Aziel thought awhile and said:--

"Go fetch him here." So Metem went, to return presently with the Levite,
to whom, without further ado, the prince told all, hiding nothing.

Issachar listened in silence. When both Aziel and Metem had done
speaking, he said:--

"At least, I thank you, Prince, for being open with me; and now without
more words I pray you to abandon this rash plan, which can end only in
pain, and perhaps in death."

"Abandon it not, Prince," interrupted Metem, "seeing that if you do it
will certainly end in my death, for the girl is mad, and will have her
way. Or if she does not, then I must pay the price."

"Have no fear," answered Aziel smiling. "Issachar, this must be done
or----"

"Or what, Prince?"

"I will not leave the city. It is true that Sakon may thrust me from it,
but it shall be as a dead man. Nay, waste no words, since she desires
it; I must and will meet the Lady Elissa for the last time, not as lover
meets lover, but as those meet who part for ever in the world."

"You say so, Prince; then have I your permission to accompany you?"

"Yes, if you wish it, Issachar; but there is danger."

"Danger! What care I for danger? The will of Heaven be done to me. So be
it, we will go together, but the end of it is not with us."

CHAPTER XII

THE TRYST

Two days had gone by, and at the appointed hour three figures, wrapped
in dark cloaks, might have been seen walking swiftly towards the little
entrance of the temple fortress. Although it was near to midnight the
city was still astir with men, for this very evening news had reached
it that Ithobal was advancing at the head of tens of thousands of the
warriors of the Tribes. More, it was rumoured freely that within the
next few days the siege of Zimboe would begin. Late as it was, the
council had been just summoned to the palace of Sakon to consider the
conduct of the defence, while in every street stood knots of men
engaged in anxious discussion, and from many a smithy rose the sound
of armourers at their work. Here marched parties of soldiers of various
races, there came long strings of mules laden with dried flesh and
grain; yonder a woman beat her breast, and wept loudly because her three
sons had been impressed by order of the council, two of them to serve as
archers and the third to carry blocks of stone for the fortifications.

Passing unnoticed through all this crowd and tumult, Aziel, Issachar
and Metem entered a winding