When Elissa returned from the assembly, she laid herself down to rest, worn out in mind and body. Soon sleep came to her, and with the sleep dreams. At first these were vague and shadowy, then they grew more clear. She dreamed that she saw a dim and moonlit garden, and in it a vast tree with twisted roots that seemed familiar to her. Something moving among the branches of this tree attracted her attention, but for a long while she watched it without being able to discover what it was. Now she saw. The moving thing was a hideous black dwarf with beady eyes, who held in his hand a little ivory tipped bow, on the string of which was set an arrow. Her consciousness concentrated itself upon this arrow, and though she knew not how, she became aware that it was poisoned. What was the dwarf doing in the tree with a bow and poisoned arrow, she wondered? Suddenly a sound seemed to strike her ear, the sound of a man's footsteps walking over grass, and she perceived that the figure of the dwarf, crouched upon the bough, became tense and alert, and that his fingers tightened upon the bow-string until the blood was driven from their yellow tips. Following the glance of his wicked black eyes, she saw advancing through the shadow a tall man clad in a dark robe. Now he emerged into a patch of moonlight and stood looking around him as though he were searching for some one. Then the dwarf raised himself to his knees upon the bough, and, aiming at the bare throat of the man, drew the bow-string to his ear. At this moment the victim turned his head and the moonlight shone full upon his face. It was that of the prince Aziel.
*****
Elissa awoke from her vision with a little cry, then rose trembling, and strove to comfort herself in the thought that although it was so very vivid she had dreamed but a dream. Still shaken and unnerved, she passed into another chamber, and made pretence to eat of the meal that was made ready for her, for it was now the hour of sunset. While she was thus employed, it was announced that the Ph?nician, Metem, desired to speak with her, and she commanded that he should be admitted.
"Lady," he said bowing, so soon as her attendants had withdrawn to the farther end of the chamber, "you can guess my errand. This morning I gave you certain tidings which proved both true and useful, and for those tidings you promised a reward."
"It is so," she said, and going to a chest she drew from it an ivory casket full of ornaments of gold and among them necklaces and other objects set with uncut precious stones. "Take them," she said, "they are yours; that is, save this gold chain alone, for it is vowed to Baaltis."
"But lady," he asked, "how can you appear before Ithobal the king thus robbed of all your ornaments?"
"I shall not appear before Ithobal the king," she answered sharply.
"You say so! Then what will the prince Aziel think of you when he sees you thus unadorned?"
"My beauty is my adornment," she replied, "not these gems and gold.
Moreover, it is nought to me what he thinks, for he hates me, and has reviled me."
Metem lifted his eyebrows incredulously and went on: "Still, I will not deprive you of this woman's gear. Look now, I value it, and at no high figure," and drawing out his writer's palette and a slip of papyrus, he wrote upon it an acknowledgment of debt, which he asked her to sign.
"This document, lady," he said, "I will present to your father--or your husband--at a convenient season, nor do I fear that either of them will refuse to honour it. And now I take my leave, for you--have an appointment to keep--and," he added with emphasis, "the time of moonrise is at hand."
"Your meaning, I pray you?" she asked. "I have no appointment at moonrise, or at any other hour."
Metem bowed politely, but in a fashion which showed that he put no faith in her words.
"Again I ask your meaning, merchant," she said, "for your dark hintings are scarcely to be borne."
The Ph?nician looked at her; there was a ring of truth in her voice.
"Lady," he said, "will you indeed deny, after I have seen it written by yourself, that within some few minutes you meet the prince Aziel beneath a great tree in the palace gardens, there--so said the scroll --to ask his aid in this matter of the suit of Ithobal?"
"Written by myself?" she said wonderingly. "Meet the prince Aziel beneath a tree in the palace gardens? Never have I thought of it."
"Yet, lady, the scroll I saw purported to be written by you, and your own woman bore it to the prince. As I think, she sits yonder at the end of the chamber, for I know her shape."
"Come hither," called Elissa, addressing the woman. "Now tell me, what scroll was this that you carried to-day to the prince Aziel, saying that I sent you?"
"Lady," answered the girl confusedly, "I never told the prince Aziel that you sent him the scroll."
"The truth, woman, the truth," said her mistress. "Lie not, or it will be the worse for you."
"Lady, this is the truth. As I was walking through the market-place an old black woman met me, and offered me a piece of gold if I would deliver a letter into the hand of the prince Aziel. The gold tempted me, for I had need of it, and I consented; but of who wrote the letter I know nothing, nor have I ever seen the woman before."
"You have done wrong, girl," said Elissa, "but I believe your tale.
Now go."
When she had gone, Elissa stood for a while thinking; and, as she thought, Metem saw a look of fear gather on her face.
