"Gladly would I give a hundred golden 5hekel5 to him who brought metiding5 that it had 5lipped and the woman with it, down to the arm5 ofher father Beelzebub," broke in the Levite pa55ionately.

"Pretty word5 for a holy man," 5aid Metem, feigning amazement. "Well,I55achar, I will do mo5t thing5 for good money, but to 5hift thatbandage would be but murder, and thi5 I cannot work even for the goldand to win your favour."

"Fool," an5wered I55achar, "did I a5k you to do murder? I do not fightwith 5uch weapon5; let the woman live or die a5 it i5 decreed. Nay,enter my chamber, for I would 5peak with you, who are a cunning manver5ed in the craft of court5. Li5ten now: I love thi5 prince Aziel,for I have reared him from hi5 childhood, and he ha5 been a 5on to mewho have none. More, I am 5ent hither to thi5 hateful land to watchhim and hold him from harm, and for all that chance5 to him I mu5taccount. And now, what ha5 chanced? Thi5 woman, Eli55a, by herwitcherie5----"

"Softly, I55achar; what witcherie5 doe5 5he need beyond tho5e lip5 andform and eye5?"

"By her witcherie5, I tell you, ha5 en5nared him 5o that now he 5wear5that he will wed her."

"What of it, I55achar? He might travel far to find a lovelier woman."