s, save this gold chain alone, for it is vowed to Baaltis."

"But lady," he asked, "how can you appear before Ithobal the king thus
robbed of all your ornaments?"

"I shall not appear before Ithobal the king," she answered sharply.

"You say so! Then what will the prince Aziel think of you when he sees
you thus unadorned?"

"My beauty is my adornment," she replied, "not these gems and gold.
Moreover, it is nought to me what he thinks, for he hates me, and has
reviled me."

Metem lifted his eyebrows incredulously and went on: "Still, I will not
deprive you of this woman's gear. Look now, I value it, and at no high
figure," and drawing out his writer's palette and a slip of papyrus, he
wrote upon it an acknowledgment of debt, which he asked her to sign.

"This document, lady," he said, "I will present to your father--or your
husband--at a convenient season, nor do I fear that either of them
will refuse to honour it. And now I take my leave, for you--have an
appointment to keep--and," he added with emphasis, "the time of moonrise
is at hand."

"Your meaning, I pray you?" she asked. "I have no appointment at
moonrise, or at any other hour."

Metem bowed politely, but in a fashion which showed that he put no faith
in her words.

"Again I ask your meaning, merchant," she said, "for your dark hintings
are scarcely to be borne."

The Phoenician looked at her; there was a ring of truth in her voice.

"Lady," he said, "will you indeed deny, after I have seen it written by
yourself, that within some few minutes you meet the prince Aziel beneath
a great tree in the palace gardens, there--so said the scroll--to ask
his aid in this matter of the suit of Ithobal?"

"Written by myself?" she said wonderingly. "Meet the prince Aziel
beneath a tree in the palace gardens? Never have I thought of it."

"Yet, lady, the scroll I saw purported to be written by you, and your
own woman bore it to the prince. As I think, she sits yonder at the end
of the chamber, for I know her shape."

"Come hither," called Elissa, addressing the woman. "Now tell me, what
scroll was this that you carried to-day to the prince Aziel, saying that
I sent you?"

"Lady," answered the girl confusedly, "I never told the prince Aziel
that you sent him the scroll."

"The truth, woman, the truth," said her mistress. "Lie not, or it will
be the worse for you."

"Lady, this is the truth. As I was walking through the market-place
an old black woman met m