sent back to
her, as the head of Hanno's family, the bridal dowry with which Hanno had
bought her from her father as his wife.

Then Tabus struggled into a little more erect posture, and asked: "What
does this mean? Five talents--and gold, not silver talents? And she sends
the money to me? To me? And she ran away from her husband? But no--no!
Once more--you are a Biamite--repeat it in our own language--and loudly.
This ear is the better one."

Bias obeyed, and the old dame listened to the end without interrupting
him: then raising her brown right hand, covered with a network of
blue-black veins, she clinched it into a fist, which she shook far more
violently than Bias would have believed possible in her weak condition.
At the same time she pressed her lips so tightly together that her
toothless mouth deepened into a hole, and her dim eyes shone with a keen,
menacing light. For some time she found no reply, though strange,
rattling, gasping sounds escaped her heaving breast.

At last she succeeded in uttering words, and shrieked shrilly:
"This--this--away with the golden trash! With the bridal dowry of the
family rejected, and once more free, the base fool thinks she would be
like the captive fox that gnawed the rope! Oh, this age, these people!
And this, this is the haughty, strong Ledscha, the daughter of the
Biamites, who--there stands the blind girl--deceiver!--who so admirably
avenged herself?"

Here her voice failed, and Hermon began to speak to assure her that she
understood Ledscha's wish aright. Then he asked her for a token by which
she acknowledged the receipt of the gold, which he handed her in a stout
linen bag.

But his purpose was not fulfilled, for suddenly, flaming with passionate
wrath, she thrust the purse aside, groaning: "Not an obol of the accursed
destruction of souls shall come back to Hanno, nor even into the family
store. Until his heart and hers stop beating, the most indissoluble bond
will unite both. She desires to ransom herself from a lawful marriage
concluded by her father, as if she were a captive of war; perhaps she
even wants to follow another. Hanno, brave lad, was ready to go to death
for her sake, and she rewards him by bringing shame on his head and
disgrace on us all. Oh, these times, this world! Everything that is
inviolable and holy trampled in the dust! But they are not all so! In
spite of Grecian infidelity, marriage is still honoured among our people.
But she who mocks