and money was on his back. His lyre hung from his waist by a thong; and on his head, over its usual fillet, he wore a peaked cap of crimson cloth, cut after the Tyrian fashi

looking out across the darkening waters in the direction of his home. It was a sudden and most untoward emotion that made the Greek blind to his appearance when Kabir finally came to his side. F

looked about him in dull displeasure at the buildings of stone and clay-brick and dried mud, sumptuous or wretched beyond belief, that lined these lanes. On all sides rose the clamor of rude, Ph?nician voices and the mouthing of ungraceful words. Here and there a fire of sticks, burning in some court-yard and visibl

fair-sized wooden house, and, knocking ponderously upon the closed

e I, also, make my home when I am he

k stood in the background, watching the general mêlée that ensued upon the shout. Four children, besides the half-grown boy who had opened the door, made a speedy appearance; and they were followed by a quiet-looking woman who manifested extreme pleasure at sight of Kabir. Finall

aking of supper, while the Ph?nicians sat close about them, listening eagerly to the story of the

mer leaves for the East in three days, under charge"-he turned to his brother-"under charge of Hodo, whom you, Kabir, will surely remember. A mon

an." Kabir turned to Charmides with a smile; but the youth sat silent, his eyes s

nown to us. He is a shrewd merchant and an excellent comrade. We will recommend you to him to-morrow. If

and that he himself might be at liberty to turn his face once more to the west. Perhaps this mood was partly induced by weariness. If so, Kabir knew his companion better than the Greek knew himself; for, after finishing their meat

mbroideries, carpeted with rugs from far Eastern looms, and lighted by a hanging-lamp of wrought bronze, it presented to the Greek an appearance of comfort

nd none, and proceeded with some hesitation into the living-room. This he found to be occupied only by one of the children, a little girl, who greeted him shyly, and bade him eat of the food that had been left for him upon the table. Charmides, as timid as the child, forbore to ask for the water without which he felt it impious to begin the day, and sat down, as he was bid, to a repast of millet bread, buffalo milk, and lentils. These things he finished, to

nterferences. He chanced presently on a broader thoroughfare, one fairly well kept, stretching in a straight line from north to south. This, as he guessed, was the principal street of the city, terminating, as he could not know, on the north, in the great agenorium, or open mart, east of the Sidonian harbor, and, on the south, in the grove and temple of Melkart. Charmides moved along up this street, admiring the solid stone buildings that lined it on either side; watching the g

d sandal venders, who occupied about a quarter of an acre of space. Shoes were an article that Charmides had never seen worn. Their purpose was easy to divine, however, and he fell to admiring the cleverness of their invention and the beauty of their ornamentation. Beyond this interesting spot came the silk and cloth merchants, then the le

the tangle of men and merchandise when he felt a hand

s! Have you come to seek us o

owing you were here. It is wonderful! I

yours may be supplied before we leave the market. Now, Charmides, you must be made known t

side. Charmides beheld a small man, hardly five feet high, swathed from head to heels in white garments of rich texture. Well as they were worn, however, they could not conceal the semi-deformity of the l

ansformed every feature of his face. Charmides looked at Hodo and could not refrain from ans

the mart here and will tell us what you ne

have all necessary garments, as

?" demanded Hodo, speaking Ph?nici

t. In the heat I shall

hield you at all from the fierce rays of Shamash. There must be a square of silk to wind about your head, and two thicknesses of muslin to protect your neck in the back. Then, if you think me versed in desert knowledge, you will leave off that short t

d the words at length; and then, Charmides having very sensibly put himself into Hodo's hands, the three proceeded to make the necessary purchases, for which Kabir paid, while Charmides repaid him from his bag at Kabir's abode. On t

t go straight

first, then out and over the desert. It is the easiest

ome now fr

was there, Greek.

is eyes, and waited for a certain question. But the youth kept silent, and, after a pause, t

g journey for the sake of our goddess, the

interest come into the youth's expression. Instead, a frown spread it

ney matters little," w

mides' last words. The three walked on uncomfortably, till there came sounds of a surprising chuc

o-morrow, I remember, is the day of the semi-yearly

d: "Yes. The yearly festival of Tammuz took place a month ago. To-morrow is the festival of the virgin rites. We will go-

with new animation. "D

the real ceremony takes place within the temple. Knowing but

himself again. But the silence that followed lasted

d the Olympian Zeus that were on the island. But Charmides seemed to be developing a surprising and unnecessary taciturnity, for which the Ph?nician, regarding him as extraordinarily young, would h

prophetic intuition of what the morrow would bring forth. When the morrow arrived, however, and Hodo, gay in red embroideries,

shaded ground was kept clear of leaves and brush, and was covered with a rare velvet turf. The coolness and shade to be found beneath the great branches, after the pitiless sunshine through which they had been walking, was delicious; and the Greek would willingly have given the afternoon to wandering here, watching the golden shadows and exploring the sinuous paths that wound everywhere before him. He did not, however, venture to suggest this course. There was now a stream of men passing and following them to the temple. Hodo was half running in his eage

Ph?nician pantheon, and a sloping, square door-way of Egyptian style, was the sight that met Charmides' eyes-the far-famed sanctuary of Ashtoreth of Tyre. The crowd of men assembling at this door-w

prayer or two, to the words of which Charmides listened rather blankly. Then the three of them passed from the entrance hall into the great room of the temple. This w

broad, and about four in height. Around this knelt a company of priestesses, all but one of whom were robed in yellow. The one, whose bowed head could hardly be seen, was clad in a single garment of white veiling; and her hair, unbound, fell in a brown curtain to the floor on either side of her. Charmides, taking his eyes from the group of worshippers, looked again around the room

loud; and, from the restlessness among the company of men, Charmides decided that the ceremony was approaching a point of interest. Pr

orderly ranks of men. The Greek caught a new order of whispers, now, that rose about him on all sides. Of these he understood here and there a phrase: "Beautiful this time!" "Her hair is her veil!" "Ashtoreth will that she choose me!" "Baal did well to let her come!" And then, as the chant ended and the women halted ten feet from the front row of men, every sound ceased. After a short pause the priestesses separated into two groups, and from their midst the white virgin came slowly forth. At her appearance every man dropped upon one knee, Kabir pulling the wide-eyed Greek down beside him. Again there was a pause, during which Cha

oved languidly over his perfect face, descended to his shoulders-arms-body-and at last a faint tinge of red crept into her deathly cheeks. She nodded once to hi

feet!" Kabir whisp

ides

er. The hierodul

the altar the general company stopped. Only Charmides, the girl, and two priestesses advanced till they stood directly in front of the shrine with the altar behind them. Then a hush fell upon the multitude, and Charmides experienced a sudden tremor-a dread of what was to happen next. He had no idea whatever for what purpose he had been chosen, whether it threatened his life, endangered his freedom, or gave promise of honor. Kabir had been eager for him to go, h

r, her brown hair falling about her shoulders. Supported on either side, she moved towards him till her knee touched his tunic

" she said, pointing from

three women in front of him. Then he hurled at them a Greek phrase, fortunately incomprehensible to the multitude. Lastly, unheeding the look

of woe on the side of the women. Still the Greek, absorbed in his own displeasure, kept on his way, and would pr

Thou fool! W

tried to shake off his companion

I say, wh

t dishonor her, neither myself!" he s

Ashtoreth! Nay, you woul

des sh

the goddess. She will now be offered up upon the altar of death. Her blood must wash a

espairing entreaty. Every murmur had died away, and a deadly hush settled over the great hall. The lights burned calmly from above, and the odor of fresh incense became overpowering. Still the shepherd did not move. One instant more and Aris, the high-priestess, would send the order for the sacrificial knife. The Greek's thoughts waver

ead, lay there on the stones. Two strained arms caught at his knees. A faint voice, choked with the tears of despair, was begging incoherently for the life that he could give. All of a sudden he melted. He bent his head, d

aster, and he knew it. The name of Ashtoreth was not spoken before him in Abdosir's house; no mention ever after did either Ph?

on the great object of his journey, the goddess of Babylon, whom he was so soon to see. But all things around him were new, all things fair, and soon he gave up the attempt at abstraction to watch what went on around him. Far ahead, upon the foremost camel, was Hodo, the leader of the caravan, who, with his desert costume, had also donned an undeniable dignity of demeanor. Before and behind Charmides, in the very centre of the line, sat solemn Orientals whose nationality he did not know. Far