I
am more wicked than you dreamed and--greater. Also, Miriam, I love you
as you will never be loved again. Farewell!"
CHAPTER VII
MARCUS
That night those of the curators who were engaged in prayer and fasting
were disturbed by the return of an officer of those Jews that had
robbed them, who complained violently that a man of his company had been
murdered by one of the Essenes. They asked how and when, and were told
that the man had been shot down with an arrow, in a gully upon the road
to Jericho, by a person unknown. They replied that robbers sometimes met
with robbers, and asked to see the arrow, which proved to be of a Roman
make, such as these men carried in their own quivers. This the Essenes
pointed out, and at length, growing angry at the unreasonableness of
a complaint made by persons of the worst character, drove him and his
escort from their doors, bidding them take their story to the high
priest Ananos, with the goods which they had stolen, or, if they
preferred it, to that still greater thief, the Roman procurator,
Albinus.
This they did not neglect to do, with the result that presently the
Essenes were commanded to send some of their head men to appear before
Albinus to answer the charges laid against them.
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