"Send us back unto Alexandria, with the faith of Christ on our lips and the peace of His love in our hearts. Tell me that I may go with thee, Lydia!" "I have been waiting for thee since the day we met in the Judean hills." CHAPTER XXXVIII THE REQUITAL On the third day after his arrival in Jerusalem, Herod the king was in his privy cabinet arranging, with his own hands, the graven gems and articles of virtu, prizes brought from his trip to Antioch. The door was dubiously opened, and Agrippa, without turning his head, knew who stood there, for only one in the palace had been commanded to enter the king's presence without announcement. "Well, Silas?" Agrippa said, contemplating the elusive tints of a jade goblet. The old man pulled at the gorgeous uniform of master of horse, that hung from the peasant shoulders and answered: "A friend of thy unfortunate days is without." Agrippa's brows lifted and drew toward each other in a manner half-amused, half-vexed. "The friends of my unfortunate days are the friends of my fortunate days; wherefore, they would liefer be known as friends of Agrippa the king, than of Agrippa the bankrupt. Give them their due and call them the king's companions. And Silas?" "Yes, lord." "The king would as lief forget that he ever had a misfortune." Silas looked perplexed and rubbed his forehead. "But who is it that stands without?" Agrippa continued. "The Essene." "What! Marsyas? By the Nymphae--beshrew me! By the beard of Balaam, I shall be glad to see him! Fetch him hither!" Silas nodded in lieu of a bow. "Lord, there is one with him; shall she enter also?" "Who?" "The alabarch's daughter." "Nay! The little Athene! Terpsichore's best! Not so; though, by Bacch--Balaam! she would be a fit jewel for this place. It shall be an audience hour. Go, summon the queen, and have the Essene and his priestess come to us in our hall!" The master of horse backed away, but, catching Agrippa's smiling eye, turned his back, remembering his privilege, and hurried out, as if he expected an arrow between his shoulders. The king shut down the lid of the shittim-wood chest upon the priceless trifles still unpacked, locked it, and said the while to himself: "The Essene hath heard of the Pharisee Saul's apostasy and hath come to demand his punishment of me. Behold me grant it, with kingly gravity. It will attach the extremists to me all the more, for I hear the Sicarii are wanting the heretic's blood! And he fetches the little Lysimachus with him! Aha! En-Gadi hath lost--that which it never had, in truth." He looked at his hands and at his garments. "Nay, it will be just as well if the lady sees me looking my best!" He slammed the door of his cabinet behind him, locked it and hurried away in the direction of the royal wardrobe.