ed to disturb her devotions.

He had been wounded and angered to the inmost depths of his soul by her
denial. But as he gazed down at her and saw her tall figure shaken by
a sudden chill, and her eyes and hands raised heavenward as though,
spell-bound, he had felt that something grand and sacred dwelt within
her breast which it would be sacrilege to disturb; nay, he had been
unable to resist the feeling that it would be presumptuous to seek
to wed a woman united to the Lord by so close a tie. It must be bliss
indeed to call this exalted creature his own, yet it would be hard to
see her place another, even though it were the Almighty Himself, so far
above her lover and husband.

Men and cattle had already passed close by the sycamore and just as he
was in the act of calling Miriam and pointing to the approaching throng,
she rose, turned toward him, and forced from her troubled breast the
words:

"I have communed with the Lord, Joshua, and now know His will. Do you
remember the words by which God called you?"

He bent his head in assent; but she went on:

"Well then, you must also know what the Most High confided to your
father, to Moses, and to me. He desires to lead us out of the land of
Egypt, to a distant country where neither Pharaoh nor his viceroy shall
rule over us, and He alone shall be our king. That is His will, and if
He requires you to serve Him, you must follow us and, in case of war,
command the men of our people."

Joshua struck his broad breast, exclaiming in violent agitation: "An
oath binds me to return to Tanis to inform Pharaoh how the leaders of
the people received the message with which I was sent forth. Though my
heart should break, I cannot perjure myself."

"And mine shall break," gasped Miriam, "ere I will be disloyal to
the Lord our God. We have both chosen, so let what once united us be
sundered before these stones."

He rushed frantically toward her to seize her hand; but with an
imperious gesture she waved him back, turned away, and went toward the
multitude which, with sheep and cattle, were pressing around the wells.

Old and young respectfully made way for her as, with haughty bearing,
she approached Hur, who was giving orders to the shepherds; but he came
forward to meet her and, after hearing the promise she whispered, he
laid his hand upon her head and said with solemn earnestness:

"Then may the Lord bless our alliance."

Hand in hand with the grey-haired man to whom she