ltered persistently
for many days.

The old man faced the young man's rage with supernatural composure and
strength. With clenched hands, the Maccabee stood away from him and
felt that he threatened with his fists a hoary citadel that armies had
beaten themselves against in vain.

The Maccabee did not speak to his old pensioner. He felt the futility
of words against this thing which seemed to be a revelation, denying
absolutely all of his ambitions. He dropped from his position and,
pushing his way through the distress upon the city, turned toward the
house of Amaryllis. It was a climacteric hour, when men should look
well to the protection of all that was near and dear to them.

When he was gone a strange, bent figure with long white hair and a
gray distorted face came from the shadow of one of the towers and
plucked the old Christian's tunic. The Christian turned and seeing who
stood beside him said with intense surety in his tones:

"It is proven. Accept the Lord Jesus while it is time, my son, for
behold the hour of the last day of this city is fulfilled!"

The apparition lifted a palsied hand on which the skin was yet fair
and young and pointed after the Maccabee, losing himself in the
groaning mass in the city.

"If I believe, I must tell him!" he said.

"Whatever thou hast done against that man must be amended," the
Christian declared.

The palsied figure shrank and wringing his hands about each other said
in a whisper that sounded like wind among dried leaves:

"I, who saw the candor of perfect trust in his eyes, once, I can not
behold their reproach--I, who love him, and sold him--for a handful of
gold!"

The old Christian laid his hand on the other's arm.

"Another Judas?" he said. The apparition made no answer.

"Nay, then; tell it me," the Christian urged. But the other shrank
away from him, while distrust collected in his eyes.

"I fear thee; the evil man fears the good one, even more than the good
man fears the evil one. I will not tell thee."

"But thou hast thy bread from this Hesper; thou hast thy shelter from
him. He will not injure thee."

"Injure me! Not with his hands, perhaps. But he would look at me, he
would kill me with his eyes! Thou canst not dream what evil I have
done him!"

The old Christian looked at him for a time, but with the hopefulness
of the spiritually confident.

"Christ spare thee, till thou hast the strength to do right!" he
exclaimed. But the palsied man c