If I can I will come with
him, but at present--such is the madness of my master--this is too much
to hope, unless, indeed, he wearies suddenly of the 'Divine Work' and
its attendant 'Model.'
"Meanwhile I also cast incense upon your altar, and pray that in these
troubles you may come to no harm.
"Miriam, I am most unhappy. I think of you always and yet I cannot come
to you. I picture you in many dangers, and I am not there to save you. I
even dare to hope that you would wish to see me again; but it is the
Jew Caleb, and other men, who see you and make offerings to your sweet
beauty as I make them to your spirit. I beseech you, Miriam, do not
accept the offerings, lest in some day to come, when I am once more a
soldier, and have ceased to be a custodian of busts, it should be the
worse for those worshippers, and especially for Caleb.
"What else have I to tell you? I have sought out some of the great
preachers of your faith, hoping that by the magic whereof they are said
to be masters, they would be able to assure me of your welfare. But
to my sorrow they gave me no magic--in which it seems they do not
deal--only maxims. Also, from these I bought for a great sum certain
manuscripts written by themselves containing the doctrines of your law,
which I intend to study so soon as I have time.
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