aid; and we shall fight indifferently, because
Daniel hath bespoken a Deliverer for us at this time!"

John, with his wine-glass between thumb and finger, looked at her.

"I should expect a heretic to be so critical for us," he said.

The woman sat with her elbows on the table, her chin in her hands,
gazing moodily at the sunlight falling through the brass grill over
the windows on the court. She ignored his remark, but answered
presently in another tone.

"There is nothing to employ a surfeited mind in this city."

"No?" he said lightly, while interest began to awaken in his eyes.
"The making of enjoyment is here. I have found it so."

"Perchance you have," but she halted and resumed her moody gaze at the
flood of sunlight.

"Are you weary?" he asked. "What is it?"

"Idleness! Eating, sleeping--no; not even that; for idleness steals
away my appetite and my repose."

"Strange restiveness for one reared in the quiet inner chambers of a
Jewish house," he observed.

Her eyes dropped away to the floor; he saw that she was breathing
quickly.

"I dreamed of a free life once," she said in a restrained way. "I have
not since been satisfied. I dreamed of cities and kings, that were
mine! of crises that I dared, of--of things that I did!"

There was indignation and pride in the words, too much recollection of
an actuality to rise from the reminiscences of a dream. John watched
her alertly.

"Enough will happen here in time to divert you," he said.

She made a motion with her hand that swept the round of masonry about
her.

"Not until this falls."

"Come, then, up into my fortress and see my fellows from Gischala," he
offered. "They fled with me from that city when Titus took it and
together we came to this place. They are hardened to disaster; they
and death are fellow-jesters."

"Soldiers?"

"Everything! Better athletes than soldiers, better mummers than
athletes; villains most engaging of all!"

She showed no interest and, after a critical pause, he continued:

"They robbed the booth of some costumer whom the Sadducees had made
rich and captured a maid whom they held until she had taught them how
to use henna and kohl. So I had a garrison of swearing girls until
they wearied of the fatigue of stepping mincingly and untangling their
garments. It was that which robbed the sport of its pleasure and
changed my harem back to a fortress. But while it lasted they were
kings over Jerusalem. And what dear mad