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At the sight of that image of Death in the filthy turban and uncanny-looking bed-jacket, watching the black fowl as it pecked at the millet-grains, calling to the toad Astaroth to walk over the cards that lay out on the table, a cold thrill ran through Mme. Cibot; she shuddered. Nothing but strong belief can give strong emotions. An assured income, to be or not to be, that was the question.
"If our youth would not make himself ridiculous by night pilgrimages to the Phoenician priestess; if he should be seen in the garden of Astaroth, or if people should think that the erpatr was inclining his ear to the faith of Phoenicia. Not much is needed in Lower Egypt to reject the ancient gods. What a mixture there is of nations here!"
Through the same messenger Kama replied that she would wait for him that evening. The garden of the temple of Astaroth was almost empty, especially near the house of the priestess. The building was silent, and inside only two tapers were burning. When the prince knocked timidly, the priestess herself drew the door open.
Now that the afternoon sun had left the front of the house, Ridley paced up and down the terrace repeating stanzas of a long poem, in a subdued but suddenly sonorous voice. Fragments of the poem were wafted in at the open window as he passed and repassed. Peor and Baalim Forsake their Temples dim, With that twice batter'd God of Palestine And mooned Astaroth
Dagon waved his hand. "Stupid girls!" said he. "They think only about dressing, painting, and perfuming themselves; but whence these perfumes come, and who brings them to Egypt, they know not." "We must give him a favorite who will know." "Where shall we find her?" asked Dagon. "Ah, I have it!" cried he, stroking his forehead. "Dost Thou know Kama, the priestess of Astaroth?"
"A spot yes, these are spots," whispered she, full of terror. "Two, three O Astaroth, but Thou wilt not punish thy priestess in this way! Death would be better But again what folly! If I rub my forehead, the spots will be redder. Evidently something has bitten me, or I have used impure oil in anointing. I will wash, and the spots will be gone by to- morrow."
Because of this the whole city was shaken some days later under the influence of extraordinary tidings: Kama, the priestess of Astaroth, had been seized, borne away and lost, like a grain of sand in a desert.
But what is to be done with the other adherents of Astaroth?" "I make bold to think," said the chief, "that nothing threatens this woman at present. If she had courage, we might employ her to decoy the Greek, and seize him here in thy palaces, O Erpatr." "Then go to her," said the prince, "and lay before her whatever plan Thou mayst think out.
The judge-Advocate continued: "The demons have been forced to declare their names by the mouths of their victims. Their names and deeds are deposited upon this table. They are called Astaroth, of the order of Seraphim; Eazas, Celsus, Acaos, Cedron, Asmodeus, of the order of Thrones; Alex, Zebulon, Cham, Uriel, and Achas, of the order of Principalities, and so on, for their number is infinite.
A certain day the worthy Hiram arrived at the palace with a great suite of merchants, slaves, and also poor Egyptians to whom he gave alms, and when he stood before the heir, he said, "Our gracious lord! to prove that thy heart is full of kindness toward us Asiatics also, Thou hast given five talents to arrange games in honor of the goddess Astaroth.
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