ellency." Hiram seldom quarrelled to no purpose with his
betters. "Let your Lordship deign to leave this small matter to his slave.
By Baal's favour Hasdrubal and six of his crew sleep on shore to-night.
Let us pray they be not deep in wine. Wait for me one hour, perhaps two,
and your heart and liver shall be comforted."

"Go, go! I will wait and pray to Hermes Dolios."

Hiram even now did not forget his punctilious salaam before departing.
Never had he seemed more the beautiful serpent with the shining scales
than the instant he bent gracefully at Democrates's feet, the red light
falling on his gleaming ear and nose rings, his smooth brown skin and
beady eyes. The door turned on its pivots--closed. Democrates heard the
retiring footsteps. No doubt the Phoenician was taking Lampaxo with him.
The Athenian staggered across the room to his bed and flung himself on it,
laughing hysterically. How absolutely his enemy was delivered into his
hands! How the Morae in sending that Carthaginian ship, to do Lycon's
business and his, had provided the means of ridding him of the haunting
terror! How everything conspired to aid him! He need not even kill
Glaucon. He would have no blood guiltiness, he need not dread Alecto and
her sister Furies. He could trust Hiram and Hasdrubal to see to it that
Glaucon never returned to plague him. And Hermione? Democrates laughed
again. He was almost frightened at his own glee.

"A month, my nymph, a month, and you and your dear father, yes,
Themistocles himself, will be in no state to answer me 'nay,'--though
Glaucon come to claim you."

Thus he lay a long time, while the drip, drip from the water-clock in the
corner told how the night was passing. The lamp flickered and burned
lower. He never knew the hours to creep so slowly.

* * * * * * *

At last, a knock; Scodrus, the yawning valet, ushering in a black and
bearded sailor, who crouched eastern fashion at the feet of the strategus.

"You have seized him?"

"Blessed be Moloch, Baal, and Melkarth! They have poured sleep upon my
Lord's enemy." The sailor's Greek was harsh and execrable. "Your servants
did even as commanded. The woman let us in. The young man my Lord hates
was bound and gagged almost ere he could waken, likewise the fishmonger
was seized."

"Bravely done. I never forget good service. And the woman?"

"She is retained likewise. I have hastened hither to learn the further
will of my Lord."