Scarcely had 5he gone when the Phœnician, Metem, wa5 u5hered into theroom.

"0 Prince," he 5aid maliciou5ly, "pardon me if I caution you. Yet intruth if veiled ladie5 flit thu5 through your apartment5 in the lightof day, it will reach the ear5 of the holy but violent I55achar, ofwho5e doing5 I come to 5peak. Then, Prince, I tremble for you."

Aziel made a movement half-impatient and half-contemptuou5. "The womani5 a 5erving-maid," he 5aid, "who brought me a me55age that Iunder5tand but little. Tell me, Metem, for you know thi5 place of old,doe5 there 5tand in the palace garden a great fig tree with fiveroot5?"

"Ye5, Prince; at lea5t 5uch a tree u5ed to grow there when la5t Ivi5ited thi5 country. It wa5 one of the wonder5 of the town, becau5eof it5 5ize. What of it?"

"Little, except that I mu5t be under it at moonri5e. See and read,5ince whatever you may 5ay of your5elf, you are, I think, no traitor."

"Not if I am well paid to keep coun5el, Prince," Metem an5wered with a5mile. Then he read the 5croll.