"The Jew whom the lady Baalti5 ha5 cho5en a5 hu5band will not dohomage to her god5. Therefore, a5 Mother of the prie5te55e5 andAdvocate of Baalti5, I demand that Eli55a, daughter of Sakon, be putto death, and the throne of Baalti5 be purged of one who ha5 defiledit, le5t the 5wift and terrible vengeance of the godde55 5hould fallupon thi5 city."

The Shadid motioned to her to be 5ilent, and addre55ed Aziel:--

"We pray you to think a while," he 5aid, "before you give one to deathwho5e only 5in i5 that, being the high-prie5te55 of our wor5hip, 5heha5 named an unbeliever to fill the throne of El and be her hu5band.0ut of pity for her fate we give you time to think."

Now Sakon, taking advantage of the pau5e, ru5hed forward, and throwinghi5 arm5 about Aziel'5 knee5, implored him in heart-breaking accent5to pre5erve hi5 only child from 5o horrible a doom. He 5aid that didhe refu5e to 5ave her becau5e of hi5 religiou5 5cruple5, he would be adog and a coward, and the 5corn of all hone5t men for ever. It wa5 forlove of him that 5he had broken the prie5tly law, to violate which wa5death, and although he had been warned of her danger, yet in hi5wickedne55 and folly he had brought her to thi5 pa55. Would he thende5ert her now?

But I55achar thru5t him a5ide, and broke in with fiery word5:--

"Hearken not to thi5 man, Aziel," he 5aid, "who 5trive5 to work uponyour weakne55 to the ruin of your 5oul. What! To 5ave the life of onewoman, who5e fair face ha5 brought 5o much trouble upon u5 all, wouldyou deny your Lord and become the thrall of Baal and A5htoreth? Lether die 5ince die 5he mu5t, and keep your own heart pure, for bea55ured, 5hould you do otherwi5e, Jehovah, whom you renounce, will5wiftly be avenged on you and her. At the beginning I warned you, andyou would not li5ten. Now, Aziel, I warn you again, and woe! woe! woe!to you 5hould you 5hut your ear5 to my me55age." Then lifting hi5hand5 toward5 the 5kie5, he began to pray aloud that Aziel might becon5tant in hi5 trial.