Late that night the light shone in the house of Ioiada. A more stormy
scene was there than even the one we have described. At first Ioiada and
his son Manasseh were unyielding, but finally it was agreed that it
would be discreet for Manasseh temporarily to withdraw from the city
with his bride.
Though he yielded to necessity, the spirit of the young Jew was not
curbed.
"I go," said he, "but I swear never to return until Nicaso and her
children, if the Lord so bless our union, can come again without taunt
or lessening. The Tirshatha is not God, nor the servant of God. Let him
not cross my path beyond the gates, or he is a son of death!"
Great was the excitement the day following, when the triumph of the
governor became known. Groups of young men gathered in the street near
to Ioiada's house. Fiery speeches were made, denouncing the tyranny of
Nehemiah, and deriding the senile bigotry of Ezra. Even the high priest
was not spared in the oratorical bravery that swayed the crowd.
In the midst of their noisy declamation Nehemiah appeared, accompanied
by a delegation from the elders of the city. The multitude turned their
backs when he attempted to address them. As he retired some shouted
after him:
"Put on your Persian armor and show how true a Jew you are!"
"What is the price of wine in Susa?"
"But here comes Malachi. Let's hear what he has to say. Ezra says he
will make a prophet. Why not? Balaam's ass was one."
Malachi did not stop to parley with them, but turned in at the door of
Ioiada.
"If he will side with us, we will drive out the governor," said one.
"Or dip him in Hezekiah's Pool," said another.
An hour later Malachi reappeared, and with him Manasseh. The young mob
went wild with enthusiasm at the prospective alliance. But Malachi
parted with Manasseh at the door.
To the surprise of the crowd the latter addressed them, thanking them
for their show of personal friendship, but counselling peace.
"We shall be wiser to-morrow than we are to-day. The interests of young
Israel need cooler heads than ours are now. The bigotry of the
governor's party cannot last. The tide is strong at the moment--too
strong for us to beat back--but it will turn speedily. Then we will be
strong with it. One shout for young Israel, then let's go home and
wait!"
The shout was given with a will. "Nicaso salutes you and invites you
all to the palace of Samaria," cried Manasseh, as he disappeared through
the doorway.
Cheer after cheer rent the air. Just as the shouting was beginning to
subside it burst out anew, for upon the parapet of the house Nicaso
appeared. Her black hair and flushed cheeks made a superb contrast with
her white mantle and the jewels that flashed about her brow and neck.
The apparition lasted but for a moment, yet long enough to make many a
swain declare that he too would leave Jerusalem if he could have so fair
an attendant, and so comfortable a residence in exile as the palace of
Sanballat among the hills of Samaria.
During the day the house of Ioiada was thronged with friends who came to
utter within its walls such imprecations against the governor as they
would not have dared to express more openly, and to pledge their
personal loyalty to Manasseh during his absence. Among the visitors was
the Phoenician merchant.
"Make no preparation for equipage on the morrow," said Marduk, "for I,
too, am summoned northward."
"I cannot go to-morrow," replied Manasseh.
"But that is your agreement with the governor, is it not, on condition
of his allowing you to retire from the city without the show of force?"
"That is my compact; yet I must seek delay, for I have a higher
compact."
"There can be no compact higher than that of a man's fairly given
word," said Marduk.
"I can take no offence at your rebuke," replied the young exile,
"because you will not blame me, when I tell you that I have given my
word of honor to one who is of higher rank than the Tirshatha. I have
pledged this person to discharge a certain obligation in Jerusalem, and
I cannot discharge it before to-morrow's light."
"Who is above the governor in rank?"
Manasseh, lowering his voice, and bowing reverently, replied: "The king.
The king of Tyre, and my king, if you will accept my loyalty. Has your
majesty forgotten that you appointed me grand treasurer? I have so far
kept fealty, and deposited the jewels beneath the very altar of God
within the temple court. There they are in a little nook between the
stones, full a score of cubits below the cave which I once showed you
beneath the threshing-floor of Araunah. The old Jebusite never put such
a precious harvest down that hole. And, for that matter, all the beasts
whose blood has run through that vault since the day that Solomon slew a
thousand bullocks on the altar were not worth so much as I have put
there. But now see this order from the governor! I am to be unmolested,
on condition of my not appearing in the streets or at the temple. The
tyrant fears an insurrection against his cruelty, if I but so much as
show myself. If I brave him and venture there, I will be watched. But as
the Lord heard my pledge to you, I shall not leave Jerusalem without
the treasure."
"It is serious business," replied Marduk. "Cannot some venture be made
to-night to secure the jewels? Put me on the clue, and I will go myself;
or bribe some temple-servant to fetch them."
"It is impossible. Nehemiah has seen to it that only the most bigoted
priests and servitors are allowed in the temple precincts. The expulsion
of Tobiah was done with such a high hand that the governor's party fear
retaliation. A rumor was started that the Ammonite's partisans might set
fire to the building and wreak their vengeance. So they have guarded it
as closely as if it were besieged by Sanballat himself."
"Then there is nothing to be gained by your remaining," said Marduk.
"Indeed, it is better that you withdraw, and let matters settle. When
suspicion is diverted, you can return. The jewels are safe?"
"Safe as a rock that has never been uncovered in the earth, for no man
knows their hiding-place. As a boy in the high priest's family, I was
allowed to play among the masonry while they were repairing the temple
court, and I know of byways that a mole could not find."
"Then nothing can be done until you can come back to the city, which
must be before long. This rancor cannot last. Your grandsire will have
influence for your recall. I absolve you from all obligation."
"With that assurance on your part," said Manasseh, "and a new pledge on
my part that I shall not go five leagues from the city until the jewels
are in some way rescued, I will join your camp to-morrow."
Immense throngs crowded the street through which, on the following day,
Nicaso passed in her palanquin, attended by her husband on horseback. An
unintermitted roar of applause followed them to the gates, and a gay
cavalcade of young bloods escorted them to the camp of Marduk, which had
been pitched some miles to the north, near to the half-built, or rather
half-ruined, ancient city of Gibeah.