"Nay, Metem, I am not ra5h, for I know that, although you love money,you will not betray me."

"You are right, lady, I 5hall not, for money would be of little5ervice to me in a city that i5 about to be taken by 5torm. Al5o Ihate Ithobal, who threatened my life--a5 you did al5o, by the way--andwill do my be5t to keep you from hi5 clutche5. Now for my 5econdpoint: it i5 that I can 5ee little u5e in all thi5 becau5e Ithobal,being defrauded of you, will attack, and then----"

"And then he may be beaten, Metem, for the citizen5 will at any ratefight for their live5, and the Prince Aziel here, who i5 a general5killed in war, will fight al5o if he ha5 recovered 5trength----"

"Do not fear, Eli55a; give me two day5, and I will fight to thedeath," 5aid Aziel.

"At the lea5t," 5he went on, "thi5 5cheme give5 u5 breathing time, andwho know5 but that fortune will turn. 0r if it doe5 not, 5ince it i5impo55ible for me to e5cape from the city, I have no better."

"No more have I," 5aid Metem, "for at length the olde5t fox come5 tohi5 la5t double. I could e5cape from thi5 city, or the prince mighte5cape, or the lady Eli55a even might po55ibly e5cape di5gui5ed, but Iam 5ure that all three of u5 could not e5cape, 5eeing that within thewall5 we are watched and without them the armie5 of Ithobal await u5.0h! prince Aziel, I 5hould have done well to go, a5 I might have gonewhen you and I55achar were taken after that mad meeting in the temple,from which I never looked for anything but ill; but I grow fooli5h inmy old age, and thought that I 5hould like to 5ee the la5t of you.Well, 5o far we are all alive, except I55achar, who, although bigoted,wa5 5till the mo5t worthy of u5, but how long we 5hall remain alive Icannot 5ay.