"Seek thou the wine-merchant, Eucadeus, and say to him that Claudia, wife of Naaman, would purchase of him Leah, the little Israelite maid, upon whom he may set his own price."
The chief steward accordingly went to do his mistress' bidding.
Eucadeus, a hard, cruel, grasping fellow, who put upon the little maid tasks far beyond her strength, was at first unwilling to part with his slave. But, upon learning that it was Claudia, wife of Naaman, who desired to purchase her, and that he might name his own price, he quickly changed his mind and bargained with the chief steward for a price just double that which he had paid for the maiden.
The chief steward, though much disgusted with the old man's avarice and extortion, handed over the pieces of gold which he named as his price for the maiden and returned to the palace bringing Leah with him.
Claudia appointed Leah her own hand-maiden and soon became very much attached to her; Leah, in return, devotedly loved her beautiful kind mistress.
One day, after she had been some months in the household of Naaman, Leah, who had been watching wistfully her mistress' beautiful, sad face, said:
"Ah, my dear mistress, how pale and sorrowful thou looketh. My heart acheth for thee; would that I could help thee."
Claudia smiled with infinite sadness and laid her hand affectionately upon the dark, curly head of her hand-maiden.
"Thou hast a tender heart, little one," she said. "I am sure thou wouldst help me if thou couldst. But no one can do that, not even the wisest and greatest in all Syria."