"But I could not stay in the house, and you out of it, sister; so I went through the quarries and whistled for Meph at the wall, but he didn't come; I played all day in the caverns." "What a place to play, my child." "Well, I couldn't see how bad it was, so I didn't care." Caleb led the way up from the cellar. Huldah, who had waited and listened for signs of her coming, held Deborah in her motherly arms, and dropped upon her face some tears well salted with memories of by-gone years. XXIV LESSONS IN DIPLOMACY In the excitement of the great disaster no one had inquired for Deborah, except Glaucon, who received from the cautious Huldah evasive replies regarding her illness. The day following the battle her brother insisted upon seeing her, since it might be necessary to make sudden flight in the event of the Maccabæans attacking the city. Deborah came from her chamber, walking with difficulty. One would have said that she had received a hurt or a wound from a fall. She, however, spoke slightingly of the pain in the sinews which sometimes came to her, an inherited disorder; at least she had heard that her mother was at times similarly attacked; but a few days' rest always cured her. She now listened with surprise to the story that a great battle had taken place, and upbraided Glaucon and Huldah and Ephraim for not telling her of it. She questioned every new-comer with the eagerness of fright. Each fresh outcry in the street seemed to deepen the blanch of her cheeks, so that even Glaucon, though his face was pale and his lips trembled, rebuked her timidity, and swore great heathen oaths, such as befitted so valiant a protector. "What shall we do if the rebels really take the city?" she asked. "We will flee to Antioch." "But the Jews hold all the country to the north, do they not?" "If the worst comes we can take ship at Gaza. I have got as much gold as my belt will hold, and our asses are ready to start at daybreak, if the news then warrants our flight. But who comes?" Through the uproar in the street were heard cries of the name of Dion. The curtains moved, and the young Captain stood at the opening.