The City of Delight

A great light sprang into the face of the Greek. Philadelphus,

nervous, albeit the news he heard filled him with pleasure, stood and

waited.

The Christian stepped back and Momus, bowing, approached and handed

the leather roll into the none too steady hands of the Ephesian. He

opened it and drew forth parchments.

Aloud he read a minute description of Laodice from the rabbi of the

synagogue in Ascalon; under the great seals of the Roman state, he

found and read the oath of the prefect, that such a maiden as the

rabbi had described had been married before him to Philadelphus

Maccabaeus fourteen years before. Then followed the depositions of

forty Jews and Gentiles who were nurses, tradesmen and other people

like to have daily contact with the young woman in her house, setting

entirely at naught any claim that Laodice was other than the wife who

had been supplanted by an adventuress. Philadelphus did not read them

all. Before he made an end he dropped the documents and flung wide his

arms. But Laodice with a countenance frozen with suffering held him

off for a moment.

"Go," she said to the old Christian, "unto Hesper and lead him into

the belief of the Lord Jesus Christ which is mine."

The old Christian approached the fountain in the center of the

andronitis and taking up water in his palm sprinkled a few drops on

her hair while she knelt.

"In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, I baptize

thee, Laodice. Amen!"

While she knelt, he said: "I shall search for him also. Christ have mercy on thee now and for

ever. Farewell."

He was gone.