lady be she whom I am doomed to love, you say that because she is heathen I must reject her.  Shame upon the thought, for if she is heathen it is through ignorance, and it may be mine to change her heart.  Because I stand in danger shall I suffer her who, as you tell me, was one with me from the beginning, to be lost in that hell of Baal of which you speak?  Nay, your dream is false.  I will not renounce my faith, but rather will win her to share it, and together we shall triumph, and that I swear to you, Issachar.”

“Truly the evil one has many wiles,” answered the Levite, “and I did ill to tell you of my dream, seeing that it can be twisted to serve the purpose of your madness.  Have your will, Aziel, and reap the fruit of it, but of this I warn you—­that while I can find a way to thwart it, never, Prince, shall you take that witch to your bosom to be the ruin of your life and soul.”

“Then, Issachar, on this matter there may be war between us!”

“Ay! there is war,” said the Levite, and left him.

*****

The sun was already high in the heavens when Aziel awoke from the deep and dreamless sleep which followed on the excitements and exhaustion of the previous day.  After his servants had waited upon him and robed him, bringing him milk and fruit to eat, he dismissed them, and sat himself down by the casement of his chamber to think a while.

Below him lay the city of flat-roofed houses enclosed with a double wall, without the ring of which were thousands of straw huts, shaped like bee-hives, wherein dwelt natives of the country, slaves or servants of the occupying Phoenician race.  To Aziel’s right, and not more than a hundred paces from the governor’s house in which he was, rose the round and mighty battlements of the temple, where the followers of El and Baaltis worshipped, and the gold refiners carried on their business.  At intervals on its flat-topped walls stood towers of observation, alternating with pointed monoliths of granite and soapstone columns supporting vultures, rudely carved emblems of Baaltis.  Between these towers armed soldiers walked continually, watching the city below and the plain beyond, for though the mission of the Phoenicians here was one of peaceful gain it was evident that they considered it necessary to be always prepared for war.  On the hillside above the great temple towered another fortress of stone—­a citadel deemed to be impregnable even should the temple fall into the hands of an enemy—­while on the crest of the precipitous slope, stretching as far to right and left as the eye could reach, were many smaller detached strongholds.