“‘The wound was worse than I knew.’”
“I felt sure of that,” said the mother.
“‘But I have had tender care and nursing in the house of a Jew called Eleazar, from his wife Miriam and two young Christian captives.’”
“In the house of a Jew!” exclaimed Fabricius, doubtfully. “God grant they dealt fairly by him. The Jews have many wrongs to avenge on us and ours.”
Lucia read on—“‘I am quite strong again,’” and then she paused a moment before she proceeded, “‘I think I have found the Fountain of Youth, and I hope to bring some drops home to thee.’”
“A curious mixture of religions,” said Fabricius. “A Jew, and the old Pagan fountain. What can he mean?”
“He means, I suppose,” said Lucia, “that the world around us seems rather old, and that he has found among these new people some freshness of new life.”
“I understand,” said Damaris.
Lucia read on—“‘Tell my mother of the two young Christian captives, the son and daughter of a king or chieftain from the farthest West, the land of the Scots, Hibernia, the island Rome never conquered. They were kidnapped by British pirates, and bought by the old Jew Eleazar, who, with his wife Miriam, lives at Rome, and is taking them thither. They must be ransomed.’”
“It seems a very wild story,” said Fabricius. “Are you quite sure it is from Marius?”