CHAPTER VIII.
The days passed very slowly and wearily to Claudia, wife of Naaman, asshe awaited in her palace home the return of her husband. Sometimes herheart was filled with hope, then, again, she would be plunged into thedeepest despondency, when it seemed madness to believe that any man hadpower to heal the leper.
Leah, the little maid, watched her mistress wistfully, tenderly. Onemorning, as she sat at Claudia's feet, she looked up into her pale,beautiful face and said:
"Why art thou so sad, my dear mistress?"
"Ah, maiden," replied Claudia, "thou canst not understand the torturesof suspense which consume me."
"Suspense!" repeated the little maid. "Then thou dost doubt the powerof Elisha to heal my lord of his leprosy?"
"Yes," answered Claudia. "For how can man be possessed of such power?"
A smile of rare sweetness lighted up the face of the little maid.
"My own dear mistress, put aside all thy doubts, all thy trouble, formy lord will return healed of his leprosy," she said.
"Child, great indeed is thy faith in this man, Elisha," said Claudia."Hast thou ever seen him, spoken with him?"
"No," answered the little maid. "I was on my way to seek him when I wascaptured by the Syrians."
"What was thy purpose in seeking Elisha, maiden?" asked Claudia.
Leah's lips quivered, her soft eyes filled with tears.
"In the land of Israel I have a brother who has been a cripple frombirth," she murmured. "I was on my way to Samaria to seek Elisha andbeg of him that he heal my brother."
"But, child, thou art poor, how didst thou propose to reward Elisha forhealing thy brother?" asked Claudia.
The little maid looked up inquiringly.
"What meaneth thou, dear mistress?" she asked.
"Surely thou knoweth, maiden, that the magicians of the court ofBenhadad, king of Syria, receive rich salaries," replied Claudia. "Buteven they possess not the power of this Elisha for they cannot heal theleper. Therefore, Elisha must be even more richly rewarded than are themagicians of Benhadad's court."
"Dear mistress, Elisha is no magician, but a holy man of God," saidthe little maid. "He dwelleth not at the court of the king, neitherdoes he receive aught in recompense for the good that he doeth."
"I--I do not understand," murmured Claudia, perplexedly. "Why, Naaman,my husband, did take with him to Samaria ten talents of silver, sixthousand pieces of gold and ten changes of raiment with which to rewardElisha should he be healed of his leprosy."
Leah smiled.
"My lord will bring back with him from Damascus the ten talentsof silver, the six thousand pieces of gold and the ten changes ofraiment," she said, "for Elisha will have none of them."
Claudia sat for some moments in thought.
"Perhaps this Elisha is a seeker after fame, and so to win the praiseof men he uses his power for the poor as well as the rich," she said,at length. "But I believe not that he will refuse the treasure which myhusband carried with him to Samaria."
Leah did not answer. Claudia, after regarding her attentively for somemoments, said:
"Thou seemeth to give no heed to my words, maiden. Dost thou in truthbelieve that Elisha will refuse to receive the treasure which Naamancarryeth with him?"
"I know dear mistress, that Elisha will refuse to accept the treasurewhich my lord carryeth with him to Samaria," replied the little maid,firmly. "Elisha careth not for riches nor the praise of men. He seekethonly to please and serve the Lord who hath given to him his greatpower."
"What manner of man is this Elisha who can inspire such great andunswerving faith?" mused Claudia. "Is the God of Israel more powerfulthan the god of Syria, for Rimmon hath given to no man in Syria powerlike unto that possessed by Elisha?" she said aloud.
The little maid looked up earnestly into her mistress' beautiful face.
"There is no God save the God of Israel," she said.
Claudia smiled indulgently.
"Thou art of the land of Israel, little one," she said, "and,therefore, thou dost believe that the God Israel worships be the onlytrue God. Perhaps, if thou dwelleth long in Syria, thou will learn toworship Syria's god."
"No, dear lady, that could never be," replied Leah, earnestly. "I maysee no more my people and my country, but I shall ever remain faithfulto my God. He dwelleth not alone in the land of Israel, but he rulethover all the earth. 'Tis He, Who through his prophet, will heal thyhusband of his leprosy."
"Thou speaketh idle words child," said Claudia, a little impatiently."The God of Israel would not bestow His favors upon a Syrian who doesworship Syria's god. But, there, enough of this; let us speak of otherthings. Tell me of thy people. Hast thou brothers and sisters in theland of Israel?"
"I have but one brother, dear mistress," replied Leah.
"And this brother has been a cripple from birth?" gently asked Claudia.
"Yes, dear mistress."
"And thou dost love him very dearly?"
"Ah, so dearly," murmured the little maid, with quivering lips.
"Poor child, thy young life has known much sorrow," said Claudia,pityingly. "And, yet, thou thinketh more of the sorrows of others thanof thy own."
"My heart is sad at times," said Leah. "But I must not rebel againstthe will of the good God."
"And is this why thou dost bear so patiently and unmurmuringlythe sorrows which have darkened thy young life?" asked Claudia,wonderingly. "But the gods are wont to send afflictions upon those whooffend them, thou canst not have offended thy God."
"God, in His wisdom, doth often afflict those whom He loveth," saidLeah.
Claudia smiled.
"This God of thine is a strange God," she said.