Moreover, if you be men, cease to heap insult upon a woman.

I who am almost a stranger here have not dared to ask the lady Elissa for her favour." "Ay, but you will ask and she will grant," answered the same voice, the owner of which none could discover--for he seemed to speak from every part of the chamber.
"Indeed," went on Aziel, not heeding the interruption, "the last words between us were words of anger, for we quarrelled on a matter of religion." "What of that ?" cried the voice; "love is the highest of religions, for do not the Phoenicians worship it ?" "Seize yonder knave," shouted Sakon, and search was made but without avail.

Afterwards, however, Aziel remembered that once, when they were weather-bound on their journey from the coast, Metem had amused them by making his voice sound from various quarters of the hut in which they lay.

Then Ithobal rose and said:-- "Enough of this folly; I am not here to juggle with words, or to listen to such play.

Whether the lady Elissa spoke of the gods she serves or of a man is one to me.