“For once, I’ll cover it.” So saying he hid the emblem.
The comrades parted, and Sir Charleroy quickly found himself by the maiden who personated Esther. He approached unnoticed until he pleasantly said: “Queen of Shushan, a man out there behind a clump of Sharon roses, played me a game of lots. I lost the game, and he has put it on me to come to the Queen to fix the forfeit I shall pay.” The maiden turned her head haughtily and examined the speaker from head to foot with repelling gaze. It was her way of freezing off the amorous swains who constantly aimed to pay her court. But when her eyes met those of the self-possessed stranger, she gave a little start. Perhaps she caught sight, by some omen, of her fate; perhaps she felt the magnetism of the strong will which for the first time presented itself. In any event, it was the first time she had ever been alone, face to face, with such as he; a stalwart man, all reverential, yet all self-possessed. They were well matched, and they both felt it, intuitively, instantly.
“Who art thou?”
“A child of God.”
“Of Israel?”
“By faith, most holy of Abraham’s seed,” responded Sir Charleroy.
“Thy speech bewrayeth thee as lacking our shibboleth.”
“I’ve been a life long wanderer. Thou wouldst not reject one whom involuntary exile had robbed of tokens?”
“But I can not be free with an uncertified stranger. I’m afraid I err in tarrying here ’till now.”
“Hospitality is the boast of pious Hebrews who obey Him that ‘loveth the stranger in giving him food and raiment.’ Thou hast the Great Father’s law: ‘Love ye therefore the stranger, for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.’ Some have by hospitality unawares entertained angels, thou knowst.”
“I’d like to entertain an angel; are they ever so human-like as thou?” she smiled.
“Had I known the Esther of to-night long enough to convince her that my freedom was sincere, I’d say that she was a fine example of the union of the angelic in the human.”
The maiden laughed. The incense was agreeable, and the freedom of this feast-time justified her acceptance of this novel, bold flattery. Your proud, daring woman is very vulnerable to such assaults. The world often wonders why such women so often, after all, surrender; but that’s because the world does not appreciate the dexterity in such jousts of such skilled men of the world as Sir Charleroy; or how grateful to self-admiring beauties the admiration of superior intellects is.
“Well, will thou give me thy name?”
“Certainly. For to-night, Ahasuerus?”
“A presumptious jest, sir.”
“No, for I admire and respect Esther, that’s here.”
“And then?”
“I plead for help; gain me admittance to the festivities, and escape from inquiry further, as to my identity.”
“And afterward, be called by my people brazen by thee, a little fool!”
“Art thou driven from right, the claim of hospitality, by fear of a lie?”
“What if thou wert a Bedouin spy, or a hated cross follower?”
“Thou art a noble hearted maiden.”
“Ah, who told thee so?”
“Thy face.”
“What is that to thee, if true?” she blushed a little.
“Could’st thou drive from thy bosom a fleeing kid, there seeking refuge from pursuing lions?”
“I do not know ’till tried. Thou art at any rate no kid; there is no lion. If thou desirest refuge, see the path of departure is the one by which thou cam’st hither.”
“Well, then, farewell.”
The knight made as if he would go, but he knew he would not. The motion gave him excuse for looking sad, and he knew that next to a handsome face a sad one most easily conquers a woman.
“Tarry a moment ’till I think. Can I trust thee?” she was hesitating.
“I’ve trusted thee, and that’s ever the best proof of fidelity.” Women like to think they are especially trusted.
“Well——but, see, my father comes; there’s no time for argument; let me speak!”
As the aged priest drew near, Esther saluted him, and said, “Father, let me take this Galileean stranger to the youths and their games? He claims our hospitality.”
The priest, wont to be on the alert, was disarmed by the magic word hospitality; then, too, for a long time before, having been wifeless, he had been wont to put his daughter forward, according large confidence to her; hence his reply:
“If thou knowest him, Rizpah.”
“I do.”
“Welcome, brother, what is thy name?” said Harrimai.
Rizpah, his daughter, quickly made reply, “Ahasuerus, and I’ve laughed at the coincidence until he has been ashamed to repeat it.”
“ ’Tis strange, surely, and not like a Jewish one. I must examine the family rolls to-morrow. Peace be unto thee, son,” and the old man turned toward his pavilion. Esther plucked a lily from her crown and handed it to Sir Charleroy saying: “Here, king, a token.”
“Of what?”
“Shushan; in our tongue, the name of the flower signifies ‘surrender.’ ”
“They say, Esther, that Judith wore a crown of lilies when she assassinated Holophernes. Is there any danger to me impending?”
“Thou hast a lily. It is said to ward off enchantments, too.”
“I am enchanted. I do not want to awaken. In Egypt they call this the lotus, flower of unrestrained pleasure.”
“For now then, we’ll call it lotus.”
“All gods, even Osiris, bless thee, Esther.”
So the twain were charmed comrades, till watch fires were dim and the palm shadows were creeping in, like funeral attendants, to carry away the spirit of the dying revel. Here and there was heard anon the voices commending this one and that to pleasant slumbers. The stars were withdrawing behind dawn’s feathery curtains, and over all, at intervals, was heard the voice of the chanticleer, triumphantly proclaiming the coming day.
Charleroy and Rizpah were left alone with each other at the end of the last game.
The maiden gave a coy, furtive glance and tardily drew away from the knight. The language of the drawing-room of the day, is as old as the centuries, and that maid of the wilderness used it as finely as a queen, to say without words, “it’s time we part; please say so first, nor leave to me, the hostess, the first suggestion of a wish to have thee go——”
Still the knight spake not.
He was delighted and averse to breaking the first pleasure spell of years.
The Jewish maiden, with fine courtesy, renewed the subject: “King, methinks, thou art anxious to exchange the grove for the palace.”
“I can never think of weariness when restful Esther is nigh.”
“But thy life is precious to thy subjects; care for it, and go with freshness to to-morrow’s cares of state.”
“Ah, queen, I too keenly realize that with thy departure my kingdom fades to nothingness.”
“A truce, my liege.”
“Granted, and any thing else, to the half