rom the camp.

There, standing with her back to the second wall, she pointed out to her
a cliff, steep but of no great height, in which appeared little caves
and ridges of rock that, looked at from this distance, gave to its face
a rude resemblance to a human skull.

"See," she said solemnly. "Yonder the Lord was crucified."

Miriam heard and sank to her knees in prayer. As she knelt there the
grave voice of her grandfather spoke behind her, bidding her rise.

"Child," he said, "it is true. True is it also that signs and wonders
happened after the death of that false Messiah, and that for me and mine
He left a curse behind Him which it may well be is not done with yet. I
know your faith, and I have promised to let you follow it in peace. Yet
I beseech of you, do not make prayers to your God here in public, where
with malefactors He suffered as a malefactor, lest others less tolerant
should see you and drag you to your father's death."

Miriam bowed her head and returned to the camp, nor at that time did
any further words pass between them on this matter of her religion.
Thenceforward, however, she was careful to do nothing which could bring
suspicion on her grandfather.

Four days later they came to the rich and beautiful city of Tyre, and
Miriam saw the sea upon which she had been born. Hitherto, she had
fancied that its waters were much like those of the Dead Lake, upon
whose shores she had dwelt so many years; but when she perceived the
billows rushing onwards, white-crested, to break in thunder against the
walls of island Tyre, she clapped her hands with joy. Indeed, from that
day to the end of her life she loved the sea in all its moods, and
for hours at a time would find it sufficient company. Perhaps this was
because the seethe of its waves was the first sound that her ears had
heard, while her first breath was salted with its spray.

From Jerusalem, Benoni had sent messengers mounted on swift horses
bidding his servants make ready to receive a guest. So it came about
that when she entered his palace in Tyre, Miriam found it decked as
though for a bride, and wandered in amazement--she who had known nothing
better than the mud-houses of the Essenes--from hall to hall of the
ancient building that in bygone generations had been the home of kings
and governors. Benoni followed her steps, watching her with grave eyes,
till at length all was visited save the gardens belonging to him which
were on the mainland.