other in a first--a lastembrace!
"Oh, mother," exclaimed Zarah, "he has saved me; he is your own sonagain, devoted to his country--to his God!"
Did Hadassah hear the joyful exclamation? If she did not, it matteredbut little, for she had already grasped with ecstasy all that itsmeaning could convey; for the last sentence uttered by Lysimachus erehe fell had reached her ear. Her son--her beloved--was "falling awayto the Hebrews," or rather was returning to the faith which he once hadabjured; he was given back--he was saved from perdition--he wasrescuing his child from death and his mother from despair! Hadassah'smind had received all this, conveyed as it were in a lightning flash ofjoy. She needed to know no more;--her son was folded in her arms!
Pollux and Hadassah sank together on the paved way. The sight of a fewdrops of blood on the stones first startled Zarah into a knowledge thatLysimachus had inflicted an injury on her father.
"Oh, he is wounded!" she exclaimed, throwing herself on her kneesbeside him.
"Dead!" ejaculated Anna, who was vainly attempting to raise the head ofPollux.
"No--no--not dead! Oh, Lycidas!--Lycidas!" exclaimed Zarah in horror,intuitively appealing to the Athenian to relieve her from the terriblefear which Anna had raised.
"It is too true," said Lycidas sadly; for he could not look upon thecountenance of Pollux and doubt that life was extinct. "We must gentlyseparate the son from the arms of his mother."
But they who had been so long separated in life could not be separatedin death; man had now no power to divide them. Often had Hadassahthought that her heart would break with grief;--it had burst with joy!Her day of sorrow was over; her long Sabbath rest had begun. The happysmile which had lately played on her lips in sleep, now rested uponthem in that last peaceful slumber from which she should never againawake to weep. She had been given her heart's desire, and so haddeparted in peace. Blessed death; most joyful departure!