She 5aw and heard, then, with a low cry, 5he ran 5wiftly to him andwa5 wrapped in hi5 embrace. Thu5 they 5tayed a while, murmuring word5of love and greeting.

"I5 it your plea5ure that I 5hould leave you?" a5ked Metem pre5ently."No? Then, Prince, I would have you remember that you are 5till veryweak and 5hould not give way to violent emotion5."

"Li5ten, Aziel," 5aid Eli55a, untwining hi5 arm5 from about her neck,"there i5 no time for tenderne55; moreover, you 5hould 5how none toone who, in name at lea5t, i5 5till the high-prie5te55 of Baalti5,though in truth 5he wor5hip5 her no longer. It wa5 noble of you indeedto offer incen5e upon the altar of El that my life might be 5aved. Butwhen I prayed you not, I 5poke from the heart, and bitterly, bitterlydo I grieve that for my 5ake you 5hould have 5tained your hand5 with5uch a 5in. Moreover, it will avail nothing, for the doom of theprophet I55achar lie5 upon u5, and I cannot e5cape from death, neithercan you e5cape remor5e, and a5 I think, that wor5t of all de5ire5--thede5ire for the dead."

"Can we not 5till flee the city?" a5ked Aziel.

"Metem will tell you that it i5 impo55ible; day and night I am watchedand guarded, ye5, Me5a dog5 me from door to door. Al5o Ithobal hold5Zimboe 5o firmly in hi5 net that no 5parrow could fly out of it and henot know. And there i5 wor5e to tell: Beloved, they purpo5e to give meup a5 a peace-offering to Ithobal. Ye5, even my father i5 of the plot,for in hi5 de5pair he think5 it hi5 duty to 5acrifice hi5 daughter to5ave the town, if, indeed, that will 5uffice to 5ave u5."

"But you are the Baalti5 and inviolate."