, hoping to
starve me out, or trusting to chance to snare me living."

"You are bold," murmured Aziel in admiration, "but self-murder is a
sin."

"It is a sin that I will dare, beloved, as in past days I would have
dared it for less cause, rather than be given alive into the hands of
Ithobal; for to whoever else I may be false, to you through life and
death I will be true."

Now Aziel groaned in his doubt and bitterness of heart; then turning to
Metem, he asked:--

"Have you anything to say, Metem?"

"Yes, Prince, two things," answered the Phoenician. "First, that the lady
Elissa is rash, indeed, to speak so openly before me who might carry her
words to the council or the priests."

"Nay, Metem, I am not rash, for I know that, although you love money,
you will not betray me."

"You are right, lady, I shall not, for money would be of little service
to me in a city that is about to be taken by storm. Also I hate Ithobal,
who threatened my life--as you did also, by the way--and will do my best
to keep you from his clutches. Now for my second point: it is that I can
see little use in all this because Ithobal, being defrauded of you, will
attack, and then----"

"And then he may be beaten, Metem, for the citizens will at any rate
fight for their lives, and the Prince Aziel here, who is a general
skilled in war, will fight also if he has recovered strength----"

"Do not fear, Elissa; give me two days, and I will fight to the death,"
said Aziel.

"At the least," she went on, "this scheme gives us breathing time, and
who knows but that fortune will turn. Or if it does not, since it is
impossible for me to escape from the city, I have no better."

"No more have I," said Metem, "for at length the oldest fox comes to his
last double. I could escape from this city, or the prince might escape,
or the lady Elissa even might possibly escape disguised, but I am sure
that all three of us could not escape, seeing that within the walls we
are watched and without them the armies of Ithobal await us. Oh! prince
Aziel, I should have done well to go, as I might have gone when you and
Issachar were taken after that mad meeting in the temple, from which I
never looked for anything but ill; but I grow foolish in my old age, and
thought that I should like to see the last of you. Well, so far we are
all alive, except Issachar, who, although bigoted, was still the most
worthy of us, but how long we shall remain alive I cannot say.

"