join you in Tyre, whither the
_Luna_ is bound--is she not? Farewell?"

Once again he turned to go, but it would seem that his eyes were
blinded, or his brain was dulled by the agony that worked within. At
least Caleb caught his foot in the ancient uneven boards, stumbled, and
fell heavily upon his face. Instantly, with a low hiss of hate and a
spring like that of a cat, Nehushta was upon him. Thrusting her knees
upon his back she seized the nape of his neck with her left hand and
with her right drew a dagger from her bosom.

"Forbear!" said Miriam. "Touch him with that knife and we part forever.
Nay, I mean it. I myself will hand you to the officer, even if he hales
me to Domitian."

Then Nehushta rose to her feet.

"Fool!" she said, "fool, to trust to that man of double moods, whose
mercy to-night will be vengeance to-morrow. Oh! you are undone! Alas!
you are undone!"

Regaining his feet Caleb looked at her contemptuously.

"Had you stabbed she might have been undone indeed," he said. "Now, as
of old, there is little wisdom in that gray head of yours, Nehushta; nor
can your hate suffer you to understand the intermingled good and evil
of my heart." Then he advanced to Miriam, lifted her hand and kissed it.
With a sudden movement she proffered him her brow.

"Nay," he said, "tempt me not, it is not for me. Farewell."

Another instant and he was gone.

It would seem that Caleb kept his word, for three days later the vessel
_Luna_ sailed unmolested from the port of Ostia in the charge of the
Greek captain Hector, having on board Miriam, Nehushta, Julia, and
Gallus.

Within a week of this sailing Titus at length returned to Rome. Here in
due course the case of Marcus was brought before him by the prisoner's
friends, together with a demand that he should be granted a new and open
trial for the clearing of his honour. Titus, who for his own reasons
refused to see Marcus, listened patiently, then gave his decision.

He rejoiced, he said, to learn that his close friend and trusted officer
was still alive, since he had long mourned him as dead. He grieved that
in his absence he should have been put upon his trial on the charge of
having been taken captive, living, by the Jews, which, if Marcus upon
his arrival in Rome had at once reported himself to him, would not have
happened. He dismissed all accusations against his military honour and
courage as mere idle talk, since he had a hundred times proved him to be