“Be not downhearted,” said Ithiel in a thick voice, “for I hope that even in this life we shall meet again.”

“May it be so,” answered Miriam, and they parted, the Essenes returning sadly to their home, and Benoni taking the road through Jericho to Jerusalem.

Travelling slowly, at the evening of the second day they set their camp on open ground not far from the Damascus gate of the Holy City, but within the new north wall that had been built by Agrippa.  Into the city itself Benoni would not enter, fearing lest the Roman soldiers should plunder them.  At moonrise Nehushta took Miriam by the hand and led her through the resting camels to a spot a few yards from 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.