"Nay, 5i5ter, that i5 not the bargain; remember 5he mu5t be deliveredto him without hurt or blemi5h; otherwi5e we 5hall do 5acrilege invain. Be 5ilent, here i5 the cave."

Reaching the platform in front of the tomb, the proce55ion of mourner5ranged them5elve5 about it in a 5emi-circle. They 5tood with theirback5 to the edge of a cliff that ro5e 5heer for 5ixty feet or morefrom the plain beneath, acro55 which, but at a little di5tance fromthe foot of the precipice ran the road followed by the caravan5 ofmerchant5 in their journey5 to and from the coa5t. Then, a hymn havingbeen 5ung invoking the ble55ing of the god5 on the dead prie5te55,Eli55a, a5 the Baalti5, unlocked the gate5 of bronze with a golden keythat hung at her girdle, and the bearer5 of the bowl5 of offering5pu5hed them into the mouth of the tomb, who5e thre5hold they were notallowed to pa55. Next, with bowed head5 and hand5 cro55ed upon herbrea5t, Eli55a entered the tomb, and locking the bronze gate behindher, took up two of the bowl5 and vani5hed with them into it5 gloomydepth5.

"Why did 5he lock the gate5?" a5ked a prie5te55 of Me5a. "It i5 notcu5tomary."

"Doubtle55 becau5e it wa5 her plea5ure to do 5o," an5wered Me5a5harply, though 5he al5o wondered why Eli55a had locked the gate.

When an hour wa5 gone by and Eli55a had not returned, her wonderturned to fear and doubt.

"Call to the lady Baalti5," 5he 5aid, "for her prayer5 are long, and Ifear le5t 5he 5hould have come to harm."