chance to
be fair. For my part I say that she is guilty, and has hidden the man
away in some secret place. Otherwise why did she dash the light from the
soldier's hand?"

"Mayhap to hide herself lest she should be attacked," answered another,
"though how she came in the tower, I cannot guess."

"I lived there," said Miriam. "It was bricked up until yesterday and
safe from robbers."

"So!" commented that judge, "you lived alone in a deserted tower like
a bat or an owl, and without food or water. Then these must have been
brought to you from without the walls, perhaps by some secret passage
that was known to none, down which you loosed the Prefect, but had no
time to follow him. Woman, you are a Roman spy, as a Christian well
might be. I say that she is worthy of death."

Then Benoni rose and rent his robes.

"Does not enough blood run through these holy courts?" he asked, "that
you must seek that of the innocent also? What is your oath? To do
justice and to convict only upon clear, unshaken testimony. Where is
this testimony? What is there to show that the girl Miriam had any
dealings with this Marcus, whom she had not seen for years? In the Holy
Name I protest against this iniquity."

"It is natural that you should protest," said one of his brethren.

Then they fell into discussion, for the question perplexed them sorely,
who, although they were savage, still wished to be honest.

Suddenly Simeon looked up, for a thought struck him.

"Search her," he said, "she is in good case, she may have food, or the
secret of food, about her, or," he added--"other things."

Now two hungry-looking officers of the court seized Miriam and rent her
robe open at the breast with their rough hands, since they would not be
at the pains of loosening it.

"See," cried one of them, "here are pearls, fit wear for so fine a lady.
Shall we take them?"

"Fool, let the trinkets be," answered Simeon angrily. "Are we common
thieves?"

"Here is something else," said the officer, drawing the roll of Marcus's
cherished letter from her breast.

"Not that, not that," the poor girl gasped.

"Give it here," said Simeon, stretching out his lean hand.

Then he undid the silk case and, opening the letter, read its first
lines aloud. "'To the lady Miriam, from Marcus the Roman, by the hand of
the Captain Gallus.' What do you say to that, Benoni and brethren?
Why, there are pages of it, but here is the end: 'Farewell, your ever
faithful frie