So far so good; but here it would be scarcely safe to hide, as the
tenants or others might come back. Nehushta looked around. In the thick
wall was a little archway, beneath which commenced a stair. Setting
Rachel on the ground, she ran up it, lightly as a cat. At the top of
thirty steps, many of them broken, she found an old and massive door.
With a sigh of disappointment, the Libyan turned to descend again; then,
by an afterthought, pushed at the door. To her surprise it stirred.
Again she pushed, and it swung open. Within was a large chamber, lighted
by loopholes pierced in the thickness of the wall, for the use of
archers. Now, however, it served no military purpose, but was used as a
storehouse by a merchant of grain, for there in a corner lay a heap of
many measures of barley, and strewn about the floor were sacks of skin
and other articles.

Nehushta examined the room. No hiding-place could be better--unless the
merchant chanced to come to visit his store. Well, that must be risked.
Down she sped, and with much toil and difficulty carried her still
swooning mistress up the steps and into the chamber, where she laid her
on a heap of sacks.

Again, by an afterthought, she ventured to descend, this time to fetch
the broken jar of water. Then she closed the door, setting it fast with
a piece of wood, and began to chafe Rachel's hands and to sprinkle her
face from the jar. Presently the dark eyes opened and her mistress sat
up.

"Is it over, and is this Paradise?" she murmured.

"I should not call the place by that name, lady," answered Nehushta,
drily, "though perhaps, in contrast with the hell that we have left,