The City of Delight

Amaryllis was no less beautiful, no less brilliant, no less attractive

than she had once been; but the Gischalan had wearied of her.

Laodice recalled that she had not been surprised to see the man throw

Amaryllis aside. It seemed to be the logical outcome of love such as

theirs. How, then, was she to escape that which no other woman escaped

who loved without law? In the soul of that stranger who had called

himself Hesper, were lofty ideals, which had not been the least charm

which had attracted her to him. Was she, then, to dislodge these holy

convictions, to take her place in his heart as one falling short of

them, or were they still to exist as standards which he loved and

which she could not reach? In either event, how long would he

love--what was the length of her probation before she, too, would

encounter the inevitable weariness?

It occurred to her, then, how nearly the natural law of such love

paralleled the religious prohibition that the Christian had shown to

her. However harsh and unjust the sentence seemed, it was rational.

With her own eyes she had seen its predictions borne out. Already the

relief of the sorrowing righteous possessed her. She turned to the

Christian.

"Take me to my husband," she said. "Now! While I have strength."

Momus caught the old Christian by the arm and, signing eagerly that he

would lead, hurried away in advance of the two down into the ravine

and crossed to the house of Amaryllis.

There were no soldiers to stop them about the house. When no response

was made to her knock, Laodice opened the door and passed in.

Her old conductors followed her.

Amaryllis sat in her ivory chair; opposite her in the exedra was

Philadelphus. At sight of him, the last of the soft color went out of

Laodice's face. A curve of despair marked the corners of her mouth and

she seemed to grow old before those that looked at her.

Philadelphus and the Greek sprang to their feet, the instant the group

entered.

Laodice waited for no preliminary. Amaryllis' design was patent to

her; it was part of her sorrow that now Hesper would be free to the

devices of this deceitful woman. So she did not look at the Greek. She

addressed Philadelphus in a voice from which all hope and vivacity had

gone.

"I have brought proofs. Behold them!"

Nathan, the Christian, stood forth.

"I, Nathan of Jerusalem, met and talked with this Laodice, daughter of

Costobarus, in company with Aquila, the Ephesian, three men-servants

in all the panoply and state of a coming princess three leagues out of

Ascalon, her native city. I buried by the roadside her father, who

died of pestilence on their journey hither. I bear witness that she is

the daughter of Costobarus and thy wedded wife."