Benoni is a Jew of the
Jews; his granddaughter is a Christian, as I am also. Therefore when her
mother died, I brought her here to be taken care of by her uncle Ithiel
the Essene, and I do not think Benoni knows even that she lives. Lord,
perhaps I have said too much; but you must soon have heard the story
from the Essenes, and we trust to you, who chance to be Benoni's friend,
to keep our secret from him."
"You do not trust in vain; yet it seems sad that all the wealth and
station which are hers by right should thus be wasted."
"Lord, rank and station are not everything; freedom of faith and person
are more than these. My lady lacks for nothing, and--this is all her
story."
"Not quite, friend; you have not told me her name."
"Lord, it is Miriam."
"Miriam, Miriam," he repeated, his slightly foreign accent dwelling
softly on the syllables. "It is a very pretty name, befitting such
a----" and he checked himself.
By now they were on the crest of the rise, and, stopping between two
clumps of thorn trees, Miriam broke in hastily:
"See, sir, there below lies the village of the Essenes; those green
trees to the left mark the banks of Jordan, whence we irrigate our
fields, while that grey stretch of water to the right, surrounded by a
wall of mountain, is the Dead Sea.
Pages:
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121