"O Baal Tammuz! O Baaleth! O Astoreth! Azarias, the son of Gaber, a Jew, to be such a merchant as I am. Oh, my legs, why did ye bring me hither? Oh, my heart, why dost Thou suffer such pain and palpitation? Most worthy prince," cried the Phoenician, "slay me, cut off my hand if I counterfeit gold, but say not that a Jew can be a merchant. Sooner will Tyre fall to the earth, sooner will sand occupy the site of Sidon than a Jew be a merchant. They will milk their lean goats, or mix clay with straw under blows of Egyptian sticks, but they will never sell merchandise. Tfu! tfu! Vile nation of slaves! Thieves, robbers!" Anger boiled up in the prince, it is unknown why, but he calmed himself quickly. This seemed strange to Ramses himself, who up to that hour had not thought self-restraint needed in his case in presence of any one. "And then," said the heir on a sudden, "wilt thou, worthy Dagon, loan me fifteen talents?" "O Astoreth! Fifteen talents? That is such a great weight that I should have to sit down to think of it properly." "Sit down then." "For a talent," said Dagon, sitting in an armchair comfortably, "a man can have twelve gold chains, or sixty beautiful milch cows, or ten slaves for labor, or one slave to play on the flute or paint, and maybe even to cure. A talent is tremendous property." The prince's eyes flashed, "Then Thou hast not fifteen talents?" The terrified Phoenician slipped suddenly from the chair to the floor. "Who in the city," cried he, "has not money at thy command, O child of the sun? It is true that I am a wretch whose gold, precious stones, and whole property is not worth one glance of thine, O prince, but if I go around among our merchants and say who sent me, I shall get fifteen talents even from beneath the earth. Erpatr, if Thou shouldst stand before a withered fig-tree and say 'Give money!' the fig-tree would pay thee a ransom. But do not look at me in that way, O son of Horus, for I feel a pain in the pit of my heart and my mind is growing blunted," finished the Phoenician, in tones of entreaty. "Well, sit in the chair, sit in the chair," said the prince, laughing. Dagon rose from the floor and disposed himself still more agreeably in the armchair. "For how long a time does the prince wish fifteen talents?" "Certainly for a year." "Let us say at once three years. Only his holiness might give back fifteen talents in the course of a year, but not the youthful heir, who must receive young pleasant nobles and beautiful women. Ah, those women! Is it true, with thy permission, that Thou hast taken to thyself Sarah the daughter of Gideon?" "But what per cent dost Thou wish?" interrupted Ramses. "A trifle, which thy sacred lips need not mention. For fifteen talents the prince will give five talents yearly, and in the course of three years I will take back all myself, so that thou, worthiness, wilt not even know." "Thou wilt give me today fifteen talents, and during three years take back thirty?"