"I must speak to you of this matter," she went on with agitation, and in
the same whisper. "No, not now or here, but alone."
"When and where you will," answered Marcus, smiling, as if the prospect
of a solitary conversation with Miriam did not displease him, although
this evil-doing Caleb was to be its subject. "Name the time and place,
lady."
By now the snoring elder was awake, and rising from his chair with a
great noise, which in turn roused the others. Nehushta also rose from
her seat and in doing so, as though by accident, overset a copper tray
on which lay metal tools.
"In the garden one hour after sunset. Nehushta will leave the little
lower door unlocked."
"Good," answered Marcus; then added in a loud voice, "Not so, lady. Ye
gods! what a noise! I think the curl improved by the slip. It looks less
as though it had been waxed after the Egyptian fashion. Sirs, why do
you disturb yourselves? I fear that to you this long waiting must be as
tedious as to me it seems unnecessary."
The sun was down, and the last red glow had faded from the western sky,
which was now lit only by the soft light of a half-moon. All the
world lay bathed in peace and beauty; even the stern outlines of the
surrounding mountains seemed softened, and the pale waters of the Dead
Sea and the ashen face of the desert gleamed like silver new cast from
the mould.
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