Pearl-Maiden: A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem Read online

  Produced by John Bickers; Dagny

  PEARL-MAIDEN

  A Tale Of The Fall of Jerusalem

  By H. Rider Haggard

  First Published 1901.

  TO

  GLADYS CHRISTIAN

  A DWELLER IN THE EAST THIS EASTERN TALE IS DEDICATED BY HER OWN AND HERFATHER'S FRIEND

  THE AUTHOR

  Ditchingham: September 14, 1902.

  PEARL-MAIDEN

  CHAPTER I

  THE PRISON AT CAESAREA

  It was but two hours after midnight, yet many were wakeful in Caesarea onthe Syrian coast. Herod Agrippa, King of all Palestine--by grace ofthe Romans--now at the very apex of his power, celebrated a festival inhonour of the Emperor Claudius, to which had flocked all the mightiestin the land and tens of thousands of the people. The city was full ofthem, their camps were set upon the sea-beach and for miles around;there was no room at the inns or in the private houses, where guestsslept upon the roofs, the couches, the floors, and in the gardens. Thegreat town hummed like a hive of bees disturbed after sunset, and thoughthe louder sounds of revelling had died away, parties of feasters,many of them still crowned with fading roses, passed along thestreets shouting and singing to their lodgings. As they went, theydiscussed--those of them who were sufficiently sober--the incidents ofthat day's games in the great circus, and offered or accepted odds uponthe more exciting events of the morrow.

  The captives in the prison that was set upon a little hill, a frowningbuilding of brown stone, divided into courts and surrounded by ahigh wall and a ditch, could hear the workmen at their labours in theamphitheatre below. These sounds interested them, since many of thosewho listened were doomed to take a leading part in the spectacle of thisnew day. In the outer court, for instance, were a hundred men calledmalefactors, for the most part Jews convicted of various politicaloffences. These were to fight against twice their number of savage Arabsof the desert taken in a frontier raid, people whom to-day we shouldknow as Bedouins, mounted and armed with swords and lances, but wearingno mail. The malefactor Jews, by way of compensation, were to beprotected with heavy armour and ample shields. Their combat was tolast for twenty minutes by the sand-glass, when, unless they had showncowardice, those who were left alive of either party were to receivetheir freedom. Indeed, by a kindly decree the King Agrippa, a man whodid not seek unnecessary bloodshed, contrary to custom, even the woundedwere to be spared, that is, if any would undertake the care of them.Under these circumstances, since life is sweet, all had determined tofight their best.

  In another division of the great hall was collected a very differentcompany. There were not more than fifty or sixty of these, so the widearches of the surrounding cloisters gave them sufficient shelter andeven privacy. With the exception of eight or ten men, all of them old,or well on in middle age, since the younger and more vigorous males hadbeen carefully drafted to serve as gladiators, this little band wasmade of women and a few children. They belonged to the new sect calledChristians, the followers of one Jesus, who, according to report, wascrucified as a troublesome person by the governor, Pontius Pilate, aRoman official, who in due course had been banished to Gaul, where hewas said to have committed suicide. In his day Pilate was unpopularin Judaea, for he had taken the treasures of the Temple at Jerusalem tobuild waterworks, causing a tumult in which many were killed. Now hewas almost forgotten, but very strangely, the fame of this crucifieddemagogue, Jesus, seemed to grow, since there were many who made a kindof god of him, preaching doctrines in his name that were contrary to thelaw and offensive to every sect of the Jews.

  Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, Levites, priests, all called out againstthem. All besought Agrippa that he would be rid of them, these apostateswho profaned the land and proclaimed in the ears of a nation awaitingits Messiah, that Heaven-born King who should break the Roman yoke andmake Jerusalem the capital of the world, that this Messiah had comealready in the guise of an itinerant preacher, and perished with othermalefactors by the death of shame.

  Wearied with their importunities, the King listened. Like the cultivatedRomans with whom he associated, Agrippa had no real religion. AtJerusalem he embellished the Temple and made offerings to Jehovah; atBerytus he embellished the temple and made offerings there to Jupiter.He was all things to all men and to himself--nothing but a voluptuoustime-server. As for these Christians, he never troubled himself aboutthem. Why should he? They were few and insignificant, no single man ofrank or wealth was to be found among them. To persecute them was easy,and--it pleased the Jews. Therefore he persecuted them. One James, adisciple of the crucified man called Christ, who had wandered about thecountry with him, he seized and beheaded at Jerusalem. Another, calledPeter, a powerful preacher, he threw into prison, and of their followershe slew many. A few of these were given over to be stoned by the Jews,but the pick of the men were forced to fight as gladiators at Berytusand elsewhere. The women, if young and beautiful, were sold as slaves,but if matrons or aged, they were cast to the wild beasts in the circus.

  Such was the fate, indeed, that was reserved for these poor victims inthe prison on this very day of the opening of our history. After thegladiators had fought and the other games had been celebrated, sixtyChristians, it was announced, old and useless men, married woman andyoung children whom nobody would buy, were to be turned down in thegreat amphitheatre. Then thirty fierce lions, with other savage beasts,made ravenous by hunger and mad with the smell of blood, were to be letloose among them. Even in this act of justice, however, Agrippa sufferedit to be seen that he was gentle-hearted, since of his kindness he haddecreed that any whom the lions refused to eat were to be given clothes,a small sum of money, and released to settle their differences with theJews as they might please.

  Such was the state of public feeling and morals in the Roman world ofthat day, that this spectacle of the feeding of starved beasts with livewomen and children, whose crime was that they worshipped a crucifiedman and would offer sacrifice to no other god, either in the Templeor elsewhere, was much looked forward to by the population of Caesarea.Indeed, great sums of money were ventured upon the event, by means ofwhat to-day would be called sweepstakes, under the regulations of whichhe who drew the ticket marked with the exact number of those whom thelions left alive, would take the first prize. Already some far-seeinggamblers who had drawn low numbers, had bribed the soldiers and wardensto sprinkle the hair and garments of the Christians with valerian water,a decoction which was supposed to attract and excite the appetite ofthese great cats. Others, whose tickets were high, paid handsomely forthe employment of artifices which need not be detailed, calculated toinduce in the lions aversion to the subject that had been treated.The Christian woman or child, it will be observed, who was to formthe _corpus vile_ of these ingenious experiments, was not considered,except, indeed, as the fisherman considers the mussel or the sand-wormon his hook.

  Under an arch by themselves, and not far from the great gateway wherethe guards, their lances in hand, could be seen pacing up and down,sat two women. The contrast in the appearance of this pair was verystriking. One, who could not have been much more than twenty years ofage, was a Jewess, too thin-faced for beauty, but with dark and lovelyeyes, and bearing in every limb and feature the stamp of noble blood.She was Rachel, the widow of Demas, a Graeco-Syrian, and only child ofthe high-born Jew Benoni, one of the richest merchants in Tyre. Theother was a woman of remarkable aspect, apparently about forty yearsof age. She was a native of the coasts of Libya, where she had beenkidnapped as a girl by Jewish traders, and by them passed on toPhoenicians, who sold her upon the slave market of Tyre. In fact she wasa high-bred Arab without any admixture of negro blood,
as was shown byher copper-coloured skin, prominent cheek bones, her straight, black,abundant hair, and untamed, flashing eyes. In frame she was tall andspare, very agile, and full of grace in every movement. Her face wasfierce and hard; even in her present dreadful plight she showed no fear,only when she looked at the lady by her side it grew anxious and tender.She was called Nehushta, a name which Benoni had given her when manyyears ago he bought her upon the market-place. In Hebrew Nehushta meanscopper, and this new slave was copper-coloured. In her native land,however, she had another name, Nou, and by this name she was known toher dead mistress, the wife of Benoni, and to his daughter Rachel, whomshe had nursed from childhood.

  The moon shone very brightly in a clear sky, and by the light of it anobserver, had there been any to observe where all were so occupiedwith their own urgent affairs, could have watched every movement andexpression of these women. Rachel, seated on the ground, was rockingherself to and fro, her face hidden in her hands, and praying. Nehushtaknelt at her side, resting the weight of her body on her heels as onlyan Eastern can, and stared sullenly at nothingness.

  Presently Rachel, dropping her hands, looked at the tender sky andsighed.

  "Our last night on earth, Nou," she said sadly. "It is strange to thinkthat we shall never again see the moon floating above us."

  "Why not, mistress? If all that we have been taught is true, we shallsee that moon, or others, for ever and ever, and if it is not true, thenneither light nor darkness will trouble us any more. However, for my ownpart I don't mean that either of us should die to-morrow."

  "How can you prevent it, Nou?" asked Rachel with a faint smile. "Lionsare no respecters of persons."

  "Yet, mistress, I think that they will respect my person, and yours,too, for my sake."

  "What do you mean, Nou?"

  "I mean that I do not fear the lions; they are country-folk of mine androared round my cradle. The chief, my father, was called Master of Lionsin our country because he could tame them. Why, when I was a littlechild I have fed them and they fawned upon us like dogs."

  "Those lions are long dead, Nou, and the others will not remember."

  "I am not sure that they are dead; at least, blood will call to blood,and their company will know the smell of the child of the Master ofLions. Whoever is eaten, we shall escape."

  "I have no such hope, Nou. To-morrow we must die horribly, that KingAgrippa may do honour to his master, Caesar."

  "If you think that, mistress, then let us die at once rather than berent limb from limb to give pleasure to a stinking mob. See, I havepoison hidden here in my hair. Let us drink of it and be done: it isswift and painless."

  "Nay, Nou, it would not be right. I may lift no hand against my ownlife, or if perchance I may, I have to think of another life."

  "If you die, the unborn child must die also. To-night or to-morrow, whatdoes it matter?"

  "Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof. Who knows? To-morrow Agrippamay be dead, not us, and then the child might live. It is in the hand ofGod. Let God decide."

  "Lady," answered Nehushta, setting her teeth, "for your sake I havebecome a Christian, yes, and I believe. But I tell you this--while Ilive no lion's fangs shall tear that dear flesh of yours. First if needbe, I will stab you there in the arena, or if they take my knife fromme, then I will choke you, or dash out your brains against the posts."

  "It may be a sin, Nou; take no such risk upon your soul."

  "My soul! What do I care about my soul? You are my soul. Your mother waskind to me, the poor slave-girl, and when you were an infant, I rockedyou upon my breast. I spread your bride-bed, and if need be, to save youfrom worse things, I will lay you dead before me and myself dead acrossyour body. Then let God or Satan--I care not which--deal with my soul.At least, I shall have done my best and died faithful."

  "You should not speak so," sighed Rachel. "But, dear, I know it isbecause you love me, and I wish to die as easily as may be and to joinmy husband. Only if the child could have lived, as I think, all threeof us would have dwelt together eternally. Nay, not all three, all four,for you are well-nigh as dear to me, Nou, as husband or as child."

  "That cannot be, I do not wish that it should be, who am but a slavewoman, the dog beneath the table. Oh! if I could save you, then I wouldbe glad to show them how this daughter of my father can bear theirtorments."

  The Libyan ceased, grinding her teeth in impotent rage. Then suddenlyshe leant towards her mistress, kissed her fiercely on the cheek andbegan to sob, slow, heavy sobs.

  "Listen," said Rachel. "The lions are roaring in their dens yonder."

  Nehushta lifted her head and hearkened as a hunter hearkens in thedesert. True enough, from near the great tower that ended the southernwall of the amphitheatre, echoed short, coughing notes and fiercewhimperings, to be followed presently by roar upon roar, as lion afterlion joined in that fearful music, till the whole air shook with thevolume of their voices.

  "Aha!" cried a keeper at the gate--not the Roman soldier who marchedto and fro unconcernedly, but a jailor, named Rufus, who was clad ina padded robe and armed with a great knife. "Aha! listen to them, thepretty kittens. Don't be greedy, little ones--be patient. To-night youwill purr upon a full stomach."

  "Nine of them," muttered Nehushta, who had counted the roars, "allbearded and old, royal beasts. To hearken to them makes me young again.Yes, yes, I smell the desert and see the smoke rising from my father'stents. As a child I hunted them, now they will hunt me; it is theirhour."

  "Give me air! I faint!" gasped Rachel, sinking against her.

  With a guttural exclamation of pity Nehushta bent down. Placing herstrong arms beneath the slender form of her young mistress, and liftingher as though she were a child, she carried her to the centre of thecourt, where stood a fountain; for before it was turned to the purposesof a jail once this place had been a palace. Here she set her mistresson the ground with her back against the stonework, and dashed water inher face till presently she was herself again.

  While Rachel sat thus--for the place was cool and pleasant and she couldnot sleep who must die that day--a wicket-gate was opened and severalpersons, men, women, and children, were thrust through it into thecourt.

  "Newcomers from Tyre in a great hurry not to lose the lions' party,"cried the facetious warden of the gate. "Pass in, my Christian friends,pass in and eat your last supper according to your customs. You willfind it over there, bread and wine in plenty. Eat, my hungry friends,eat before you are eaten and enter into Heaven or--the stomach of thelions."

  An old woman, the last of the party, for she could not walk fast, turnedround and pointed at the buffoon with her staff.

  "Blaspheme not, you heathen dog!" she said, "or rather, blaspheme onand go to your reward! I, Anna, who have the gift of prophecy, tell you,renegade who were a Christian, and therefore are doubly guilty, that_you_ have eaten your last meal--on earth."

  The man, a half-bred Syrian who had abandoned his faith for profit andnow tormented those who were once his brethren, uttered a furious curseand snatched a knife from his girdle.

  "You draw the knife? So be it, perish by the knife!" said Anna.Then without heeding him further the old woman hobbled on after hercompanions, leaving the man to slink away white to the lips with terror.He had been a Christian and knew something of Anna and of this "gift ofprophecy."

  The path of these strangers led them past the fountain, where Rachel andNehushta rose to greet them as they came.

  "Peace be with you," said Rachel.

  "In the name of Christ, peace," they answered, and passed on towardsthe arches where the other captives were gathered. Last of all, at somedistance behind the rest, came the white-haired woman, leaning on herstaff.

  As she approached, Rachel turned to repeat her salutation, then uttereda little cry and said:

  "Mother Anna, do you not know me, Rachel, the daughter of Benoni?"

  "Rachel!" she answered, starting. "Alas! child, how came you here?"

  "By the paths that we C
hristians have to tread, mother," said Rachel,sadly. "But sit; you are weary. Nou, help her."

  Anna nodded, and slowly, for her limbs were stiff, sank down on to thestep of the fountain.

  "Give me to drink, child," she said, "for I have been brought upon amule from Tyre, and am athirst."

  Rachel made her hands into a cup, for she had no other, and held waterto Anna's lips, which she drank greedily, emptying them many times.

  "For this refreshment, God be praised. What said you? The daughter ofBenoni a Christian! Well, even here and now, for that God be praisedalso. Strange that I should not have heard of it; but I have been inJerusalem these two years, and was brought back to Tyre last Sabbath asa prisoner."

  "Yes, Mother, and since then I have become both wife and widow."

  "Whom did you marry, child?"

  "Demas, the merchant. They killed him in the amphitheatre yonder atBerytus six months ago," and the poor woman began to sob.

  "I heard of his end," replied Anna. "It was a good and noble one, andhis soul rests in Heaven. He would not fight with the gladiators, so hewas beheaded by order of Agrippa. But cease weeping, child, and tell meyour story. We have little time for tears, who, perhaps, soon will havedone with them."

  Rachel dried her eyes.

  "It is short and sad," she said. "Demas and I met often and learned tolove each other. My father was no friend to him, for they were rivals intrade, but in those days knowing no better, Demas followed the faithof the Jews; therefore, because he was rich my father consented to ourmarriage, and they became partners in their business. Afterwards,within a month indeed, the Apostles came to Tyre, and we attended theirpreaching--at first, because we were curious to learn the truth of thisnew faith against which my father railed, for, as you know, he is of thestrictest sect of the Jews; and then, because our hearts were touched.So in the end we believed, and were baptised, both on one night, bythe very hand of the brother of the Lord. The holy Apostles departed,blessing us before they went, and Demas, who would play no double part,told my father of what we had done. Oh! mother, it was awful to see. Heraved, shouted and cursed us in his rage, blaspheming Him we worship.More, woe is me that I should have to tell it: When we refused to becomeapostates he denounced us to the priests, and the priests denouncedus to the Romans, and we were seized and thrown into prison; but myhusband's wealth, most of it except that which the priests and Romansstole, stayed with my father. For many months we were held in prisonhere in Caesarea; then they took my husband to Berytus, to be trainedas a gladiator, and murdered him. Here I have stayed since with thisbeloved servant, Nehushta, who also became a Christian and shared ourfate, and now, by the decree of Agrippa, it is my turn and hers to dieto-day."

  "Child, you should not weep for that; nay, you should be glad who atonce will find your husband and your Saviour."

  "Mother, I am glad; but, you see my state. It is for the child's sake Iweep, that now never will be born. Had it won life even for an hour allof us would have dwelt together in bliss until eternity. But it cannotbe--it cannot be."

  Anna looked at her with her piercing eyes.

  "Have you, then, also the gift of prophecy, child, who are so young amember of the Church, that you dare to say that this or that cannot be?The future is in the hand of God. King Agrippa, your father, the Romans,the cruel Jews, those lions that roar yonder, and we who are doomed tofeed them, are all in the hand of God, and that which He wills shallbefall, and no other thing. Therefore, let us praise Him and rejoice,and take no thought for the morrow, unless it be to pray that we may dieand go hence to our Master, rather than live on in doubts and terrorsand tribulations."

  "You are right, mother," answered Rachel, "and I will try to be brave,whatever may befall; but my state makes me feeble. The spirit, truly, iswilling, but oh! the flesh is weak. Listen, they call us to partake ofthe Sacrament of the Lord--our last on earth"; and rising, she began towalk towards the arches.

  Nehushta stayed to help Anna to her feet. When she judged her mistressto be out of hearing she leaned down and whispered:

  "Mother, you have the gift; it is known throughout the Church. Tell me,will the child be born?"

  The old woman fixed her eyes upon the heavens, then answered, slowly:

  "The child will be born and live out its life, and I think that none ofus are doomed to die this day by the jaws of lions, though some of usmay die in another fashion. But I think also that your mistress goesvery shortly to join her husband. Therefore it was that I showed hernothing of what came into my mind."

  "Then it is best that I should die also, and die I will."

  "Wherefore?"

  "Because I go to wait upon my mistress?"

  "Nay, Nehushta," answered Anna, sternly, "you stay to guard her child,whereof when all these earthly things are done you must give account toher."