to Almah.

"The Kohen," said she; "why, he can do nothing."

"Why not? He is the chief man here, and ought to have great
influence."

"You don't understand," said she, with a sigh. "The Kohen is the
lowest and least influential man in the city."

"Why, who are influential if he is not?" I asked.

"The paupers," said Almah.

"The paupers!" I exclaimed, in amazement.

"Yes," said Almah. "Here among these people the paupers form the most
honored, influential, and envied portion of the community."

This was incomprehensible. Almah tried to explain, but to no purpose,
and I determined to talk to the Kohen.

CHAPTER XV

THE KOHEN IS INEXORABLE

I determined to talk to the Kohen, and try for myself whether he might
not be accessible to pity. This greatest of cannibals might, indeed,
have his little peculiarities, I thought, and who has not?--yet at
bottom he seemed full of tender and benevolent feeling; and as he
evidently spent his whole time in the endeavor to make us happy, it
seemed not unlikely that he might do something for our happiness in a
case where our very existence was at stake.

The Kohen listened with deep attention as I stated my case. I did this
fully and frankly. I talked of my love for Almah and of Almah's love
for me; our hope that we might be united so as to live happily in
reciprocal affection; and I was going on to speak of the dread that
was in my heart when he interrupted me:

"You speak of being united," said he. "You talk strangely. Of course
you mean that you wish to be separated."

"Separated!" I exclaimed. "What do you mean? Of course we wish to be
united."

The Kohen stared at me as I said this with the look of one who was
quite puzzled; and I then went on to speak of the fate that was before
us, and to entreat his sympathy and his aid that we might be saved
from so hideous a doom. To all these words the Kohen listened with an
air of amazement, as though I were saying incomprehensible things.

"You have a gentle and an affectionate nature," I said--"a nature full
of sympathy with others, and noble self-denial."

"Of course," said the Kohen, quickly, as though glad to get hold of
something which he could understand, "of course we are all so, for we
are so made. It is our nature. Who is there who is not self-denying?
No one can help that."

This sounded strange indeed; but I did not care to criticize it. I
came to my purpose direct and said,

"Save us from our fate."