The City of Delight A Love Drama of the Siege and Fall of Jerusalem   By: Elizabeth Miller (1878-1961)

A Love Drama of the Siege and Fall of Jerusalem

by

Elizabeth Miller

Author of The Yoke and Saul of Tarsus

With Illustrations by F.X. Leyendecker

Indianapolis The Bobbs Merrill Company Publishers 1908 March

[Illustration]

To My Elder Brother Otto Miller

CONTENTS

Chapter Page

I A Prince's Bride 1

II On the Road to Jerusalem 31

III The Shepherd of Pella 56

IV The Travelers 85

V By the Wayside 108

VI Dawn in the Hills 124

VII Imperial Cæsar 148

VIII Greek and Jew 169

IX The Young Titus 189

X The Story of a Divine Tragedy 212

XI The House of Offense 233

XII The Prince Returns 253

XIII A New Pretender 274

XIV The Pride of Amaryllis 284

XV The Image of Jealousy 300

XVI The Spread Net 322

XVII The Tangled Web 337

XVIII In the Sunless Crypt 358

XIX The False Prophet 374

XX As the Foam upon Water 390

XXI The Faithful Servant 408

XXII Vanished Hopes 417

XXIII The Fulfilment 427

XXIV The Road to Pella 441

THE CITY OF DELIGHT

Chapter I

A PRINCE'S BRIDE

The chief merchant of Ascalon stood in the guest chamber of his house.

Although it was a late winter day the old man was clad in the free white garments of a midsummer afternoon, for to the sorrow of Philistia the cold season of the year sixty nine had been warm, wet and miasmic. An old woman entering presently glanced at the closed windows of the apartment when she noted the flushed face of the merchant but she made no movement to have them opened. More than the warmth of the day was engaging the attention of the grave old man, and the woman, by dress and manner of equal rank with him, stood aside until he could give her a moment.

His porter bowed at his side.

"The servants of Philip of Tyre are without," he said. "Shall they enter?"

"They have come for the furnishings," Costobarus answered. "Take thou all the household but Momus and Hiram, and dismantle the rooms for them. Begin in the library; then the sleeping rooms; this chamber next; the kitchen last of all. Send Hiram to the stables to except three good camels from the herd for our use. Let Momus look to the baggage. Where is Keturah?"

A woman servant hastening after a line of men bearing a great divan, picking up the draperies and pillows that had dropped, stopped and salaamed to her master.

"Is our apparel ready?" he asked.

"Prepared, master," was the response.

"Then send hither " But at that moment a man servant dressed in the garb of a physician hastened into the chamber. Without awaiting the notice of his master he hurried up and whispered in his ear. Costobarus' face grew instantly grave.

"How near?" he asked anxiously.

"In the next house but a moment since. The household hath fled," was the low answer.

"Haste, haste!" Costobarus cried to the rush of servants about him. "Lose no time. We must be gone from this place before mid afternoon. Laodice! Where is Laodice?" he inquired.

Then his wife who had stood aside spoke.

"She is not yet prepared," she explained unreadily. "She needs a frieze cloak "

Costobarus broke in by beckoning his wife to one side, where the servants could not hear him say compassionately,

"Let there be no delay for small things, Hannah. Let us haste, for Laodice is going on the Lord's business."