you journeying to
this far city of ours?"

"The desire to find you," he answered smiling; then seeing that she
still looked at him with questioning eyes, he added, "Nay, this is the
truth, if you seek truth. Indeed, it is the best that I should tell
you, since it seems that already you have heard something of the tale.
A while ago I was sent to the Court of the Pharaoh of Egypt, by the will
of my grandsire, the king of Israel, upon an embassy of friendship,
and to escort thence a certain beautiful princess, my cousin, who was
affianced by treaty to an uncle of mine, a great prince of Israel. This
I did, showing to the lady courtesy, and no more. But the end of the
matter was that when we came to Jerusalem the princess refused to be
married to my uncle, to whom she was betrothed----" and he hesitated.

"Nay, be not timid, Prince," said Elissa sharply; "continue, I pray you.
I have heard that the lady added somewhat to her refusal."

"That is so, Elissa. She declared before the king that she would wed no
man except myself only, whereon my uncle was very angry, and accused me
of playing him false, which, indeed, I had not done."

"Although the lady was so fair, Aziel? But what said the great king?"

"He said that never having seen him to whom she was affianced, he would
not suffer that she should be forced into marriage with him against
her will. Yet that her will might be uninfluenced, he commanded that I
should be sent upon a long journey. That was his judgment, lady."

"Yes, but not all of it; surely he added other words?" she broke in
eagerly.

"He added," continued Aziel, with some reluctance, "that if while I
was on this journey the princess changed her mind, and chose to wed my
uncle, it would be well. But, when I returned from it, if she had not
changed her mind, and chose--to marry me--then it would be well also,
and, though he was little pleased, with this saying my uncle must be
satisfied."

"It does not satisfy me, prince Aziel," Elissa answered, the tears
starting to her dark eyes. "I know full well that the lady will not
change her mind, and take a man who is in years, and whom she hates,
in place of one who is young, and whom she loves. Therefore, when you
return hence to Jerusalem, by the king's command you will wed her."

"Nay, Elissa; if I am already married that cannot be," he said.

"In Judea, Prince, I am told that men take more wives than one; also,
they divorce them," she replied; then ad