"And that came the night I journeyed away from Jerusalem, without
you," she declared. "But, my Philadelphus," she said, turning herself
a little that she might hide her face away from him, "had I stayed
with you against my conscience, I had been by this time wholly white."
He kissed her.
"I did not expect you to stay," he said. "I knew from the beginning
that you would not. Ask Joseph. He will bear me out."
Low on the slope of the hill, the shepherd approached, calling his
sheep that trailed after him contentedly by the hundreds. The excited
bark of Urge, the sheep-dog, came up faintly to them.
While they leaned watching them, old Momus, bent and broken, stood
before them. Laodice hurriedly drew away from her husband's clasp. It
was a habit she had never entirely shaken off, whenever the mute
appeared, in spite of the old man's pathetic dumb protest.
He handed a linen scroll to his master.
It read: The captives whom thou hast asked for freedom at Cæsar's hand are
this day sent to thee, Philadelphus, under escort. They should
reach thee a little later than this messenger. However, it is
Cæsar's pain to inform thee that the Greek Amaryllis as well as
the actress Salome were not to be found. Julian of Ephesus, who
named the woman for us, is here at Cæsarea, but being a Roman
citizen, is not a captive. However it shall be seen to that his
liberty is sufficiently curtailed for the welfare of the public.
Also, I send herewith a shittim-wood casket found with John of
Gischala when he was captured in a cavern under Jerusalem. It
contains treasure and certain writings which identify it as
property of thy wife. There were other features in it which,
coming to my hand first, made it advisable that the State should
not know of its existence. And privately, it will be wise in thee
to destroy them.
The Maccabee stopped at this point and looked at Laodice.
"What does he mean?" he asked.
"My father put your last letter in the case," she said, with a little
panic in her face.
The Maccabee laughed, and went on, Those that go forward to thee are Nathan of Jerusalem and Aquila
of Ephesus. To thy wife my obeisances. To thyself, greeting.
CARUS, TRIBUNE.