r rescue, with a countenance
resembling that of Lycidas--to her the type of perfect beauty. "Or the
Lord may raise up some earthly friend," continued Zarah. Then fancy
again pictured a Lycidas, but this time wanting the wings. The maiden
stopped her weeping, and dashed the limpid drops from her eyes. A
gleam of brightness seemed to illumine the dark prospect before her.
How eagerly do we listen to the voice of hope, even if it be but the
echo of a wish, an echo thrown back from the cold hard rock which can
only repeat the utterance of our own heart's desires; it comes back to
us like music! Zarah's prison would have been far more dreary to the
maiden, her approaching trial far more dreadful, had she known the fact
that Lycidas had gone to Bethlehem, and had heard nothing of the peril
of her whom he loved.

In the same unconsciousness of Zarah's imminent peril, another, to whom
she was dearer than the sight of the eyes or the breath of life, lay
extended on the ground in sleep, many miles from Jerusalem, with no
pillow but that stalwart arm, around which was still twined a slight
flaxen strand. A monarch might have envied the dream which made the
features of the sleeper relax into an expression of happiness which,
when waking, they seldom indeed wore. Maccabeus, lying on the parched
dry earth, was in thought seated in an Eden of flowers, with Zarah at
his side, her small hand clasped in his own. She was listening with
bashful smile and downcast eyes to words such as the warrior had never
breathed to her, save in his dreams. All was peace within and without,
peace deepening into rapture, even as the sky above appeared almost
dark from the intensity of its blue! Such was the Hebrew's dream of
Zarah! How different the dream from the actual reality! Had Maccabeus
known the actual position of the helpless girl, to guard whom from the
slightest wrong he would so willingly have shed his life's blood, even
that heart which had never yet quelled in the face of peril would have
known for once keenest anguish of fear!

CHAPTER XX.

THE COURT OF ANTIOCHUS.

Fierce had been the rage and disappointment of Antiochus Epiphanes on
hearing of the result of the night attack on his forces at Emmaus, and
the subsequent retreat of Giorgias without striking a blow. In vain
the troops of that too cautious leader endeavoured, by exaggerating the
account of the numbers of their enemies, to cover their own shame.
Antiochus