FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84  
85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   >>   >|  
nless the stake were worth the pain I had to endure? Say no more against him!" The Maccabee shrugged his shoulders; then noting that she still stood, he smoothed down a spot of the sand with his foot, tossed upon it one of the sheepskins that Momus had unrolled, and extending his hand politely pressed her down on the place he had made. Then he dropped down beside her, lounging on his elbow. "What is the stake?" he asked after he had composed himself. She hesitated, regretting that her defense of Momus had led her to hint her mission and touch upon her husband's ambition. "The welfare of hosts!" she replied finally. "Heavens! What a menace I was!" the Maccabee smiled. She colored quickly and he resented the veil that was shutting away so much that was fine and fleeting by way of expression under its folds. "But you are just as dangerous," he declared. "Now, we should be in Jerusalem this hour. Our welfare and the welfare of others depend upon us--I mean my companion and me. But there is no devoted prodigy to bear me away--thank fortune! I have come out of a great turmoil; I must plunge into a greater one before many days. Let me rest between them. It will be a long time before I shall possess anything so sweet as the smell of this cedar fire and the picture of you against this fair sky!" She looked down quickly. "Was Ephesus in turmoil?" she asked disconnectedly. "Ephesus was never in any other state! A fit preparation for the disorder in Jerusalem! I was met at Caesarea with such tales as depressed me until it required such delight as you are to bring back my spirits again! What takes you to Jerusalem?" he asked earnestly. "The Passover? God will forgive you if you neglect it one year. Nothing but the sternest necessity should send any one there at this hour." "My necessity is stern--it is Judea's necessity," she answered. "More similarity!" he exclaimed. "That is why I go! Certainly Judea's fortunes have bettered with you and me both hastening to her rescue. Come, let us compare further. I am going to crown a king over Judea!" She raised her veil to look at him with startled eyes. The glimpse of her face, for ever a delight and an astonishment to him because of its extraordinary loveliness, swept him out of the half-serious air into which he had fallen. He stopped and looked at her with pleased, boyish, happy eyes. "Aurora!" he said softly. "I see now why day comes gradually. Mankind wou
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84  
85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

necessity

 

welfare

 

Jerusalem

 
quickly
 
delight
 

looked

 
Maccabee
 

Ephesus

 

turmoil

 

neglect


Nothing
 

required

 

sternest

 

preparation

 

forgive

 
Passover
 

earnestly

 

disconnectedly

 

disorder

 
Caesarea

spirits

 
depressed
 

fallen

 

loveliness

 

astonishment

 

extraordinary

 

stopped

 
pleased
 

gradually

 

Mankind


boyish

 

Aurora

 

softly

 

glimpse

 

Certainly

 

fortunes

 

bettered

 

exclaimed

 

answered

 

similarity


hastening

 

rescue

 

raised

 

startled

 

compare

 

fortune

 
composed
 

hesitated

 

regretting

 

lounging