Assist us to lift these bodies
on your mule, and take them as secretly and as swiftly as we may to the
house of Hadassah."

"I would risk anything for my old mistress," said Joab; "but as for yon
silken-clad Syrian, I care not to burden my beast with his carcass."
The muleteer looked with stern surprise on the corpse of Pollux. "Who
is he," continued Joab, "and how comes he to be clasped in the arms of
the Lady Hadassah?"

"My father--he is my father!" sobbed Zarah.

"Raise them both," said Lycidas; "we cannot divide them, and there is
not a moment to be lost."

The united efforts of the party hardly sufficed to raise the two bodies
to the back of the mule, which, though a large and powerful animal,
could scarcely carry the double burden. Joab took his large coarse
mantle, and threw it over the corpses to hide them, then taking his
beast by the halter, led it forward in silence.

"Is there no danger from him?" said Anna to Lycidas, pointing to
Lysimachus, who lay senseless and bleeding, his head having come into
violent collision with a stone.

By a brief examination Lycidas satisfied himself that the courtier was
indeed in a state of unconsciousness, and knew nothing of what was
passing around him. The Athenian then went up to Zarah, who, drooping
like a broken lily, was slowly following the corpses of her parent and
his mother. Lycidas offered her what support he could give; Zarah did
not, could not reject it. A deadness seemed coming over her brain and
heart; had not Lycidas upheld the poor girl, she must have dropped by
the wayside.

With what strange emotions did Lycidas through life remember that early
walk in Jerusalem! The being whom he loved best was leaning upon him,
too much exhausted to decline his aid; there was thrilling happiness in
being so near her; but the uppermost feelings in the mind of Lycidas
were agonising fear upon Zarah's account, and intense impatience to
reach some place of safety. Fearfully slow to Lycidas appeared the
progress of the heavily-laden mule, terribly long the way that was
traversed. The muleteer purposely avoided that which would have been
most direct; he dared not go through one of the city gates, but passed
out into the open country at a spot little frequented, where a part of
the wall of Jerusalem still lay in ruins, as it had been left by
Apollonius. Most unwelcome to Lycidas was the brightening day, which
awoke the world to life. Every human form, even