“Where you should be, Prince, in your own house, the palace of the Shadid.  But you must not speak, for you have been ill; drink this and sleep.”

Aziel swallowed the draught and was instantly overcome by slumber.  When he awoke the sun was shining brightly through the window place, and its rays fell upon the shrewd, kindly face of Metem, who, seated on a stool, watched him, his chin resting in his hand.

“Tell me all that has befallen, friend,” said Aziel presently, “since——­” and he shuddered.

“Since you were married after a new fashion and that bigoted but most honourable fool, Issachar, went to his reward.  Well, I will when you have eaten,” answered Metem as he gave him food.  “First,” he said, after a while, “you have lain here for three days raving in a fever, nursed by myself and visited by your wife the lady Baaltis, whenever she could escape from her religious duties——­”

“Elissa!  Has she been here?” asked Aziel.

“Calm yourself, Prince, certainly she has, and, what is more, she will be back soon.  Secondly:  Ithobal has been as good as his word, and invests the city with a vast army, cutting off all supplies and possibilities of escape.  It is believed that he will try an assault within the next week, which many think may be successful.  Thirdly:  to avoid this risk it is rumoured that the priests and priestesses, at the instance of the council, are discussing the wisdom of giving over to the king the person of the daughter of Sakon.  This, it is said, could be done on the plea that her election as the lady Baaltis was brought about with bribery, and is, therefore, void, as she was not chosen by the pure and unassisted will of the goddess.”

“But,” said Aziel, “she is my wife according to their religious law; how then can she be given in marriage to another?”

“Nay, Prince, if she is not the lady Baaltis your husbandship falls to the ground with the rest, for you are not the Shadid, an office with which perchance you can dispense.  But all this priestly juggling means little, the truth being that the city in its terror is ready to throw her—­or for the matter of that, Baaltis herself if they could lay hands on her—­as a sop to Ithobal, hoping thereby to appease his rage.  The lady Elissa knows her danger—­but here she comes to speak for herself.”

As he spoke the curtains at the end of the chamber were drawn, and through them came Elissa, clad in her splendid robes of office and wearing upon her brow the golden crescent of the moon.

“How goes it with the prince, Metem?” she asked in her soft voice, glancing anxiously towards the couch which was half-hidden in the shadow of the wall.

“Look for yourself, lady,” answered the Phoenician bowing before her.

“Elissa, Elissa!” cried Aziel, raising himself and opening his arms.

She saw and heard, then, with a low cry, she ran swiftly to him and was wrapped in his embrace.  Thus they stayed a while, murmuring words of love and greeting.