"I think she is as Hannah, the prophetess of my people!" exclaimed Miriam. "But she, too, hath departed. She was a mother in Israel!"
"Haste!" interrupted Isaac. "Let the young heathen go his way! This is unseemly for a maiden of Judah! He may not remain. But, O youth, if thou canst do anything, withhold not thy hand."
"Fear not!" said the jarl. "I will quickly attend to Abbas and to whoever worketh with him!"
But his eyes were gazing deeply into the eyes of Miriam, and it seemed as if in this manner they were speaking to one another.
"Go!" she whispered. "Have I not thy ruby? Keep thou, also, my token. I am thine!"
"O Miriam," whispered back Ulric, "I think thee also a daughter of the gods. I go!"
The door closed behind him and he strode away, but immediately Isaac spoke chidingly.
"Thou art mad!" he exclaimed, "O foolish daughter of Israel! O unwise damsel! What is this stranger unto thee?"
"O Isaac, my kinsman," she replied, "this matter concerneth both thy life and mine. Did he not fulfill the law of sacrifices? I will go to my chamber, but I enjoin upon thee that thou greet him kindly when he returneth."
"That much I will do," said the old man as one who prudently considereth a difficult affair. "Am not I a man of understanding? If Jehovah hath sent us a sword for our protection, blessed be his name! Even this day hath Abbas been with me, and he hath afflicted me sorely."