a white
veiled statue, yet softer than marble, locked in the pervading and low
brooding hush. Then, suddenly, she turned her ear in the direction of
the highway. "A sound breaketh the stillness!" she exclaimed in an
excited undertone. "Faint and far it is--but a _sound_!" With light
steps she ran to her watching place by the stone wall. "Yea, a sound!"
and she leaned over the wall. "It groweth on the air. What cometh? A
speck it is against the gray! It moveth! It groweth larger! Aye, it
cometh! It cometh! It taketh on the shape of flying garments--yea,
flying garments! What meaneth this? He cometh as if pursued! Aye, if
danger threaten, may Israel's God lend speed to his feet!"

The first faint sounds had rapidly grown more distinct. Mary leaned as
far across the wall as safety permitted and peered into the roadway.
"What is it I see? There are two running as doth the hind run to
escape the pursuing dogs! On, on they come! Close--they draw nigh!
They are here! They pass!" With the last words she dropped from the
wall just as the runners dashed by.

"Ho! Stop!" cried one of them. "This is the place."

"The home of Lazarus?" the other panted.

"Yea! Hast thou voice left to shout?"

"Yea, while thou dost beat the door!"

Before Mary could reach the house she heard the runners pounding on the
door and shouting, "Open! Open!" and when she entered at the back her
brother was unbarring the front door. "What news?" he demanded as the
two rushed in.

"Be not loud of mouth. We bear news of Jesus," one of them answered.

Lazarus cast his eyes over them. One was a Galilean fisherman, the
other was naked save a fragment of garment about his loins. "Who art
thou, and what is thy message?"

"Disciples of Jesus are we both. Lo, was my coat torn from me in
resisting those who took him and I fled leaving it in the hands of a
soldier."

"Who hath taken Jesus?" It was Mary who asked, and her voice was
charged with apprehension.

"Yea, who hath taken Jesus?" Joseph asked as he appeared hastily
fastening his vestment.

"By the midnight Temple guard and soldiers from the Tower of Antonio
hath he been taken!"

"Lazarus--Joseph!" Mary cried. "Let us hasten to him--let us _fly_ to
him!"

"Soldiers have taken him who is to be King of the Jews?" Martha
exclaimed. "Not so!"

"Peace, women," Joseph said, lifting his hands. "Wisdom demandeth
there be no loss of time. Let the stranger make speec