he Grand Mosque in the Metamar, she repeated the Word after the Iman:
"I testify that there is no God but God, and that our Lord Mohammed is
the messenger of God; I am truly resigned."

Then she was taken back to the women's apartments, and clad gorgeously.
Her child face was wet with tears. She was only a poor weak little
thing, she knew nothing of religion, she loved her father better than
God, and all the world was against her.

CHAPTER XXIII

ISRAEL'S RETURN FROM PRISON

Such was the method of Israel's release. But, knowing nothing of the
price which had been paid for it, he was filled with an immense joy.
Nay, his happiness was quite childish, so suddenly had the darkness
which hung over his life been lifted away. Any one who had seen him in
prison would have been puzzled by the change as he came away from it.
He laughed with the courier who walked with him to the town gate, and
jested with the gate porter as with an old acquaintance. His voice was
merry, his eye gleamed in the rays of the lantern, his face was flushed,
and his step was light. "Afraid to travel in the night? No, no, I'll
meet nothing worse than myself. Others _may_ who meet me? Ha, ha!
Perhaps so, perhaps so!" "No evil with you, brother?" "No evil, praise
be God." "Well, peace be to you!" "On you be peace!" "May your morning
be blessed! Good-night!" "Good-night!" Then with a wave of the hand he
was gone into the darkness.

It was a wonderful night. The moon, which was in its first quarter,
was still low in the east, but the stars were thick overhead, making a
silvery dome that almost obliterated the blue. Rivers were rumbling on
the hillside, an owl was hooting in the distance, kine that could not be
seen were chewing audibly near at hand, and sheep like patches of white
in the gloom were scuttling through the grass before Israel's footsteps.
Israel walked quickly, tracing his course between the two arms of the
Jebel Sheshawan, whose summits were visible against the sky. The air was
cool and moist, and a gentle breeze was blowing from the sea. Oh! the
joy of it to him who had lain long months in prison! Israel drank in the
night air as a young colt drinks in the wind.

And if it was night in the world without, it was day in Israel's heart.
"I am going to be happy," he told himself, "yes, very happy, very
happy." He raised his eyes to heaven, and a star, bigger and brighter
than the rest, hung over the path before him. "It is leading me