“It is short and sad,” she said.  “Demas and I met often and learned to love each other.  My father was no friend to him, for they were rivals in trade, but in those days knowing no better, Demas followed the faith of the Jews; therefore, because he was rich my father consented to our marriage, and they became partners in their business.  Afterwards, within a month indeed, the Apostles came to Tyre, and we attended their preaching—­at first, because we were curious to learn the truth of this new faith against which my father railed, for, as you know, he is of the strictest sect of the Jews; and then, because our hearts were touched.  So in the end we believed, and were baptised, both on one night, by the 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.  He raved, 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 become apostates he denounced us to the priests, and the priests denounced us to the Romans, and we were seized and thrown into prison; but my husband’s wealth, most of it except that which the priests and Romans stole, stayed with my father.  For many months we were held in prison here in Caesarea; then they took my husband to Berytus, to be trained as a gladiator, and murdered him.  Here I have stayed since with this beloved servant, Nehushta, who also became a Christian and shared our fate, and now, by the decree of Agrippa, it is my turn and hers to die to-day.”

“Child, you should not weep for that; nay, you should be glad who at once will find your husband and your Saviour.”

“Mother, I am glad; but, you see my state.  It is for the child’s sake I weep, that now never will be born.  Had it won life even for an hour all of us would have dwelt together in bliss until eternity.  But it cannot be—­it cannot be.”

Anna looked at her with her piercing eyes.

“Have you, then, also the gift of prophecy, child, who are so young a member 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 to feed them, are all in the hand of God, and that which He wills shall befall, 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 die and go hence to our Master, rather than live on in doubts and terrors and 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, is willing, but oh! the flesh is weak.  Listen, they call us to partake of the Sacrament of the Lord—­our last on earth”; and rising, she began to walk towards the arches.