her tall figure shaken by a
sudden chill, and her eyes and hands raised heavenward as though,
spell-bound, he had felt that something grand and sacred dwelt within her
breast which it would be sacrilege to disturb; nay, he had been unable to
resist the feeling that it would be presumptuous to seek to wed a woman
united to the Lord by so close a tie. It must be bliss indeed to call
this exalted creature his own, yet it would be hard to see her place
another, even though it were the Almighty Himself, so far above her lover
and husband.

Men and cattle had already passed close by the sycamore and just as he
was in the act of calling Miriam and pointing to the approaching throng,
she rose, turned toward him, and forced from her troubled breast the
words:

"I have communed with the Lord, Joshua, and now know His will. Do you
remember the words by which God called you?"

He bent his head in assent; but she went on:

"Well then, you must also know what the Most High confided to your
father, to Moses, and to me. He desires to lead us out of the land of
Egypt, to a distant country where neither Pharaoh nor his viceroy shall
rule over us, and He alone shall be our king. That is His will, and if He
requires you to serve Him, you must follow us and, in case of war,
command the men of our people."

Joshua struck his broad breast, exclaiming in violent agitation: "An oath
binds me to return to Tanis to inform Pharaoh how the leaders of the
people received the message with which I was sent forth. Though my heart
should break, I cannot perjure myself."

"And mine shall break," gasped Miriam, "ere I will be disloyal to the
Lord our God. We have both chosen, so let what once united us be sundered
before these stones."

He rushed frantically toward her to seize her hand; but with an imperious
gesture she waved him back, turned away, and went toward the multitude
which, with sheep and cattle, were pressing around the wells.

Old and young respectfully made way for her as, with haughty bearing, she
approached Hur, who was giving orders to the shepherds; but he came
forward to meet her and, after hearing the promise she whispered, he laid
his hand upon her head and said with solemn earnestness:

"Then may the Lord bless our alliance."

Hand in hand with the grey-haired man to whom she had given herself,
Miriam approached Joshua. Nothing betrayed the deep emotion of her soul,
save the rapid rise and fall of her bosom, for though