Nor, indeed, did she
ever attain to a clear memory of those events, while the time between
them and the recovery of her reason by the seashore in the garden at
Tyre always remained a blank. That troubled fragment of her life was
sunk in a black sea of oblivion.
At length the old woman came to summon Miriam to her midday meal, and
led her, not to her own tent, but to that which was pitched to serve as
an eating-place for the captain, Gallus. As she went she saw knots of
soldiers gathered across her path as though to intercept her, and turned
to fly, for the sight of them brought back the terrors of the siege.
"Have no fear of them," said the old woman, smiling. "Ill would it go
here with him who dared to lift a finger against their Pearl-Maiden."
"Pearl-Maiden! Why?" asked Miriam.
"That is what they call you, because of the necklace that was upon your
breast when you were captured, which you wear still. As for why--well,
I suppose because they love you, the poor sick thing they nursed. They
have heard that you are better and gather to give you joy of it; that is
all."
Sure enough, the words were true, for, as Miriam approached, these
rough legionaries cheered and clapped their hands, while one of them an
evil-looking fellow with a broken nose, who was said to have committed
great cruelties during the siege, came forward bowing and presented her
with a handful of wild-flowers, which he must have collected with some
trouble, since, at this season of the year they were not common.
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