the Angel of the Lord hangs over you and writes your names within
his book. Now while there is time I would pray for you and for your
king. Farewell."

As he spoke those words "the Angel of the Lord hangs over you," so great
was the preacher's power, and in that weary darkness so sharply had he
touched the imagination of his strange audience, that with a sound like
to the stir of rustling trees, thousands of faces were turned upwards,
as though in search of that dread messenger.

"Look, look!" screamed a hundred voices, while dim arms pointed to some
noiseless thing that floated high above them against the background
of the sky, which grew grey with the coming dawn. It appeared and
disappeared, appeared again, then seemed to pass downward in the
direction of Agrippa's throne, and vanished.

"It is that magician's angel," cried one, and the multitudes groaned.

"Fool," said another, "it was but a bird."

"Then for Agrippa's sake," shrilled a new voice, "the gods send that it
was not an owl."

Thereat some laughed, but the most were silent. They knew the story of
King Agrippa and the owl, and how it had been foretold that this spirit
in the form of a bird would appear to him again in the hour of his
death, as it had appeared to him in the hour of his triumph.[*]

[*] See Josephus, "Antiquities of the Jews," Book XVII.,
Chap. VI., Sec. 7; and Book XIX., Chap. VIII., Sec. 2.

Just then from the palace to the north arose a sound of the blare of
trumpets. Now a herald, speaking on the summit of the great eastern
tower, called out that it was dawn above the mountains, and that King
Agrippa came with all his company, whereon the preaching of the old
Christian and his tale of a watching Vengeance were instantly forgotten.
Presently the glad, fierce notes of the trumpets drew nearer, and in the
grey of the daybreak, through the great bronze gates of the Triumphal
Way that were thrown open to greet him, advanced Agrippa, wonderfully
attired and preceded by his legionaries. At his right walked Vibius
Marsus, the Roman President of Syria, and on his left Antiochus, King of
Commagena, while after him followed other kings, princes, and great men
of his own and foreign lands.

Agrippa mounted his golden throne while the multitude roared a welcome,
and his company were seated around and behind him according to their
degree.

Once more the trumpets sounded, and the gladiators of different arms,
headed by the equites