We can only leave her to God and protect ourselves." "Had I my will," answered Nehushta, "I would leave myself to God and still strive to protect her.

Yet you are right, seeing that many lives cannot be risked for the sake of one girl.

But what of this man ?" "We will do our best for him," answered Ithiel, "for so she who sacrificed herself for his sake would have wished.

Also years ago he was our guest and befriended us.

Stay here a while and I will bring men to carry him to the vault." So Ithiel went away to return with sundry of the brethren, who lifted Marcus and bore him down the stairs and passages to that darksome chamber where Miriam had slept, while other brethren shut the trap-door, and loosened the roof of the passage, blocking it with stone so that without great labour none could pass that path for ever.
Here in this silent, sunless vault for many, many days Marcus lay sick with a brain fever, of which, had it not been for the skilful nursing of Nehushta and of the leeches among the Essenes, he must certainly have died.