The dwelling of the heir to the throne was swarming with youth of the aristocracy. Some on the ground floor were bathing and anointing themselves, others were playing chess and checkers on the first story, others in company with dancing-girls were drinking under tents on the terrace. Rameses neither drank, played, nor talked with women; he walked along one side of the terrace awaiting the Phœnician impatiently. When he saw him emerge from an alley in a litter on two asses, he went to the first story, where there was an unoccupied chamber. After awhile Dagon appeared in the door. He knelt on the threshold and exclaimed,-- "I greet thee, new sun of Egypt! Mayst thou live through eternity, and may thy glory reach those distant shores which are visited by the ships of Phœnicia." At command of the prince, he rose and said with violent gesticulations,-- "When the worthy Tutmosis descended before my mud hut--my house is a mud hut in comparison with thy palaces, erpatr--such was the gleam from his face that I cried at once to my wife, 'Tamara, the worthy Tutmosis has come not from himself, but from one as much higher than he as the Lebanon is higher than the sand of the seashore.' 'Whence dost thou know, my lord, that the worthy Tutmosis has not come for himself?' 'Because he could not come with money, since he has none, and he could not come for money, because I have none.' At that moment we bowed down both of us to the worthy Tutmosis. But when he told us that it was thou, most worthy lord, who desirest fifteen talents from thy slave, I asked my wife, 'Tamara, did my heart teach me badly?' 'Dagon, thou art so wise that thou shouldst be an adviser to the heir,' replied my Tamara." Rameses was boiling with impatience, but he listened to the banker,--he, Rameses, who stormed in the presence of his own mother and the pharaoh. "When we, lord, stopped and understood that thou wert desirous of my services, such delight entered my house that I ordered to give the servants ten pitchers of beer, and my wife Tamara commanded me to buy her new earrings. My joy was increased so that when coming hither I did not let my driver beat the asses. And when my unworthy feet touched thy floor, O prince, I took out a gold ring, greater than that which the worthy Herhor gave Eunana, and presented it to thy slave who poured water on my fingers. With permission, worthiness, whence came that silver pitcher from which they poured the water?" "Azarias, the son of Gaber, sold it to me for two talents." "A Jew? Erpatr, dost them deal with Jews? But what will the gods say?" "Azarias is a merchant, as thou art," answered Rameses. When Dagon heard this, he caught his head with both hands, he spat and groaned,--