"
She sat up and put the hair back from her face.
"Thou good Atsu," she said in a voice subdued with much weeping, "Wilt
thou add more to mine already hopeless indebtedness to thee? Art thou
blind to the ill-use thou invitest upon thine own head in thy care for
me? Let me imperil thee no more. Is there no other way?"
He shook his head. Slowly her face fell, and she sighed for very
heaviness of spirit. Atsu stooped and took her hand.
"Make ready and let us leave this place," he said kindly, "and thou
canst decide in the securer precincts of Memphis what thou wilt do.
Lose no time." He turned away and, signing to Deborah to follow him,
left the tent.
Rachel arose and began her preparations to depart. The formidable
blockade in the way to safety seemed to clear and her heart leaped at
the anticipation of freedom or stopped at the suggestion of failure.
She hastened slowly, for her excitement made most of her movements
vain. Her hands trembled and held things insecurely; she forgot the
place of many of her belongings, in that humble, orderly house.
Alternately praying and fearing, she stopped now and then to be sure
that the sounds of the camp were not those of the returning servants.
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