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"Never anything like that"

Laodice, with this hope gone, let her face fall into her hands

"His fortune given freely to Israel," she groaned "His whole life's

ambition reduced to one!"

The shepherd grew instantly distressed He looked at Momus and asked

in a whisper what had happened But the old servant signed to his lips

irritably, and stroked his young mistress' hair in a dumb effort to

corew painful In his anxiety to relieve theht him of their uncovered heads and houseless state

"Do you live in the village; or do you camp near by?"

Momus shook his head Laodice appreciated the boy's concern for them

but could not make an attempt to explain

"Then," he offered promptly, "come have my fire and my rock It is the

best rock in all these hills; andthe

skins that wrapped hi it

Indeed I do not need it; you may have it Come!"

He spoke hurriedly, as if he would thrust his desire to comfort

between her and the wave of disconsolation that he felt was about to

cover her

Old Moestion as the wisest

course, raised Laodice andmistress up the hill as the boy retraced his steps The flood of