Cornelius and his son at Bethany—Changed scenes—Under the lights and shadows of Chemosh—A widower’s grief—Azrael’s putative son razes to the ground Miriamne’s home and temple—The legend of Mary’s coffin and girdle—The last of the new grail-knights—A sad and dramatic tableau. Page 618 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. I. MARY AND THE INFANT JESUS, Frontispiece (The original painted by GOODALL.) PAGE II. THE BIRTH OF MARY 60 (The original painted by MURILLO.) III. RIZPAH DEFENDING THE DEAD BODIES OF HER RELATIONS, 250 (The original painted by BECKER.) IV. THE EDUCATION OF MARY, 282 (The original painted by CARL MULLER.) V. THE MARRIAGE OF MARY AND JOSEPH, 294 (The original painted by RAPHAEL.) VI. THE SHADOW OF THE CROSS, 332 (The original painted by MORRIS.) VII. JESUS AT THE AGE OF TWELVE WITH MARY AND JOSEPH ON THEIR WAY TO JERUSALEM, 350 (The original painted by MENGELBURG.) VIII. THE YOUTH JESUS YIELDING TO THE WISHES OF HIS MOTHER, 366 (The original painted by W. HOLMAN HUNT.) IX. THE WEDDING AT CANA, 380 (The original painted by PAUL VERONESE.) X. MARY AND ST. JOHN, 433 (The original painted by PLOCKHORST.) THE QUEEN OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID CHAPTER I. THE QUEEN’S PORTRAIT. “And breaking as from distant gloom, A face comes painted on the air; A presence walks the haunted room, Or sits within the vacant chair. And every object that I feel Seems charged by some enchanter’s wand. And keen the dizzy senses thrill, As with the touch of spirit hand. A form beloved comes again, A voice beside me seems to start, While eager fancies fill the brain, And eager passions hold the heart.”