“I will prove thee a liar,” said the Legate fiercely. “Forward!” he continued, addressing the vanguard. The Jews, gazing from the lofty ramparts of their city, beheld with secret fear the drilled legions of Rome ascending and descending “the hills that stand about Jerusalem,” and stationing themselves at every strategic point; their eyes, turn them which way they would, saw nothing but the glitter of the eagles; all retreat was cut off; the city was girt with a ring of steel. As the house of Miriam, widow of Hyrcanus, was one of the highest on Mount Zion, and as Mount Zion was the highest of the four hills on which Jerusalem was built, it follows that the military display outside the city could not escape the notice of Crispus as he lay upon the roof. The sight filled him with patriotic pride, a pride enhanced by the knowledge that it was his father who led that mighty host; _he_ would not fail in the work; Rome would again vindicate her supremacy; and Eleazar and the false, cowardly crew that had taken part in the barbarous massacre of the garrisons would receive their merited doom. A pity he, Crispus, must lie here, unable to join in the coming fight! Beside his pallet sat the gentle Vashti, her eyes on the Roman host. “Your father will not take the city,” said she quietly; “at least, not at this time.” Crispus, almost startled by her air of certainty, asked what reason she had for her belief. “There are in this city,” replied Vashti, “a multitude of Christians over whom our Divine Master watcheth, for He is not dead but liveth eternally. Think you that He will permit His saints to fall by the sword of the Romans? I trow not; those guilty Jews who have hardened their heart against Him will receive their just doom; but of His disciples He saith, ‘There shall not a hair of your head perish.’ And therefore that we might know when the time is come for us to quit the city, He, while on earth, gave us this sign.” Vashti drew from her bosom a scroll of papyrus written in Greek characters, and read from it the following sentence: “‘_When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then let them that are in the midst of it depart out._’” “How can they depart out with a hostile army camping all round?” asked Crispus, captiously. “How, indeed? Therefore it is necessary that this hostile army should be withdrawn for a time.” “In order to give the Christians the opportunity to escape!” said Crispus with a touch of sarcasm in his voice.