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At length he was seen returning. Pushing his way through the crowd, he mounted the platform, and said: "The daughter of Sakon speaks truth; alas! the lady Baaltis is dead." Elissa sighed in relief, for had her tidings proved false she could scarcely have hoped to escape the fury of the crowd.
"I know it, Metem; there runs the path by which we travelled from the coast, and there is the tomb of Baaltis. Why have we been brought here?" "The lady Elissa sits behind the bars of yonder tomb whence her view of all that happens upon this mount must be very good indeed," answered Metem with meaning. "Now, can you guess why you were brought here, prince Aziel."
Say now, are you prepared, for the sake of this maiden, to abandon the worship of your fathers and to become the servant of El and Baaltis?" "You know well that I am not so prepared, Sakon. For nothing that the world could give me would I do this sin." "Then, Prince, it is best that you should go, for that and no other is the price you must pay if you would win my daughter Elissa.
Taking the incense in his hand now he cast it into the flames upon the altar, repeating mechanically after the Shadid: "By this sacrifice and homage, body and soul I give myself to you and worship you, El and Baaltis, the only true gods." The echo of Aziel's voice died away, and the fumes of the incense rose in a straight dense column upon that quiet air.
It was one which, while promoting, as he considered, the true welfare of the lovers, if successful would separate them effectually and for ever. It will be remembered that Elissa had explained to the prince how, on the death of the lady Baaltis, another woman was elected by the colleges of the priests and priestesses to fill her place.
"Doubtless because it was her pleasure to do so," answered Mesa sharply, though she also wondered why Elissa had locked the gate. When an hour was gone by and Elissa had not returned, her wonder turned to fear and doubt. "Call to the lady Baaltis," she said, "for her prayers are long, and I fear lest she should have come to harm."
If that lady Baaltis who is dead chances to leave a daughter, it is usual for the lot to fall upon her; if not, upon such one of the noble maidens as may be chosen." "Does the lady Baaltis marry, then?"
"Tell me, Metem," he asked of the Phoenician who stood beside him, his head respectfully uncovered, "what mummery is this?" "It is no mummery, worthy Issachar, but a ceremony of public sacrifice, which is to be offered in the temple yonder, for the recovery from her sickness of the Lady Baaltis, the high-priestess." "Where then is the offering.
Nothing discouraged, however, by the scant time at his disposal or other difficulties, without her knowledge or that of her father, Metem began his canvass on behalf of Elissa. First with a great sum of gold he bought over the ex-Shadid, the husband of the late lady Baaltis. As it chanced, this worthy had quarrelled with his daughter.
Therefore it was obvious that the only way out of the difficulty was her election as Baaltis. This must prove a perfect answer to the suit of the savage king, since the goddess could not be compelled, and even Ithobal, fearing the vengeance of Heaven, would shrink from offering her violence.
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