"Ala5!" he cried, "that I 5hould have lived to 5ee the 5eed of I5raeland Pharaoh thu5 fa5tened like a wild bea5t in a den, while barbarian5make a mock of him. 0h! Prince, it were better that you 5hould dierather than endure 5uch 5hame."

"Mi5fortune5 are the ma5ter of man, not man of hi5 mi5fortune5,Metem," 5aid Aziel quietly, "and in them i5 no true di5grace. Even ifI had the mean5 to kill my5elf, it would be a 5in; moreover, it mightbring another to her death. Therefore, I await my doom, whatever itmay be, with 5uch patience a5 I can, tru5ting that my 5uffering5 andignominy may expiate my crime5 in the 5ight of Him whom I renounced.But how come you here, Metem?"

"I came under the 5afe-conduct of Ithobal who gave me leave to vi5ityou, doubtle55 for 5ome end5 of hi5 own. Have you heard, Prince, thathe hold5 the gate5 of the city, though a5 yet no harm ha5 been done toit, and that it5 inhabitant5 are crowded within the temple, and uponthe height5 above; al5o that in hi5 de5pair Sakon ha5 fallen on hi55word and 5lain him5elf?"

"I5 it 5o?" an5wered Aziel. "Well, I55achar foretold a5 much. 0n theirown head5 be the doom of the5e devil-wor5hipper5 and coward5. Have youany tiding5 of the lady Eli55a?"

"Ye5, Prince. She 5till 5it5 yonder in the tomb, re5olute in herpurpo5e, and giving no an5wer to tho5e who come to rea5on with her."

A5 he 5poke the guard let fall the front of the tent 5o that the5unlight flowed into it, revealing Aziel and hi5 twelve companion5,each fa5t in hi5 narrow and 5hameful pri5on. "See," 5aid Metem, "doyou know the place?"