ack sea of oblivion.

At length the old woman came to summon Miriam to her midday meal, and
led her, not to her own tent, but to that which was pitched to serve as
an eating-place for the captain, Gallus. As she went she saw knots of
soldiers gathered across her path as though to intercept her, and turned
to fly, for the sight of them brought back the terrors of the siege.

"Have no fear of them," said the old woman, smiling. "Ill would it go
here with him who dared to lift a finger against their Pearl-Maiden."

"Pearl-Maiden! Why?" asked Miriam.

"That is what they call you, because of the necklace that was upon your
breast when you were captured, which you wear still. As for why--well,
I suppose because they love you, the poor sick thing they nursed. They
have heard that you are better and gather to give you joy of it; that is
all."

Sure enough, the words were true, for, as Miriam approached, these
rough legionaries cheered and clapped their hands, while one of them an
evil-looking fellow with a broken nose, who was said to have committed
great cruelties during the siege, came forward bowing and presented her
with a handful of wild-flowers, which he must have collected with some
trouble, since, at this season of the year they were not common. She
took them, and being still weak, burst into tears.

"Why should you treat me thus," she asked, "who am, as I understand, but
a poor captive?"

"Nay, nay," answered a sergeant, with an uncouth oath. "It is we who are
your captives, Pearl-Maiden, and we are glad, because your mind has come
to you, though, seeing how sweet you were without it, we do not know
that it can better you very much."

"Oh! friends, friends," began Miriam, then once more broke down.

Meanwhile, hearing the disturbance Gallus had come from his tent and was
hobbling towards them, when suddenly he caught sight of the tears upon
Miriam's face and broke out into such language as could only be used by
a Roman officer of experience.

"What have you been doing to her, you cowardly hounds?" he shouted. "By
Caesar and the Standards, if one of you has even said a word that she
should not hear, he shall be flogged until the bones break through his
skin," and his very beard bristling with wrath, Gallus uttered a
series of the most fearful maledictions upon the head of that supposed
offender, his female ancestry, and his descendants.

"Your pardon, captain," said the sergeant, "but _you_ are uttering many