Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-05
CHAPTER vi.
The Hall of Audience,

Well might she weep. for she had been
false to her oath as prestess. uttering
a message from the goddess that which
she had learned from the lips of man,
More. she could not rid herself of the re-
niembrance of the scorn and loathing with
which the Prince Aziel had looked upon
her. of the bitter insult of his words
when he called her girl of the groves and
a murderess of children
So far she was concerned, they were
utterly untrue, indeed. for none could throw
q slur upon her. and for these rare hui
man sacrifices she loathed the very name
of them. nor would she have been present
had she guessed that any such offering was
intended Like most of the acient rel
gions. that of the Phoencians had two
sides to it, a spiritual and a material side.
The spiritual side worship of the
far-off unknown divinity, symbolzed by
the sun and planets and visible only in
their majestic movements and in the forces
OF nature. To this she chung, knowing no
truer god, ana from those forces she StrOye
to wiring their secret, for her heart was
deep Lonely invocations to the goddess
beneath the light of the silent moon ap-
pealed 10 her. for from them she seemed to
draw strength and comfort, but the out
ward ceremonies of her fdi-h. the more
secret and darker of them, We're already
an abomiuatiOu in her eyes. And now what
III lnt Jew prophet spoke truly w nat II
this creed of hers were q lie, root and
branch. and there did not live in the heay-
ems above God who heard and answered
the prayers of man and who did not seek
of them the blood of the children he had
given? A great doubt took hold of her and
shook her being, and with the doubt came
hope How was 1t, if her faith Were true.
that when she took the name of the god
deSS in vain nothing had hefallen her? She
desired 10 learn more of this matter but
who was TO teach her? The Levite turned
from her with loathing. from thing I'M
clean, and there remained. therefore, but
the Prince AZiel, who had put her from
him with those bitter words of scorn All.
why did they pain her So piercing her
heart as with a spear? Was il because
becauSe-she loved him, and so soon? Yet,
that was the truth of il. She had learned
it even as he cursed her All her fierce
southern blood was alight with a new fire.
the ike OF which she had never known be-
fore And not her blood only-it was her
spirit-her spirit that yearned to his. Had
ii not leaped within her at the first sight
OF him as 10 one most dear. one long lost
and found again? She loved him and he
loved her. and, oh, her lot was hard.
As she lay brooding thus in her pain |
the door of her chamber opened and Saxon |
her father. entered.
What is it that has CHANGED yonder?'
he asked. for he had not been present in the |
and, daughter why do you t
weep
Il weep. father. because your guest, the |
Prince Aziel, has called me "a girl of the !
groves and Il murderesS of children" she |
replied |
Then, by my head. prince that he is. he |
shall answer for it to me- sand the gov |
ernor. grasping at his sword hiit.
Nay father, since to him l must have |
seemed TO deserve his words. Listen" and |
she told him all that had passed, hiding !
nothing.
Now, it seems that trouble is heaped |
upon trouble, said the Phoenician when |
suffered the prince and that fierce Issachar |
TO be present at the sacrifice. Daughter l |
tell you this: Though L am a worshiper of !
FL ana Bdaltis, as my fathers We're before |
he, know that the Jehovah of the Jews is |
a great God. and that his prophets do not |
prophesy falsely, for l have seen it in nv |
youth. yonder in the coasts of Sidon. What |
CID lssachar say? That before the moon |
was young again the temple should run red |
with blood? Well, SO il may happen for |
know that Ithobal threatens war against |
Us, and for your sake, my daughter"
How Tor my sake. father she asked |
teaEily, as one who knew what the answer
" ould be.
You know well. girl. The man is besot-
TED with YOU; moreover, he is mad with
jealousy OF this newcomer, the Prince AZe |
He has demanded public audience of me
this afternoon, and L have it privately that |
then he vii again ask you in marriage, and |
IL he is refused viii declare war upon the
city, with which he has an ancient quarrel !
%, ytS Ming IlHODdl Is tfldt sword OF God
" hich the Jew said he saw hanging over u.s. |
and should II fall it will be because OF YOU
ELISA
The Jew did not say that. father; he SAID
II would be because of the sins of the peo-
Ile and their idolaIries.'
What does II matter what he said?"
broke in Saxon hastily. How shall l an
swer Itnobalg'
Tell him. she replied with a strange
smile, that he does wisely to be Jealous OF |
the Prince Aziel.''.
What, OF the stranger who this very
day reyiled you in words of such shame
and so soOn?" asked her father astonished. |
ELISA did not speak in answer; she only |
locked straight before her and nodded ner
head.
Had ever man such daughter" he went
On in petulant dismay. Truly 1T is wise
saying which tells that women love those
best who beat them, be il with the tongue |
or with the list. Not but what / would |
gladly see you welded to the grandson of
Solomon and of Pharaoh rather than to
this barbarian, but the iegions of Solomon |
and of Pharaoh are far away, whereas this
Ithobal has hundred thousand spears al
most at our gate"
There is no need to speak of that |
father, she said, turning. "since, even were |
L WILING, the prince would have naught to
90 with me, VINO am a prlestesS of BaaltiS.'
The matter OF religion might be over
come, suggested Saxon, but, no, for many ,
reasons il is impossible. Well, this being
50. daughter, L may answer Ithobal that
you will wed him"
To- she said. Il wed that black hearted
savageZ My father. you may answer whal
you viii. but of this b. sure, that L will 60
TO my grave before l pass as wife to the
board OF lthcbeL"
''Oh, my daughter" pleaded Saxon,
think before you say it. AS his wife at
least you, who are not of royal blood will
be queen and the mother of kings. But
II you refuse. then either l must force
you, which is hateful to me, or there will
be such war the city has not known
for generations. for Ithobal and his tribes
nave many grievances against me. BY the
git of yourself you can, for while, at any
rate, make pace between us, but il it is
withheld, then blood will run in rivers, and
perhaps this city, with all that live in il,
Will be destroyed, or at the least its trade
will be ruined and its wealth stolen from
it,"
IF 1t is decreed that all these things are
to be, they must be- answered ELISA,
calmly, seeing that this war has threat
eLed US for many years, and that a woman
must think of herself first and of the fate
of cities afterward. OF my own free will
will never take Ithobal 10 husband
Father. / have said"
Of the fate of cities, yes; but how Of
my fate and OF those We love? Are we all
TO be ruined. and perhaps slain, to satisfy
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