n; quaint, sad songs of the
desert and of the Jordan fishermen. Also she told him tales and legends,
and when she had done Nehushta told others--wild stories of Libya, some
of them very dark and bloody, others of magic, black or white. Thus
these afternoons passed happily enough, and the clay model being
finished, after the masons among the brethren had rough hewn it for her,
Miriam began to fashion it in marble.

There was one, however, for whom these days did not pass happily--Caleb.
From the time that he had seen Miriam walking side by side with Marcus
he hated the brilliant-looking Roman in whom, his instinct warned him,
he had found a dangerous rival. Oh, how he hated him! So much, indeed,
that even in the moment of first meeting he could not keep his rage and
envy in his heart, but suffered them to be written on his face, and
to shine like danger signals in his eyes, which, it may be remembered,
Marcus did not neglect to note.

Of Miriam Caleb had seen but little lately. She was not angry with him,
since his offence was of a nature which a woman can forgive, but in
her heart she feared him. Of a sudden, as it were, the curtain had been
drawn, and she had seen this young man's secret spirit and learned that
it was a consuming fire. It had come home to her that every word he
spoke was true, that he who was orphaned and not liked even by the
gentle elders of the Essenes, loved but one being upon earth--herself,
whereas already his bosom seethed with many hates. She was sure also
that any man for whom she chanced to care, if such an one should ever
cross her path, would, as Caleb had promised, go in danger at his hands,
and the thought frightened her. Most of all did it frighten her when she
saw him glower upon Marcus, although in truth the Roman was nothing to
her. Yet, as she knew, Caleb had judged otherwise.

But if she saw little of him, of this Miriam was sure enough--that he
was seldom far from her, and that he found means to learn from day to
day how she spent her hours. Indeed, Marcus told her that wherever he
went he met that handsome young man with revengeful eyes, who she had
said was named Caleb. Therefore Miriam grew frightened and, as the issue
will show, not without cause.

One afternoon, while Miriam was at work upon the marble, and the three
elders were as usual sunk in slumber, Marcus said suddenly:

"I forgot. I have news for you, lady. I have found out who murdered that
Jewish thief whose end,