"When thou hast leisure, perchance thou wilt find interest in these
papers here."
She thanked him and there was a moment's silence. Under his lashes the
impostor saw that he had not filled her fancied picture of the
Maccabee made from long years of correspondence. She was disappointed;
her intuition was perplexed. He would complete his work and get away
in time.
"My wife is here?" he asked.
"She came yesterday," Amaryllis responded, clapping her hands in
summons. A female servant of such prepossessing appearance that
Philadelphus looked at her again, bowed in the archway.
"Send hither the princess," Amaryllis said.
"The princess," Philadelphus repeated to himself. "Then, by Ate, I am
the prince!"
"While we wait," Amaryllis continued, "let us talk of details which
you may not have patience to hear after she comes. Jerusalem, as you
have learned, is in grave danger--"
"Jerusalem should fear the Roman army less than herself. I have seen
its disease."
"The citizens will hail Titus as a deliverer. But this week's
ceremonies are bringing us disaster. Should Titus be forced to lay
siege about us, how shall we feed this multitude of a million on the
supplies gathered for only a third of that number?"
"Gathered and burned."
"Even so. But of your creature comforts. My house is open to your
chief enemy. It must be so.
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