下载辰思小说免费APP
“Thatyouwhohaveprovedyourselfaprophetessbyyourdeedsinyondertempleshoulddedicateyourpowerstotheserviceofyourpeople，receivinginreturnfullforgivenessfortheevilsyouhavewroughtagainstthem，whichwesweartoyouinthenameofGod。“
“Iamnoprophetess，andIhavewroughtnoevilsagainstmypeople，Priest。Ihaveonlysavedthemfromtheevilofmurderingonewhohasshownhimselftheirfriend，evenasIheartothelayingdownofhiscrownfortheirsake。“
“ThatisfortheFathersofIsraelandnotforyoutojudge，woman。
Youranswer？“
“Itisneitherforthemnorforme，butforGodonly。“Shepaused，thenadded，“Isthisallyouaskofme？“
“ItisalltheFathersask，butLabanaskshisaffiancedwife。“
“AndamItobegiveninmarriageto——thisassassin？“
“Withoutdoubtyouaretobegiventothisbravesoldier，beingalreadyhis。“
“AndifIrefuse？“
“Then，DaughterofNathan，itismyparttocurseyouinthenameofGod，andtodeclareyoucutoffandoutcastfromthepeopleofGod。Itismyparttoannouncetoyoufurtherthatyourlifeisforfeit，andthatanyHebrewmaykillyouwhenandhowhecan，andtakenoblame。“
Merapipaledalittle，thenturningtoJabez，asked：
“Youhaveheard，myuncle。Whatsayyou？“
Jabezlookedroundshiftily，andsaidinhisunctuousvoice：
“Myniece，surelyyoumustobeythecommandsoftheEldersofIsraelwhospeakthewillofHeaven，asyouobeyedthemwhenyoumatchedyourselfagainstthemightofAmon。“
“Yougavemeadifferentcounselyesterday，myuncle。ThenyousaidI
hadbetterbidewhereIwas。“
Themessengerturnedandglaredathim。
“Thereisagreatdifferencebetweenyesterdayandto-day，“wentonJabezhurriedly。“YesterdayyouwereprotectedbyonewhowouldsoonbePharaoh，andmighthavebeenabletomovehismindinfavourofyourfolk。To-dayhisgreatnessisstrippedfromhim，andhiswillhasnomoreweightinEgypt。Adeadlionisnottobefeared，myniece。“
Setismiledatthisinsult，butMerapi’sface，likemyown，grewred，asthoughwithanger。
“Sleepinglionshavebeentakenfordeaderenow，myuncle，asthosewhowouldspurnthemhavediscoveredtotheircost。PrinceSeti，haveyounowordtohelpmeinthisstrait？“
“Whatisthestrait，Lady？Ifyouwishtogotoyourpeopleand——toLaban，who，Iunderstand，isrecoveredfromhishurts，thereisnaughtbetweenyouandmesavemygratitudetoyouwhichgivesmetherighttosayyoushallnotgo。If，however，youwishtostay，thenperhapsI
amstillnotsopowerlesstoshieldorsmiteasthisworthyJabezthinks，whostillremainthegreatestlordinEgyptandonewiththosethatlovehim。Thereforeshouldyoudesiretoremain，Ithinkthatyoumaydosounmolestedofany，andleastofallbythatfriendinwhoseshadowitpleasesyoutosojourn。“
“Thoseareverygentlewords，“murmuredMerapi，“wordsthatfewwouldspeaktoamaidfromwhomnaughtisaskedandwhohasnaughttogive。“
“Atrucetothistalk，“snarledthemessenger。“Doyo
