But all the roar and disorder of the great city in its warfare and its discord confused them.

Ascalon had not a thousandth part of this turmoil at its busiest season.

Neither was there a servant in a purple turban with the gold star to meet them and they were bewildered and lost.
The rest of the visitors to the Passover hurried into the heart of the city; wave after wave of new-comers replaced them; but the young woman and her dumb old servant stood aside just within reach of the shadow of the immemorial portal and waited.
Time and again wolfish Idumean soldiers who were numerous about the place noted the pair and commented to one another or spoke insolently to the shrinking girl who hid ineffectually behind her veil.

Hour after hour they stood with growing distress and no friendly face in all that army of hurrying, restless, quarreling Jews welcomed them.
The afternoon waned.

Laodice thought of the darkness and trembled.
An old man fumbling a talisman of bone drew near them.