CHAPTER III.
Naaman, commander-in-chief of the Syrian Army, was passing through thestreets of Damascus in a magnificent chariot drawn by four snow-whitehorses. He was a man of great height and superb physique; he wore arobe of royal purple. But upon the proud face there rested a heavyshadow, and the dark, flashing eyes, which had looked death in the faceunflinchingly so many times upon the battle-field, now drooped underthe pitying and curious glances bent upon him.
A sigh of intense relief heaved his mighty chest when the chariotstopped before the gates of a stately palace. He stepped from thechariot and passed within.
"Say to thy mistress that I desire her presence," he said to a servant,and then passed on to a splendid chamber.
With his arms clasped across his breast he paced restlessly up and downthe vast length of the chamber.
"Ah," he murmured, "Naaman, whom all Syria doth call a mighty man ofvalor, knoweth fear for the first time. My hand doth tremble like awoman's, my limbs are weak. Never have her sweet eyes looked into minesave with tenderness, but now--alas! alas! that Naaman should be soaccursed."
The heavy silken draperies of the doorway were put aside and a womanentered the chamber. She was very beautiful with skin of dazzlingfairness and hair of wondrous gold color. She was clad in rich garmentsof white, embroidered with gold.
"Naaman, my husband," she murmured, tenderly.
At the sound of her sweet voice Naaman started, turned, moved towardsher and then abruptly paused.
"Thou didst desire my presence, my lord," she continued, falteringly,for his face was white and stern, and she remembered how of late hehad appeared so cold and changed. As he did not speak, she added, "Ifear that some trouble doth sore oppress thee. For some time I havenoted the pallor on thy cheek, the shadow on thy brow. I longed to knowthy trouble that I might comfort thee, but thou art ever silent. Wiltthou not confide in me, Naaman? Surely thou knoweth that thy Claudiadesireth not alone to share thy riches and thy honors, but thy sorrowsalso," and, moving to his side, she laid her beautiful white hand uponhis arm.
He started back, thrusting her almost roughly aside.
"Touch me not, woman!" he cried; "for I am--unclean."
She stared at him, her eyes dark with horror, the delicate bloom fadingfrom cheeks and lips. He shuddered and covered his face with his hands.
"Naaman, what meaneth thou?" she asked. "My husband, speak."
His hands fell, he turned and faced her.
"Claudia," he said, "this morning, as I passed through the streets ofDamascus, glances of pity and loathing were cast upon me, until, I,Naaman, did bow my head in shame. I have riches, fame and honor, butthe very beggars in the streets do pity me for I am a--leper."
She shrank back with a faint cry.
"Ay, 'tis true," he continued, bitterly. "All Damascus doth know whatI have feared to tell to thee because I love thee; because I did fearto read in thy sweet eyes the horror and the loathing with which allregard me. The leper is accursed, unclean, whom many loathe, all pity,but none may love."
"Nay, thou art wrong," murmured Claudia, tenderly. "Thy wife doth lovethee, ay, but the more tenderly because of thy affliction."
Into Naaman's haggard eyes there flashed a look of joy.
"Then Naaman careth not for the pitying and loathing of all Syria sinceClaudia still loveth him," he cried.
* * * * *
Claudia, wife of Naaman, was wandering listlessly through the beautifulgrounds which surrounded the palace. Her lovely face was pale, her eyesfull of sadness. She rarely went beyond the grounds of the palace,shrinking from the compassionate glances bent upon her, and themurmurs which too often reached her ears:
"See! 'tis Claudia, the wife of Naaman, the leper."
Suddenly through the gates of the palace there came a little maid. Shewas poorly-clad, but, as she drew near, her sweet face attracted theattention of Claudia.
"Who art thou, little one?" she asked.
"I am Leah, a slave," replied the little maid, while her dark headdrooped in shame.
"A slave!" repeated Claudia. "Cometh thou not from the land of Israel?"she asked.
"Yes," replied Leah. "I was captured by a company of Syrians while onmy way to Samaria, brought to Damascus and placed in the slave marketwhere I was bought by Eucadeus, a wine-merchant. 'Tis he who hath sentme to the palace of Naaman where he selleth his wine."
"Captured and sold into slavery--'tis a hard fate for one so young,"murmured Claudia, musingly. "Knoweth thou who I am, maiden?"
"I know not who thou art," replied the little maid, with a smile. "ButI see that thou art very beautiful, and my heart doth tell me that thouart good. Thou art also a great lady, for thou weareth rich garmentsand rare jewels."
Claudia smiled.
"Thy answer doth please me, little maid; thou hath an apt tongue," shesaid. "I am Claudia, wife of Naaman."
The soft, dark eyes of the little maid were lifted to Claudia's facewith a swift look of compassion. For a moment Claudia shrank back andwas silent.
"Ah," she thought, "even this slave-girl knoweth that Naaman is a leperand doth pity Naaman's wife. Wouldst thou like to enter my service,maiden?" she asked. "If so, no doubt, thou canst be bought of thymaster, Eucadeus."
Leah's eyes lighted with rapture.
"Ay, lady, glad indeed would I be to enter thy service," she replied."I am sure thou couldst buy me of Eucadeus, for he loveth gold aboveall things."
"Then I shall send my chief steward to Eucadeus," said Claudia. "Now,hasten, maiden, to do thy errand, lest thy master chide thee fortarrying."
Claudia returned to the palace and, summoning her chief steward, saidto him:
"Seek thou the wine-merchant, Eucadeus, and say to him that Claudia,wife of Naaman, would purchase of him Leah, the little Israelite maid,upon whom he may set his own price."
The chief steward accordingly went to do his mistress' bidding.
Eucadeus, a hard, cruel, grasping fellow, who put upon the little maidtasks far beyond her strength, was at first unwilling to part withhis slave. But, upon learning that it was Claudia, wife of Naaman,who desired to purchase her, and that he might name his own price, hequickly changed his mind and bargained with the chief steward for aprice just double that which he had paid for the maiden.
The chief steward, though much disgusted with the old man's avarice andextortion, handed over the pieces of gold which he named as his pricefor the maiden and returned to the palace bringing Leah with him.
Claudia appointed Leah her own hand-maiden and soon became very muchattached to her; Leah, in return, devotedly loved her beautiful kindmistress.
One day, after she had been some months in the household of Naaman,Leah, who had been watching wistfully her mistress' beautiful, sadface, said:
"Ah, my dear mistress, how pale and sorrowful thou looketh. My heartacheth for thee; would that I could help thee."
Claudia smiled with infinite sadness and laid her hand affectionatelyupon the dark, curly head of her hand-maiden.
"Thou hast a tender heart, little one," she said. "I am sure thouwouldst help me if thou couldst. But no one can do that, not even thewisest and greatest in all Syria."
"But there be one in Israel who can help thee," said the little maid.
"What meaneth thou, child?" asked Claudia. "Dost thou know what dothrender me so sorrowful?"
"Yes, dear mistress," replied the little maid, "'tis because Naaman,thy husband, whom thou dost dearly love, art a leper."
"Ay, most true," murmured Claudia, with a deep sigh. "Therefore,maiden, why sayeth thou that there be one in the land of Israel who canhelp me? Surely thou dost know that no one can heal the leper."
"Listen, dear mistress," said Leah. "The prophet, Elisha, who is inSamaria, can heal my lord, thy husband, for he hath done most wonderfulthings even to the raising of the dead to life."
Claudia listened with breathless eagerness and attention.
"Thou art but a maiden
and a slave," she said, "but I shall give heedto thy words and repeat them to Naaman, my husband. Go tell thy masterthat I would speak with him."
When Naaman entered his wife's presence she turned to meet him with alook in her beautiful eyes that he had not seen there in many months.
"Thy little hand-maiden didst tell me that thou desireth my presence,"he said.
"Yes," replied Claudia. "Oh, Naaman, my husband! this little maid ofIsrael hath told me most wonderful things. She claimeth that in Samariathere is a prophet called Elisha who hath power to heal thee of thyleprosy. Oh, my husband, thou must at once seek this man."
"I must first seek counsel of the king," said Naaman.
"Then go at once and tell to the king what the maiden sayeth," criedClaudia, and Naaman went from her presence to seek that of Benhadad,king of Syria.