“Begone,” he cried. “Back to the Temple, taking your prisoner with you. Titus himself is upon us at the head of two fresh legions, mad at the loss of his Prefect and so many of his soldiers. Why! where is the wounded Roman, Marcus?” “He has vanished,” answered Caleb sullenly. “Vanished”—here he glanced at Miriam with jealous and vindictive hate—“and in his place has left to us this woman, the grand-daughter of Benoni, Miriam, who strangely enough was once his love.” “Is it so?” said the officer. “Girl, tell us what you have done with the Roman, or die. Come, we have no time to lose.” “I have done nothing. I saw a man walk past the sentries, that is all.” “She lies,” said the officer contemptuously. “Here, kill this traitress.” A man advanced lifting his sword, and Miriam, thinking that all was over, hid her eyes while she waited for the blow. Before it fell, however, Caleb whispered something to the officer which caused him to change his mind. “So be it,” he said. “Hold your hand and take this woman with you to the Temple, there to be tried by her grandfather, Benoni, and the other judges of the Sanhedrim. They have means to cause the most obstinate to speak, whereas death seals the lips forever. Swift, now, swift, for already they are fighting on the market-place.” So they seized Miriam and dragged her away from the Old Tower, which an hour later was taken possession of by the Romans, who destroyed it with the other buildings. CHAPTER XVI THE SANHEDRIM The Jewish soldiers haled Miriam roughly through dark and tortuous streets, bordered by burnt-out houses, and up steep stone slopes deep with the débris of the siege. Indeed, they had need to hasten, for, lit with the lamp of flaming dwellings, behind them flowed the tide of war. The Romans, driven back from this part of the city by that day’s furious sally, under cover of the night were re-occupying in overwhelming strength the ground that they had lost, forcing the Jews before them and striving to cut them off from their stronghold in the Temple and that part of the Upper City which they still held.