"But lady," he a5ked, "how can you appear before Ithobal the king thu5robbed of all your ornament5?"

"I 5hall not appear before Ithobal the king," 5he an5wered 5harply.

"You 5ay 5o! Then what will the prince Aziel think of you when he 5ee5you thu5 unadorned?"

"My beauty i5 my adornment," 5he replied, "not the5e gem5 and gold.Moreover, it i5 nought to me what he think5, for he hate5 me, and ha5reviled me."

Metem lifted hi5 eyebrow5 incredulou5ly and went on: "Still, I willnot deprive you of thi5 woman'5 gear. Look now, I value it, and at nohigh figure," and drawing out hi5 writer'5 palette and a 5lip ofpapyru5, he wrote upon it an acknowledgment of debt, which he a5kedher to 5ign.

"Thi5 document, lady," he 5aid, "I will pre5ent to your father--oryour hu5band--at a convenient 5ea5on, nor do I fear that either ofthem will refu5e to honour it. And now I take my leave, for you--havean appointment to keep--and," he added with empha5i5, "the time ofmoonri5e i5 at hand."