As she poured from the pitcher into his cup, she glanced back at his men and camels. The animals looked tired. They must have traveled all day in the heat, and they looked exhausted.

He put the cup to his lips and drank.

“Bring your animals up to the trough, sir,” she said, “and I’ll pour water for them as well.” And then, without waiting for his answer, she picked up the water jug she had been filling and poured it all out into the trough.

The man looked at her oddly and said nothing, but returned to his men. Soon the animals were drinking lustily, the men quietly stroking them and murmuring to them. These fellows had an air about them, of easy confidence, that impressed Rebekah. Most travelers were suspicious of everyone and everything—after all, there were many dangers along the road. But these men seemed to fear nothing—they were alert, but not wary. And . . . they seemed to like each other. To get along, at least, and that was a good thing. It meant they were well led, because in any group there would be quarrels in the course of a journey. She had watched Father more than once as he worked to smooth differences, and quietly separated men who irritated each other. Her respect for the man who led them grew.

She worked to refill her water jar as the older man rummaged through one camel’s load. Surely he didn’t mean to insult her by trying to pay her for the water. She hurried in order to be gone before he could do something so patronizing, for she didn’t want to embarrass him by explaining whose daughter she was, for then he would have to apologize for asking her to pour for him in the first place. It was a conversation she didn’t want to have.

Sure enough, he hurried toward her as she shouldered the heavy jug. She was too late—so heavily loaded, she couldn’t get away in time.

“Whose daughter are you?” asked the man.

Well, that wasn’t what she expected to hear. In fact, it suggested that he had known that she was no servant.

She turned to face him.

“I ask,” he said, “because I need to know, if you’d kindly tell me, whether there’s room for us to lodge in your father’s house tonight?”