ow and piled cushions in a corner, making ready for a guest.
Before she had finished Lazarus was laughing.

"When Mary's hand, without the goad of Martha's tongue, fall diligently
to indoor labor, then know we who cometh."

CHAPTER XXII

BRIDAL CHAMBER TALK

Martha's approaching marriage was of more interest to her than even the
solemnity and feasting of the Passover. So it was that on a night
preceding the great celebration, the conversation of Mary and Martha
turned from the events of the day to a new bridal garment. In the
sleeping-room were two handsome carved chests. Beside one of these
Martha knelt, while Mary sat at a dressing-table taking down her hair
for the night.

"Is not my Persian shawl beautiful and my Arabian veil fair to the
eye?" Martha asked proudly, taking them from the chest.

"Yea, but thy robe is more beautiful."

Martha replaced the shawl and veil carefully in the chest and took from
it a robe. She rose, draped the garment over her arm and held it under
the lamp that burned by Mary's table. "Ah, Mary," she said with pride,
"hast thou seen anything more gorgeous? Look thou at the threads of
gold and silver and the blue and purple flowers."

"Yea, thou hast a treasure. Fair wilt thou be as a bride, and proud
will beat the heart of Joel. And there will be merry music with wine
and oil for those who gather along the way to see the procession, and
nuts and sweetmeats for the children."

"And there will be myrtle branches and wreaths of flowers and dancing
maidens with flowing hair and laughing mouths. But Martha will be the
center of all eyes, in snowy veil; and voices all along the way will
cheer and hands will clap."

"Yea," laughed Mary, "hands will clap for among the Jews doth not
everything give way to a wedding procession and everybody make merry?"

"They say," Martha answered, as she brushed a speck of dust from a
flower on her robe, "it was because she oft clapped her hands at
wedding that only the hands of Jezebel were left when the dogs ate her
flesh."

"So the old women like to tell, but it is no more true than that God
had a wedding for Adam and Eve with Michael and Gabriel for groomsmen."

"These sayings sound well, Mary. Why declarest thou they are not true?"

"The understanding of my head doth tell me so. In the days of our
fathers there was no marriage save that a man did go out and find her
whom his heart loved and take her. If one were not enough, h