Caleb followed the black hag, Nehushta, and
the beautiful Pearl-Maiden to the very house of Marcus, which he saw
them enter. Marcus who was her lover, yonder in Judaea----"
"Oh! never mind the rest of the story, I understand it all. But you have
not yet shown that Marcus was in the house, and if he was, bad taste as
it may have been to bid against the prince Domitian, well, at a public
auction it is lawful."
"Ye--es, but if Marcus has committed a crime, could he not be punished
for that crime?"
"Without doubt. But what crime has Marcus committed?"
"The crime of being taken prisoner by the Jews and escaping from them
with his life, for which, by an edict of Titus, whose laws are those
of the Medes and Persians, the punishment is death, or at the least,
banishment and degradation."
"Well, and who can prove all this?"
"Caleb can, because he took him prisoner."
"And where," asked Saturius in exasperation, "where is this thrice
accursed cur, Caleb?"
"Here," answered Demetrius. "I am Caleb, O thrice blessed chamberlain,
Saturius."
"Indeed," said Saturius. "Well, that makes things more simple. And
now, friend Demetrius--you prefer that name, do you not--what do you
propose?"
"I propose that the necessary documents should be procured, which, to
your master, will not be difficult; that Marcus should be arrested in
his house, put upon his trial and condemned under the edict of Titus,
and that the girl, Pearl-Maiden, should be handed over to me, who will
at once remove her from Rome.
Pages:
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504