All her days had
been hard, and here and now, by the side of her dead mistress, she would
have ended them. But the child remained, and while it lived, she would
live. If it died, then perhaps she would die also.
Meanwhile Nehushta had no time for grief, since the babe must be fed,
and within twelve hours. Yet, as she could not bury her, and would not
throw her to the sharks, she was minded to give her mistress a royal
funeral after the custom of her own Libyan folk. Here was flame, and
what pyre could be grander than this great ship?
Lifting the body from its couch, Nehushta carried it to the deck and
laid it by the broken mast, closing the eyes and folding the hands.
Then she loosened from about the neck those tokens of which Rachel had
spoken, made some food and garments into a bundle, and, carrying the
lamp with her, went into the captain's cabin amidships. Here a money-box
was open, and in it gold and some jewels which this man had abandoned
in his haste. These she took, adding them to her own store and securing
them about her. This done she fired the cabin, and passing to the hold,
broke a jar of oil and fired that also. Then she fled back again, knelt
by her dead mistress and kissed her, took the child, wrapping it warmly
in a shawl, and by the ladder of rope which the sailors had used, let
herself down into the quiet sea.
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