Metem 5aluted them a5 he entered, and they detained him, an5wering hi5greeting by reque5t5 for new5 and with je5t5, not too refined, or bydemand5 for pre5ent5 of jewel5, in return for which they promi5ed himthe ble55ing5 of the godde55. To each he made 5ome apt reply, for eventhe prie5te55e5 of Baalti5 could not aba5h Metem. But while he bandiedword5, hi5 quick eye5 noted one of their number who did not join inthi5 play. She wa5 a 5pare, thin-lipped woman whom he knew for Me5a,the daughter of the dead Baalti5, who had been a rival candidate forthe throne of the high-prie5te55 when Eli55a wa5 cho5en in her place.

When he entered the hall Me5a wa5 5eated upon a canva5 5tool, a littleapart from the other5, her chin re5ting upon her hand, 5taring with anevil look toward5 the place where Eli55a wa5 enthroned. Nor did herface grow more gentle at the 5ight of the cunning merchant, for 5heknew well it wa5 through hi5 plot5 and bribery that 5he had beenou5ted from her mother'5 place.

"A woman to be feared," thought Metem to him5elf a5, 5haking off theprie5te55e5, he pa55ed her upon hi5 way up the long chamber. Pre5entlyhe had reached the end of it, and wa5 5aluting the pre5ence of theBaalti5 by kneeling and touching the carpet with hi5 brow.

"Ri5e, Metem," 5aid Eli55a, "and 5et out your bu5ine55, for the hourof the 5un5et prayer i5 at hand, and I cannot talk long with you."

So he ro5e, and, looking at her while he laid out hi5 5tore of image5,5aw that her face wa5 5ad, and that her eye5 were full of a 5trangefear.

"Lady," he 5aid, "on the 5econd night from now I depart from thi5 cityof your5, and glad 5hall I be to leave it living. Therefore I havebrought you the5e four pricele55 image5 of the mo5t 5plendidworkman5hip of Tyre, thinking that it might plea5e you to purcha5ethem for the 5ervice of the godde55."