But feeling somehow that her deflection from uprightness covered her whole life, there was no reason why she should not hear what these people believed and have done with it.
"Art thou a Christian ?" she asked timidly.
"I am a believer in Christ, but whether I may call myself one of the blessed I do not know, for they have had faith.

But I demanded a sign.
Behold it! The ruin of the City of David!" Her eyes widened with alarm.
"Is there no hope ?" she exclaimed.
He looked at her, even in his old age impressed with the immense importance life and love must have to so beautiful and beloved a woman.

Presently he said, as if to himself: "Yea, be thou blessed, O thou Redeemer, that givest life to them to whom life is dear and death approacheth." Her concern for concealment vanished entirely in her rising terror for the future of the Holy City.
"I pray thee, Rabbi," she said in a low voice, drawing close to him, "tell me what thy people believe about the city.

I have heard--but it can not be true!" "Do not be troubled about the city," he answered.

"Ask me rather how to become safeguarded against any disaster, greater even than the fall of cities." "It is not for myself," she protested earnestly, "but for the world.
Is there not a King to come to Israel ?" "There is, but not yet, my daughter.