ld die of excitement if the dawn were unveiled to them like this
suddenly every morning!"

She released the veil hurriedly, but before it fell he put out a hand,
caught it and tossed it back over her head.

"Be consistent with your part," he said, still smiling. "No man ever
saw day cancel her dawn and live."

It was pleasant, this sweet possession and command. How much like an
overgrown boy he had become, since she had wakened to find herself in
his power that morning in the hills! The harshness and inflexibility
had left his atmosphere entirely. She was only afraid of him now
because he had refused to be dismissed. But she drew down the veil.

"I, too, expect a king," she said in a lowered tone. "A conqueror and
a redeemer."

"The Messiah?" he said, and she knew by the inflection that he had not
meant that King when he had spoken.

He noted that her hair was coiled upon her head when he threw back her
veil and he turned to that at once.

"You wear your hair in a fashion," he said, "that once meant that
which men dislike to discover of a woman whom they greatly admire. I
hope it is no longer significant."

"I go," she said after a silence, "to join my husband in Jerusalem."

The Maccabee's lips parted and an expression of disappointment with an
admixture of surprise and vexation came over his face. But what did it
matter? Were she as free as air, he was a married man. The humor of
the situation appealed to him. He dropped his head into the bend of
his elbow and laughed.

"Welladay, this is a respite for us both, then," he said. But
realizing that an admission that he was married might hopelessly
reduce their hour to a formal basis, he took refuge in a falsehood.

"My companion expects to meet a wife in Jerusalem," he continued. "A
royal creature, daughter of an ancient and haughty family, with all
her life purpose congealed in lofty and serious intent, her coffers
lined with gold and her face as determined and unbending as Juno's
with her jealousy stirred. He is not delighted, poor lad!"

Laodice sat very still and listened. There was enough similarity in
this story to interest her.

The Maccabee, seeing that he had made an impression with this
deception and feeling somehow a relief in making it, went on,
delighted with his deceit.

"He has not seen her since he married her in his childhood, but he
knows full well how she will look when he meets her."

Surprise paralyzed Laodice. Was the smiling and