this to thee, my brother?" and Mary stood by Lazarus with
perplexed face.

"That I should love him more than all these."

"He doth require much love."

"Yea, verily, much love doth he require for much doth he give and
everything doth he make of love. Sorrowful I turned away. Yet will I
see him again. But, Mary--Martha--look thou at the western sky. Hast
thou made ready for our honored guest, Zador Ben Amon, who arriveth
shortly? Fortunate is he as those of the House of Annas since with the
money-changers hath the High Priest given him a place so that he hath
riches more abundant than us all. Since he hath been our guest before,
his heart hath become settled on Mary and of her hand hath he spoken to
me already."

"And thou wert not slow to say 'yes.'" There was joy in Martha's
question, though it was not a question.

"'The heart of a woman should go out to him whose wife she would be;
and the heart is not worn on the hand. Tell thy desire to Mary.' This
said I to Zador who seeks her hand."

"Listen!" exclaimed Martha.

The sound of wheels on the pebble strewn incline just outside, told the
approach of Zador Ben Amon.

CHAPTER VII

LOST--AN ANKLET

The face of Zador Ben Amon was divided into two halves, the upper of
which reached from the line of his black beard that ran straight under
his cheek-bones, to the lower edge of his elegant head covering.
Prominent in this half were the eyes of Zador Ben Amon, but whether
those of a wolf, a fox or a saved son of Israel, was a matter of
reciprocity depending on the kind and condition of profit-making at
hand. The lower portion of the money-changer's face was again divided
into two halves by a thin white line running from lip to chin; this
line was preserved by choice oils applied liberally to his beard hair.
The solidity of Zador Ben Amon, whether financial or otherwise, was
suggested by the broad back of his short body and in the square shape
of his feet, whose bones bulged in spite of the best of sandals. To
cover his broad back, Zador had a wonderful cloak of blue with a purple
stripe above the border where crimson pomegranates were embroidered.
With this cloak over his arm, for the season was getting too warm for
more back covering than the usual garment, with new hand-wrought silver
buckles on his sandals, a jaunty sash with deep knotted fringes, and
with hair and beard perfumed, he made his way to the home of Lazarus at
Bethany.

The wheels