at he has been a slave, and escaped from the
Romans; and that, as far as he knows, I am yet alive. Then, when
they are prepared, bring him in, and let him answer their
questions."

The evening meal had been ended before Isaac had left the room to
feed, with some warm milk, a kid whose dam had died. It was while
he was engaged upon this duty that Jonas had come upon him. When he
entered the room Simon was sitting, with the open Bible before him,
at the head of the table; waiting his return to commence the
evening prayers.

"What has detained you, Isaac?" he asked. "Surely it is not after
all these years you would forget our evening prayers?"

"I was detained," the old man said, unsteadily and, at the sound of
his voice, and the sight of his face, as it came within the circle
of the light from the lamp, Mary rose suddenly to her feet, and
stood looking at him.

"What is it?" she asked, in a low voice.

"Why," Simon asked calmly, "what has detained you, Isaac?"

"A strange thing has happened," the old man said. "One of our
wanderers has returned--not he whom we have hoped and prayed for
most--but Jonas. He has been a slave, but has escaped, and come
back to us."

"And what is his news?" Simon asked, rising to his feet; but even
more imperative was the unspoken question on Mary's white face, and
parted lips.

"He gives us hope," Isaac said to her. "So far as he knows, John
may yet be alive."

"I knew it, I knew it!" Mary said, in a voice scarcely above a
whisper.

"O Lord, I thank thee. Why have I doubted Thy mercy?"

And she stood, for a moment, with head thrown back and eyes
upraised; then she swayed suddenly, and would have fallen, had not
Isaac run forward and supported her until, at Martha's cry, two of
the maids hastened up and placed her on a seat.

Some water was held to her lips. She drank a little, and then said,
faintly, "Tell us more, Isaac."

"I have not much more to tell," he replied. "Jonas says that John
certainly did not fall in Jerusalem--as, indeed, we were told by
the young man of his band who returned--and that he believes that,
like himself, he was sold as a slave.

"But Jonas is outside. I thought it better to tell you, first. Now,
I will call him in to speak for himself."

When Jonas entered, Martha and Mary were clasped in each other's
arms. Miriam, with the tears streaming down her cheeks, was
repeating aloud one of the Psalms of thanksgiving; while Simon
stood with head bent