d
Lycidas," continued the Athenian, whose curiosity was strongly excited,
"perhaps she may favour me by throwing light upon the mystery which
attends his movements."

But Hadassah had come to gain information, not to impart it. "I cannot
linger here," she said, "but if Lycidas return tell him, I earnestly
charge you, that the child of one who nursed him in sickness is now the
prisoner of the Syrian king!"

Grievously disappointed and disheartened by her failure, Hadassah then
turned away from the dwelling of the Greek.

"Oh, lady, rest, or you will sink from fatigue!" cried Anna, whose own
sturdy frame was suffering from the effect of efforts of half of which,
a day before, she would have dreamed her mistress utterly incapable.

Hadassah made no reply; she sank rather than seated herself under the
narrow strip of shade afforded by a dead wall. The lady covered her
face; Anna knew from the slight movement of her bowed head that
Hadassah was praying.

Presently the Hebrew lady raised her head; she was deadly pale, but
calm.

"I cannot stay here," she murmured. "I must know the fate of my child.
Anna, let us return to the prison." Even with the aid of her handmaid,
the lady was scarcely able to rise.

The twain reached the gate of the prison. A group of Syrian guards
kept watch there. The appearance of the venerable sufferer, bowed down
under such a weight of affliction, moved one of the soldiers to pity.

"You come on a fruitless errand, lady," he said, "the maiden whom you
seek is not here."

"Dead?" faintly gasped forth Hadassah.

"No, no; not dead," answered the Syrian promptly. "I know not all that
has happened, but the young girl was certainly brought before the king."

"Before him who murdered Solomona and her boys--the ruthless fiend!"
was the scathing thought that passed through the brain of Hadassah.
"And what followed?" she asked with her eyes, for her lips could not
frame the question.

"Belikes the king thought it shame to kill such a pretty bird, so kept
it to make music for him in his gardens of joy," said the guard. "All
that I can say is, that the maiden was not sent back to prison, but
remains in the palace."

"The palace!" ejaculated Hadassah; more distressed than reassured by
such information.

"Of course," cried another soldier, with a brutal jest; "the girl was
not going to commit the folly of dying for her superstitions like a
bigoted fanatic old woman, with no more sense t