"Enough!" interrupted the prince. "I was neither here nor at the servants' house. If it seemed to thee that thou wert looking at me, that means that thy lover, that worthless Greek, not only has not left Egypt, but even dares to wander through my garden." The Phœnician woman heard him with fright. "O Astaroth!" cried she, suddenly. "Save me! Hide me, O earth! for if that wretch Lykon returns mighty misfortune is threatening me." The prince laughed, but he had not patience to listen to the complaints of the ex-priestess. "Be at rest," said he, when going, "and wonder not if after some days men bring in thy Lykon bound like a jackal. That insolent ruffian has worn out my patience." On returning to his palace the prince summoned Hiram and the chief of police in Pi-Bast. He told them that Lykon, the Greek with a face resembling his, was prowling around among the palaces, and he gave command to seize him. Hiram swore that if Phœnicians helped the police the Greek would be taken. But the chief shook his head. "Dost doubt?" asked the prince. "Yes, lord. In Pi-Bast dwell many pious Asiatics who think the priestess worthy of death because she deserted the altar. If this Greek has bound himself to kill Kama, they will help him, they will conceal the man, and facilitate flight for him." "What is thy answer to this?" asked the heir of Hiram. "The worthy master of the palace speaks wisely," replied the old Phœnician. "But ye have freed Kama from the curse." "I guarantee that Phœnicians will not touch Kama, and will pursue the Greek. But what is to be done with the other adherents of Astaroth?" "I make bold to think," said the chief, "that nothing threatens this woman at present. If she had courage, we might employ her to decoy the Greek, and seize him here in thy palaces, O Erpatr." "Then go to her," said the prince, "and lay before her whatever plan thou mayst think out. And if thou seize the man, I will give thee ten talents." When the heir left them, Hiram said to the chief,-- "Dignitary, I am aware that thou knowest both kinds of writing, and that the wisdom of priests is not strange to thee. When thou hast the wish, thou art able to hear through walls and see things in darkness. For this reason thou knowest the thoughts of the man who works with a bucket, the laborer, the artisan who takes sandals to market, the great lord who in the escort of his servants feels as safe as a child on the bosom of its mother." "Thou speakest truth," replied the official. "The gods have given me a wonderful gift of clear insight."