Hebrew Heroes: A Tale Founded on Jewish History
CHAPTER IV.
FOLLOWING BEHIND.
As he quitted that place of burial, which he had little expected toleave alive, Lycidas felt like one under an enchanter's spell. Joy atalmost unhoped-for escape from a violent death was not the emotionuppermost in his mind, and it became the less so with every step whichthe Athenian took from the olive-grove. Strange as the feelingappeared even to himself, the young poet could almost have wished thewhole scene acted over again, notwithstanding the painfully prominentpart which he had had to play in it. Lycidas would not have beenunwilling to have heard again the fierce cries and execrations, and tohave seen once more the flashing weapons around him, for the sake ofalso hearing the soft appeal, "Have mercy, spare him!" and to have hadanother glimpse of Zarah's form and face, as, with a halo of moonlightand loveliness around her, she dropped her tribute of living flowersinto the grave of the dead.
"These Hebrew women are not as the women of earth, but beings thatbelong to a higher sphere," thought Lycidas, as he pursued his waytowards the city. "That aged matron has all the majesty of a Juno, andthe maiden is fair as--nay, to which of the deities of Olympus could Icompare one so tender and so pure! Venus! the idea wereprofanation--chaste Dian with her merciless arrows--Pallas, terrible toher enemies? no! Strange that it should seem an insult to the women tocompare her to the goddess!"
Lycidas gazed upwards at the exquisite blue of that Eastern sky, andaround him at the fair landscape of hills and valleys calmly sleepingin moonlight. A thrilling sense of beauty pervaded his soul.
"Oh, holy and beneficent Nature," he murmured, "hast thou no voice toexplain to men through thy visible glories the mysteries of theinvisible! Dost thou not even now whisper to my soul, 'purity andgoodness are the attributes of Divinity, for they are stamped upon theworks of creation; and so must purity and goodness be the badge of theDivinity's true worshippers on earth!' There is a spirit stirringwithin the breast that echoes this voice of Nature, that repeats,'purity and goodness, not power and might, give the highest dignity tomortal or immortal!' But if it be so, if my hand have touched themighty veil which shrouds the truth from man's profane gaze, if I havea glimpse of the sacred mystery beyond, how far from that truth, inwhat a mist of error must all the nations of earth be wandering now!"Lycidas unconsciously slackened his steps, and raised his hand to hisbrow. "Perhaps not all," he reflected; "from what I hear it appearsthat this Hebrew nation, this handful of conquered people groaning inbondage, hold themselves to be the sole guardians of a faith which islofty, soul-ennobling, and pure. They deem themselves to be as abeacon on a hill set on high, throughout ages past, to show a darkworld that there is still light, and a light which shall yet overspreadthe earth as the waters cover the sea; those were the words ofHadassah. And she spake also of One who should come, One looked for bythe Jews, who shall bring judgment unto the Gentiles. Do the Hebrewshope for the advent of a Deity upon earth, or only that of a prophet?I would that I could see Hadassah again; and I will see her--I willnever give up the search for one who can guide unto knowledge; comewhat may, I will look upon her and on that beauteous maiden again!"
Absorbed as he was by such thoughts, there is little wonder that theyoung Athenian missed his way, and that he unconsciously wandered in adirection different from that which he had intended to take. Themoonlight also failed him, clouds had arisen, and only now and then afitful gleam fell on his path. Lycidas became at last uncertain evenas to the direction in which Jerusalem lay. The young Athenian wasweary, less from physical fatigue than from the effects of strongexcitement upon a sensitive frame. Sometimes he fancied now that heheard a stealthy step behind him, and stopped to listen, then feltassured that his senses must have deceived him, and went on his way,groping through the darkness. What a strange episode in his existencethat night appeared to the Greek--scarcely a mere episode, for itseemed to him that it absorbed into itself all the true poetry of hislife as regarded the past, and gave him new aspirations and hopes asregarded the future. To Lycidas the remembrance of his poeticaltriumph in the Olympic arena, the plaudits which had then filled hissoul with ecstatic delight, was little more than to a man is therecollection of the toys which amused his childhood. The Greek hadbeen brought face to face with life's grand realities, and what hadstrongly excited his ambition once, appeared to him now as shadows thatpass away.
"And yet," mused the young poet, "I would fain once more win the leafycrown, that I might lay it at Zarah's feet. But what would such atrophy of earthly distinction be to her? not worth one of the flowers,hallowed by her touch, which she cast into the martyrs' grave! Ha!again! I fancied that I heard a rustle of garments behind me! Howpowerful is the imagination, that mirage of the mind, that makes usfancy the existence of things that are not!"
Lycidas had now reached a part of the road which bordered an abruptdescent to the left, the hill along whose side the path wound appearingto have been scarped in this place, probably to leave wider space forsome vine-clad terrace below. Lights were gleaming in the fardistance, marking the position of the city in which the guests ofAntiochus, preceded by torch-bearers, were wending their way back totheir several homes. Sounds of wild mirth, from those reeling backfrom the revels, were faintly borne on the night breeze from thedistant streets.
Lycidas, however, when he reached the point whence the lights werevisible, was not left a moment either to gaze or to listen.
"Dog of a Gentile--I have you!" hissed a voice from behind; and Lycidaswas instantly engaged in a life or death hand-to-hand struggle withAbishai the Jew, who, as soon as he could steal away from hiscompanions at the grave, had followed and dogged the steps of theGreek. It was almost a hopeless struggle for the young Athenian; hisenemy surpassed him in strength of muscle and weight of body, wore adagger, and was determined to use it, though some wild sense of honourhad prevented Abishai from stabbing the unconscious youth withoutwarning, when he stole upon him from behind. But the love of life isstrong, and desperation gives almost supernatural power. Lycidas feltthe keen blade strike him once and again, he felt his blood gushingwarm from the wounds, he caught the arm uplifted to smite, withdespair's fierce energy he endeavoured to wrench the murderous weaponaway. The two men went wrestling, struggling, straining each sinew tothe utmost, drawing nearer, inch by inch, to the brink of the steepdescent. Abishai dropped his dagger in the struggle, and could notstoop to attempt to recover it in the darkness, but he grasped with hissinewy hand the gasping youth by the locks, and, with a giganticeffort, hurled him over the edge.
With dilating eyeballs and a look of fierce triumph Abishai leant overthe brink, trying to distinguish through the deepening gloom thelifeless form of his victim.
"I have silenced the Gentile once and for ever!" cried the fierceHebrew through his clenched teeth. "I said not 'Content' when thequestion was put, but I say it now!" He drew back from the edge, wipedthe moisture from his heated brow, and left a red stain upon it.
"Ere I go to rest," said the stern Jew, "I will let Hadassah know thatmy arm has achieved that safety for her and our brave companions whichher wild folly would have sacrificed. I marvel that Judas, son ofMattathias, a bold man, and deemed a wise one, should have let himselfbe swayed from his purpose by the idle words of a woman. But I trow,"added Abishai with a grim smile, "that a glance from Zarah went furtherwith him than all the pleadings of Hadassah. It is said amongst us,their kinsmen, that these twain shall be made one; but this is no timefor marrying and giving in marriage, when the unclean swine issacrificed on God's altar, and the shadow of the idol darkens theTemple, and the sons of Abraham are given but the alternative to defilethemselves or to die. The day of vengeance is at hand! may all theenemies of Judah perish as that poor wretch has perished this night!"
Abishai sought for his dagger, and found it; he then left the scene ofhis act of ruthless cruelty, with a conscience less troubled by so darka deed than it would have been had he rubbed corn between his hands onthe Sabbath, or neglected one of the washings
prescribed by thetraditions of the elders.