Amaryllis was no less beautiful, no less brilliant, no less attractive
than she had once been; but the Gischalan had wearied of her.
Laodice recalled that she had not been surprised to see the man throw
Amaryllis aside. It seemed to be the logical outcome of love such as
theirs. How, then, was she to escape that which no other woman escaped
who loved without law? In the soul of that stranger who had called
himself Hesper, were lofty ideals, which had not been the least charm
which had attracted her to him. Was she, then, to dislodge these holy
convictions, to take her place in his heart as one falling short of
them, or were they still to exist as standards which he loved and
which she could not reach? In either event, how long would he
love--what was the length of her probation before she, too, would
encounter the inevitable weariness?
It occurred to her, then, how nearly the natural law of such love
paralleled the religious prohibition that the Christian had shown to
her. However harsh and unjust the sentence seemed, it was rational.
With her own eyes she had seen its predictions borne out. Already the
relief of the sorrowing righteous possessed her. She turned to the
Christian.
"Take me to my husband," she said. "Now! While I have strength."
Momus caught the old Christian by the arm and, signing eagerly that he
would lead, hurried away in advance of the two down into the ravine
and crossed to the house of Amaryllis.
There were no soldiers to stop them about the house. When no response
was made to her knock, Laodice opened the door and passed in.
Her old conductors followed her.
Amaryllis sat in her ivory chair; opposite her in the exedra was
Philadelphus. At sight of him, the last of the soft color went out of
Laodice's face. A curve of despair marked the corners of her mouth and
she seemed to grow old before those that looked at her.
Philadelphus and the Greek sprang to their feet, the instant the group
entered.
Laodice waited for no preliminary. Amaryllis' design was patent to
her; it was part of her sorrow that now Hesper would be free to the
devices of this deceitful woman. So she did not look at the Greek. She
addressed Philadelphus in a voice from which all hope and vivacity had
gone.
"I have brought proofs. Behold them!"
Nathan, the Christian, stood forth.
"I, Nathan of Jerusalem, met and talked with this Laodice, daughter of
Costobarus, in company with Aquila, the Ephesian, three men-servants
in all the panoply and state of a coming princess three leagues out of
Ascalon, her native city. I buried by the roadside her father, who
died of pestilence on their journey hither. I bear witness that she is
the daughter of Costobarus and thy wedded wife."