“And that came the night I journeyed away from Jerusalem, without you,” she declared.  “But, my Philadelphus,” she said, turning herself a little that she might hide her face away from him, “had I stayed with you against my conscience, I had been by this time wholly white.”

He kissed her.

“I did not expect you to stay,” he said.  “I knew from the beginning that you would not.  Ask Joseph.  He will bear me out.”

Low on the slope of the hill, the shepherd approached, calling his sheep that trailed after him contentedly by the hundreds.  The excited bark of Urge, the sheep-dog, came up faintly to them.

While they leaned watching them, old Momus, bent and broken, stood before them.  Laodice hurriedly drew away from her husband’s clasp.  It was a habit she had never entirely shaken off, whenever the mute appeared, in spite of the old man’s pathetic dumb protest.

He handed a linen scroll to his master.

It read: 

The captives whom thou hast asked for freedom at Caesar’s hand are this day sent to thee, Philadelphus, under escort.  They should reach thee a little later than this messenger.  However, it is Caesar’s pain to inform thee that the Greek Amaryllis as well as the actress Salome were not to be found.  Julian of Ephesus, who named the woman for us, is here at Caesarea, but being a Roman citizen, is not a captive.  However it shall be seen to that his liberty is sufficiently curtailed for the welfare of the public.  Also, I send herewith a shittim-wood casket found with John of Gischala when he was captured in a cavern under Jerusalem.  It contains treasure and certain writings which identify it as property of thy wife.  There were other features in it which, coming to my hand first, made it advisable that the State should not know of its existence.  And privately, it will be wise in thee to destroy them.

The Maccabee stopped at this point and looked at Laodice.

“What does he mean?” he asked.

“My father put your last letter in the case,” she said, with a little panic in her face.

The Maccabee laughed, and went on,

  Those that go forward to thee are Nathan of Jerusalem and Aquila
  of Ephesus.  To thy wife my obeisances.  To thyself, greeting.

  CARUS, TRIBUNE.

THE END