g his dwelling. Besides, he
had beaten down an official who was extorting unjust rent from tenants.
Finally, the unknown person added that Prince Ramses was under the
special guardianship of Amon, who was his father.

Simple people listened to these tidings eagerly, first, because they
agreed with facts, second, because the man who told the story was
himself like a spirit it was not known whence he came nor whither he
had vanished.

Prince Ramses made no mention whatever of his tenants to Dagon; he did
not even summon him. He felt ashamed in presence of the Phoenician from
whom he had taken money and might require money yet more than one time.

But a few days after the adventure with Dagon's scribe the banker came
himself to the heir, holding in his hand some covered object.

On entering the prince's chamber he bent down, untied a white kerchief,
and drew forth from it a very beautiful gold goblet; the goblet was set
with stones of various colors, and covered with carving in relief which
on the lower part represented the gathering and pressing out of grapes
and on the cup part a feast.

"Accept this goblet, worthy lord, from thy slave," said the banker,
"and use it for a hundred, a thousand years, to the end of ages."

The prince understood what the Phoenician wanted; so, without touching
the golden gift, he said with a stern expression,

"Dost Thou see, Dagon, that purple reflection inside the goblet?"

"I do, indeed," replied the banker; "why should I not see that which
shows the goblet to be the purest gold?"

"But I declare that to be the blood of children seized away from their
parents," said the heir, angrily.

And he turned and went to an interior chamber.

"O Astoreth!" groaned the Phoenician.

His lips grew blue, and his hands trembled so that he was hardly able
to wrap up the goblet.

A couple of days later Dagon sailed down with his goblet to Sarah's
house. He was arrayed in robes interwoven with gold; in his thick beard
were glass globulets from which issued perfumes, and he had fastened
two plumes to his head.

"Beautiful Sarah," began he, "may Jehovah pour on thy family as many
blessings as there are waters in the Nile at present! We Phoenicians
and ye Jews are brethren and neighbors. I am inflamed with such ardor
of love for thee that didst Thou not belong to our most worthy lord I
would give Gideon ten talents for thee, and would take thee for my
lawful wife. So enamored am I."

"May G