indicated the stripped room. It was a noble chamber. The stamp of the
elegant simplicity of Cyrus, the Persian, was upon it. The ancient
blue and white mosaics that had been laid by the Parsee builder and
the fretwork and twisted pillars were there, but the silky carpets,
the censers and the chairs of fine woods were gone. Costobarus looked
steadily at the perplexed countenance of Philip.

"Seest thou how much I believe in this youth?" he asked.

A shade of uneasiness crossed Philip's forehead.

"Thou art no longer young, Costobarus," he said, "and disappointments
go hard with us, at our age--especially, especially."

"I shall not be disappointed," Costobarus declared.

The friendly Jew looked doubtful.

"The nation is in a sad state," he observed. "We have cause. The
procurators have been of a nature with their patrons, the emperors. It
is enough but to say that! But Vespasian Cæsar is another kind of man.
He is tractable. Young Titus, who will succeed him, is well-named the
Darling of Mankind. We could get much redress from these if we would
be content with redress. But no! We must revert to the days of Saul!"

"Yes; but they declare they will have no king but God; no commander
but the Messiah to come; no order but primitive impulse! But the
Maccabee will change all that! It is but the far swing of the first
revolt. Jerusalem is ready for reason at this hour, it is said."