me day, for I was brought
up in the country, and, although I am a soldier, still understand a
farm. As for the Dead Sea, it is even more dreary than I expected. Tell
me, lady, what is that large building yonder?"

"That," she answered, "is the gathering hall of the Essenes."

"And that?" he asked, pointing to a house which stood by itself.

"That is my home, where Nehushta and I dwell."

"I guessed as much by the pretty garden." Then he asked her other
questions, which she answered freely enough, for Miriam, although she
was half Jewish, had been brought up among men, and felt neither fear
nor shame in talking with them in a friendly and open fashion, as an
Egyptian or a Roman or a Grecian lady might have done.

While they were still conversing thus, of a sudden the bushes on their
path were pushed aside, and from between them emerged Caleb, of whom she
had seen but little of late. He halted and looked at them.

"Friend Caleb," said Miriam, "this is the Roman captain Marcus, who
comes to visit the curators of the Order. Will you lead him and his
soldiers to the council hall and advise my uncle Ithiel and the others
of his coming, since it is time for us to go home?"

Caleb glared at her, or rather at the stranger, with sullen fury; then
he answered:

"Romans always make their own road; they do not need a Jew to guide
them," and once more he vanished into the scrub on the further side of
the path.

"Your friend is not civil," said Marcus, as he watched him go. "Indeed,
he has an inhospitable air. Now, if an Essene could do such a thing,
I should think that here is a man who might have drawn an arrow upon a
Jewish tax-gatherer," and he looked inquiringly at Miriam.

"That lad!" put in Nehushta. "Why, he never shot anything larger than a
bird of prey."

"Caleb," added Miriam in excuse, "does not like strangers."

"So I see," answered Marcus; "and to be frank, lady, I do not like
Caleb. He has an eye like a knife-point."

"Come, Nehushta," said Miriam, "this is our road, and there runs that
of the captain and his company. Sir, farewell, and thank you for your
escort."

"Lady, for this while farewell, and thank you for your guidance."

Thus for that day they parted.

The dwelling which many years before had been built by the Essenes
for the use of their ward and her nurse, stood next to the large
guest-house. Indeed, it occupied a portion of the ground which
originally belonged to it, although now the plo