ng his forehead. "Dost Thou know Kama, the priestess of
Astaroth?"

"What?" interrupted Rabsun, astounded. "The priestess of the holy
goddess Astaroth to be a favorite of an Egyptian?"

"Thou wouldst prefer that she were thine," sneered Dagon. "She can even
cease to be high priestess when it is necessary to bring her near the
court."

"Thou speakest truth," said Hiram.

"But that is sacrilege!" said Rabsun, indignantly.

"And the priestess who commits it is to die," said the gray-haired
Hiram.

"If only that Jewess, Sarah, does not hinder," added Dagon, after a
moment of silence. "She is waiting for a child to which the prince is
attached already. If a son is born, all our plans may be thwarted."

"We shall have money for Sarah too," added Hiram.

"She will take nothing!" burst out Dagon. "That pitiful creature has
refused gold and a precious goblet, which I carried to her."

"She did, for she thought that Thou hadst the wish to deceive her,"
remarked Rabsun.

Hiram nodded.

"There is no cause for trouble," said he. "Where gold has not power,
then the father, the mother, or the mistress may have it. And if the
mistress is powerless, there is still."

"The knife," hissed Rabsun.

"Poison," whispered Dagon.

"A knife is a very rude weapon," concluded Hiram.

He stroked his beard, thought awhile; at last he rose, took from his
bosom a purple ribbon on which were fastened three golden amulets with
a portrait of the goddess Astaroth. He drew from his girdle a knife,
cut the ribbon into three parts, and gave two of these with the amulets
to Dagon and Rabsun.

Then all three went to the middle of the room to the corner where stood
a winged statue of the goddess; they put their hands on the statue, and
Hiram repeated in a low voice, but clearly,

"To thee, Mother of Life, we swear faithfully to observe our
agreements, and not to rest till the sacred places be secure from
enemies, may they be destroyed by hunger, fire, and pestilence.

"And should one of us fail in his obligations, or betray a secret, may
all calamities and disgrace fall on him! May hunger twist his entrails,
and sleep flee from his bloodshot eyes! May the hand of the man wither
who hastens to him with rescue and pities him in his misery! May the
bread on his table turn into rottenness, and the wine into stinking
juice! May his children die out, and his house be filled with bastards
who will spit on him and expel him! May he die groaning