"Speak on!" he commanded, and his messenger told all, to the place where he had parted from Tostig and the Saxons upon the shore of the harbor of Joppa.
"More than this is already known to me," said Pontius. "Hast thou spoken at all of this matter?"
"Not to any ear but thine, my lord," said Lysias. "I have been utterly prudent. Even the master of the games cannot know concerning thy dealing with the secret messenger of Herod."
"Thou knowest?" almost gasped the procurator. "Very great is thy knowledge. Thou hast done well in this affair. I will give thee now another errand. Call unto me the sentinel in the outer corridor."
Quickly Lysias went and returned, bringing with him one of the trusted legionaries of the palace guard who had been on duty.
"Take thou this youth," said Pontius, "and lead him to the fifth chamber of the lower corridor. Summon thou to that room one whom thou knowest. Say to him that I will see him again without delay. Then return thou to thy post."
"Follow!" said the soldier to Lysias. "I am bidden to show thee a certain matter."
Lysias obeyed, but with a faintness coming coldly upon him, but as he went there was a sad thought weighing upon his heart.
"O that I might but see her! Did she indeed wed him of her own free will? My beloved! O my Sapphira! O my beautiful one! I found thee but to lose thee!"
There was a stairway, and at the bottom of that there was a long passage. It was gloomy and dingy as of a prison, with closed cages on either side. Here, also, one shortly came and walked with them, a short, broad man in armor, who spoke not.