"Three days ago," interrupted Sarah, "the Phœnician Dagon was here. I did not wish to see him, but he insisted." "He gave me a gold ring," added Tafet. "He told me," continued Sarah, "that he was a tenant of my lord; he gave me two anklets, pearl earrings, and a box of perfumes from the land of Punt." "Why did he give them to thee?" asked her father. "For nothing. He simply begged that I would think well of him, and tell my lord sometimes that Dagon was his most faithful servant." "Very soon thou wilt have a whole box of earrings and bracelets," said Gideon, smiling. But after a moment he added: "Gather up a great property quickly and let us flee back to our own land, for here there is misery at all times, misery when we are in trouble, and still more of it when we are prosperous." "And what would my lord say?" asked Sarah, with sadness. Her father shook his head. "Before a year passes thy lord will cast thee aside, and others will help him. Wert thou an Egyptian, he would take thee to his palace; but a Jewess--" "He will cast aside?" said Sarah, sighing. "Why torment one's self with days to come, which are in the hand of God? I am here to pass the Sabbath with thee." "I have splendid fish, meat, cakes, and wine of the Jews," put in Tafet, quickly. "I have bought also, in Memphis, a seven-branched candlestick and wax tapers. We shall have a better supper than has Lord Chaires." Gideon went out on the flat roof with his daughter. "Tafet tells me," said he, when they were alone, "that thou art always in the house. Why is this? Thou shouldst look at least on the garden." "I am afraid," whispered Sarah. "Why be afraid of thy own garden? Here thou art mistress, a great lady." "Once I went out in the daytime. People of some sort stared at me, and said to one another, 'Look! that is the heir's Jewess; she delays the overflow.'" "They are fools!" interrupted Gideon. "Is this the first time that the Nile is late in its overflow? But go out in the evening." Sarah shook her head with greater vigor. "I do not wish, I do not wish. Another time I went out in the evening. All at once two women pushed out from a side path. I was frightened and wished to flee, when one of them, the younger and smaller, seized my hands, saying, 'Do not flee, we must look at thee;' the second, the elder and taller, stood some steps in front and looked me in the eyes directly. Ah, father, I thought that I should turn into stone. What a look, what a woman!" "Who could she be?" asked Gideon. "The elder woman looked like a priestess." "And did she say anything?" "Nothing. But when going and they were hidden behind trees, I heard surely the voice of the elder say these words: 'Indeed she is beautiful!'" Gideon fell to thinking. "Maybe they were great ladies from the court."