Her eyes met his, and she whispered, "Not my hand, but my brow, Prince, for so I shall be crowned."
He pressed his lips upon her forehead, and replied:--
"Queen of my heart you are already, and though the throne be humble it is sure. The life you saved is yours, and no other's."
"I did but repay a debt," she answered; "but speak of it no more.
Gladly would I have died to save you; should such choice arise, would you do so for me, I wonder?"
"There is little need to ask such a question, lady; for your sake I would not only die, I would even endure shame--that is worse than death."
"Sweet words, Aziel," she answered, smiling, "of which we shall learn the value when the hour of trial comes, as come, I think, it will. You told me but now that you were mine, and no other's; but is it so? I have heard the story of a certain princess of Khem with whom your name was mingled. Tell me, if you will, what was it that set you journeying to this far city of ours?"
"The desire to find you," he answered smiling; then seeing that she still looked at him with questioning eyes, he added, "Nay, this is the truth, if you seek truth. Indeed, it is the best that I should tell you, since it seems that already you have heard something of the tale.
A while ago I was sent to the Court of the Pharaoh of Egypt, by the will of my grandsire, the king of Israel, upon an embassy of friendship, and to escort thence a certain beautiful princess, my cousin, who was affianced by treaty to an uncle of mine, a great prince of Israel. This I did, showing to the lady courtesy, and no more. But the end of the matter was that when we came to Jerusalem the princess refused to be married to my uncle, to whom she was betrothed----" and he hesitated.
"Nay, be not timid, Prince," said Elissa sharply; "continue, I pray you. I have heard that the lady added somewhat to her refusal."
"That is so, Elissa. She declared before the king that she would wed no man except myself only, whereon my uncle was very angry, and accused me of playing him false, which, indeed, I had not done."
"Although the lady was so fair, Aziel? But what said the great king?"
"He said that never having seen him to whom she was affianced, he would not suffer that she should be forced into marriage with him against her will. Yet that her will might be uninfluenced, he commanded that I should be sent upon a long journey. That was his judgment, lady."
"Yes, but not all of it; surely he added other words?" she broke in eagerly.
"He added," continued Aziel, with some reluctance, "that if while I was on this journey the princess changed her mind, and chose to wed my uncle, it would be well. But, when I returned from it, if she had not changed her mind, and chose--to marry me--then it would be well also, and, though he was little pleased, with this saying my uncle must be satisfied."
"It does not satisfy me, prince Aziel," Elissa answered, the tears starting to her dark eyes. "I know full well that the lady will not change her mind, and take a man who is in years, and whom she hates, in place of one who is young, and whom she loves. Therefore, when you return hence to Jerusalem, by the king's command you will wed her."
"Nay, Elissa; if I am already married that cannot be," he said.
"In Judea, Prince, I am told that men take more wives than one; also, they divorce them," she replied; then added, "Oh, return not there where I shall lose you. If, indeed, you love me, I pray you return not there."
Before he could answer, a sound of singing and of all sorts of music caught Aziel's ear. Looking through the casement, he saw a great procession of the priests and priestesses of El and Baaltis clad in their festal robes and accompanied by many dignitaries of the city, a multitude of people and bands of musicians, advancing across the square towards the door of the palace.
"Why, what passes?" he exclaimed. As he spoke the door opened and two richly arrayed heralds, wands of office in their hands, entered and prostrated themselves before Elissa.
"Greeting to you, most noble and blessed lady, the chosen of the gods!" they cried with one voice. "Prepare, we beseech you, to hear glad tidings, and to receive those who are sent to tell them."
"Glad tidings?" said Elissa. "Has Ithobal then withdrawn his suit?"
"Nay, lady; it is not of Ithobal that the messengers come to speak."
"Then I cannot receive them," she said, sinking back in apprehension.
"I am still ill and weak, and I pray to be excused."
"Nay, lady," answered the herald, "that which they have to tell will cure your sickness."
Again Elissa protested. Before the words had left her lips there appeared in the doorway he who had been husband of the dead Baaltis, followed by priests and priestesses, by Sakon her father, with whom was Metem, and many other nobles and dignitaries.
"All hail, lady!" they cried, prostrating themselves before her. "All hail, lady, chosen of the gods!"
Elissa looked at them bewildered.
"Your pardon," she said, "I do not understand."
Then, rising from his knees, he who was still the Shadid until his successor was appointed, addressed her as spokesman.
"Listen," he said, "and learn, lady, the great thing that has befallen you. Know, O divine One, that by the inspiration of El and Baaltis, rulers of the heavens, the colleges of the priests and priestesses of the city, following the voice of the oracles and the pointing of the omens, have set you in that high place which death has emptied.
Greeting to you, holder of the spirit of the goddess! Greeting to the Baaltis!"
"I did not seek this honour," she murmured in the silence that followed, "and I refuse it. The throne of the goddess is Mesa's right; let her take it, or if she will not, then find some other woman who is more worthy."
