in the rocks, were all below the calmly supercilious house of Philostephanus.

Samson's heart misgave him. But, placing his hand within his bosom, he felt of the letter which he had received from Lampadephorus. Taking courage again, he knocked at the calmly echoing doors of Philostephanus.

CHAPTER XVI

CHRISTMAS BEFORE CHRIST

SAMSON-SOLOMON of Cyrene was let into Philostephanus's house, and then was shown unto the great owner thereof, who, having read the letter of the lamp-bearer, said unto the Jew: "Thou art indeed more than wlcome here, not merely for thine own sake but also for the sake of him that sent thee."

And the Jew took up his inn in the house of Philostephanus, and studied with that man many days. And they had much converse at times about the Greek. But never did Philostephanus descend the zigzag stairway to the haunts of common men.

Now Philostephanus was tall, slight, and very pale and purblind. And ever he looked like one that peered out into a thick fog or darkness.

He had once had a wife, so said he to the Jew, Philosophia, dead these many years, by whom he had had two daughters (and these he presented in due season unto Samson) Solitudo, by name, and Arrogantia. These would sit in the rocky yard before their father's residence, for long, long hours, leaning over the parapet and gazing steadfastly into the nether city; Solitudo crying, at intervals, “I am so lonely—would that a crowd were come," and Arrogantia answering, "Better be contented, Sister, than to mingle with the vulgar multitude." And up would go her eyebrows yet a little further. Sometimes, as she leaned across the rocky parapet, she voided her spittle on the common crowd beneath.

And Philostephanus informed the Jew that these were not all the children which he had had, but that, having, in years gone by, now and then condescended to ramble among the huts and cottages of the lower city, there, on a time, he had had, by a slattern, Multitudo, an illegitimate and unworthy daughter whom he had come to know as Indignitas. Since which time he had lived retired in his rocky mansion, far away from noise, strife, and all the rudeness and ignorance of the common people. "They value my little learning

vastly more," said he, "for that I dwell away from them and live upon a height."

And space and time and matter and the origin of things were all discussed by the proud and learned Philostephanus, but to the Jew, it seemed that his erudite friend had little affection either for one view or for another, if only his hearer would applaud either the learning or the eloquence of his master.

On a day, when, as it happened, the Master would teach his disciple in the outer air, then went he and Solomon forth to the rocky, fenced-in space which there was before the mansion.

And here they sate in learned leisure for a while near the dizzy edge, gazing down on humming marts and silent tombs, and the frivolous sounds of men, men who were stuttering and fretting away their noisy hour before they, too, were gathered into the calmness and stillness of the rocks.

Then said Philostephanus, of a sudden: "I would ask thee as about Messiah, O Jew, for many of our philosophers have spoken concerning him, and I am troubled deeply."

But the Jew rose up, and craved his pardon, and descended to the lower city, for he said in his heart: "I have heretofore suffered when I spake of our religion. Why now should I do that dangerous thing again?"

And when he had come to the market place, he heard a master of a caravan complaining: "Woe is me! That only I had a dozen jars of oil, or ere I start out into the desert! I would give half a silver talent for an even dozen-scarce as oil is here among the rocks. But oil cannot be had."

The Jew said unto him, "Wouldst thou even so?”

The man said, "Even so. For I have sought in all the shops of Petra, and oil is not to be had. Hast thou oil!"

The Jew said, "Wait."

For he had heard, ere this, of a rich man of the city, who was not a merchant but who had gathered too much oil. And he went to that man, saying: "Hast thou oil, and wilt thou part with it?” "Even so," said the man.

And Solomon paid for the oil a quarter of a talent of silver.

And he brought together him that wanted to gather oil and him that wanted to part with oil. And both they twain were glad, yet the Jew had gained for himself a quarter of a talent also. He said, "There were great joy for me in this, were I not chosen for El-Shaddai."

"Chosen thou art," said a sweet voice near by.

Turning, he beheld Gillul, priestess of Dusares, coming in sober garments. "I would learn of thee concerning El-Shaddai, O Jew. Teach me."

Said he, "Where?"

"At my house."

He declareth, "I do fear thy house, for it is the house of death." She said, "Thou meanest that it is the house of an idolatress." Said he, "That mean I."

She answered and said unto him, "Wouldst thou have it so remain, or wouldst thou change it?"

But he, remembering Temunah and Emah, would nowise go with her.

She, on another day, having come yet again to the oil market, and finding there the Jew, said unto him again: "I would learn of thee concerning El-Shaddai."

But he answered, "Have I not already said to thee I would have naught to do with thee?"

"I have another purpose this time in that I ask thee to my house. Thy Law, saith it not: 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth?'"'

"It saith it."

"And saith it not also, 'He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death'?"

"It saith even that also."

"Hast thou not," then asked Gillul, "an enemy that hath so blasphemed, making a jest both of God and of God's temple and of all the things which are God's-even God's priests?"

Samson said, "Yea. I am a revenger to execute justice upon him. In the name of the Lord God, I will have upon him a full revenge."

Said Gillul, "I have heard of thee and thy just revenge, and he whom thou dost seek is here in Petra. I also do need revenge upon him-for he hath mocked at my religion too. Come to my house therefore on this night, when the redness of the sun is still upon the redness of the rocks, and I will lead thee straightway unto him, that thou mayest kill him, having thy just revenge, I mine also."

Said Solomon with a shout, "Is it verily so? I will be at thy house when the redness of the sun is still upon the redness of the rocks, and thou shalt show the Mocker unto me."

"I will show him unto thee," said Gillul. "But to do this thing I shall have sore need to take thee by a secret stair unto a secret High Place."

Samson said, "What matter? Can I not climb a stair! Show me Trivialis."

She: "Thou art a true man. I will await thee. Lo! yonder in the scarlet stone live I-the house with the lofty pillars, next to the one that is carven in great blackness.'

And he looked, and saw, and remembered the place.

And, awaiting the time, he gave great alms and was high compassionate unto many, even unto them that had by their own countrymen been neglected. For such was the use and custom of his people everywhere, in whatsoever land or nation they might be.

And when the red light of the sun was yet upon the redness of the rocks, he climbed the crooked stairway to Gillul's house, and knocked, and was straightway admitted to the dwelling.

And when he was set, then came forth Gillul, still in sober garments, saying: "It lacketh yet a little ere I can take thee to Trivialis. And when the time is come, a horn will sound. By that we shall know. Meanwhile, teach thou me Adonai."

She cast herself passionately upon the stone floor at his feet, crying: "See! I would learn at thy feet, for long have I wished to know."

And Samson remembered his pride concerning this matter before Philostephanus, but behold, the woman was very beautiful, and he loved her exceedingly.

He therefore opened his mouth and taught her (for he asked in his soul, Should I be as Jonah, and neglect to teach the heathen?).

He said therefore unto her, "See! there is but one God, and He hath chosen Israel for his priests. Even now go I up unto Jerusalem, where I shall be admitted to the High Priest, there to show my locket, in which is my credential to my priesthood. And he will take me to the Hall of Polished Stones, in the presence of the Sanhedrim, and when they have read my parchment and have seen me that I have no flaw, they will wholly array me in a shining garment, and will write my name in the book in which that name should be." He said also, "And God is wholly good, and wholly wise, and wholly powerful. Yet is he a jealous God too, and will have no other gods before Him.

"Adonai hateth sin, as do all men-but some are sore perverted in their natures. And the gods of the heathen, the Elilim, are not as the God of the Hebrews-Adonai, El-Shaddai. For they are workers of iniquity, and lure the hearts of men from truth and righteousness. They are adversaries of the Savior from sin, servants unto Satan."

Said then Gillul, "Do ye not indeed worship the Lord with images, and have ye not a place that is high, even (as I have heard) on Mount Moriah?"

Samson said unto her, "Ye mean, Have we not altar, court, and laver, even as ye have, and show we not in shadows in our Temple the things that are not of sense-even as ye do? But none of the things at all which are in the Temple do we worship. They are only allegories-pictures of things unseen, which things then the peoples, having beheld the pictures, may understand. But there is no picture of El-Shaddai there. He is beyond all picturing. He and His infinite attributes also-His tenderness, His mercy, His righteousness, His truth, His peace, His love."

The Jew fell silent. And a man that was a slave in Gillul's household, having overheard these things, grew deeply concerned. In after years, having been freed, he went up to Jerusalem, where he became a proselyte to righteousness. Going into many places, he taught that salvation is of the Jews, and brought many others also unto God, until at length Jehovah, who long had loved him and supported him in fleshly tribulations, reached forth and took him home.

Even the priestess, Gillul, because of the things she had just listened to, thought: "Would that I were now as this excellent Jew is though not so easily misled."

She bent her head in deepest consideration, and out of her bosom fell a letter, that which she had had from Ophidion.

She caught it quickly up, and was covered with blushes. Yet she put the letter back into her bosom, saying: "Let us go without, and sit upon the terraced place, until the horn doth sound."

And they went and sate without, and looked down into the city. And Samson heard distinctly the tinkling of the rings about the camels' necks, and beheld a multitude of torches moving about the irradiated streets. After a time he beheld many a light that was fixed, and moved not. Gillul, who saw this also, said unto him: "See! It is just a little after the winter solstice, and the time is sacred to Dusares. There are lights on all the housetops, where much of the people worship, and these lights move not. But also a multitude is going toward the greatest of the High Places-for there the truest worship of our god is."

Then said Samson, "On a time will come Messiah, and all these things shall pass.

"Cometh He with a sword?"