WhenElissareturnedfromtheassembly，shelaidherselfdowntorest，wornoutinmindandbody.Soonsleepcametoher，andwiththesleepdreams.Atfirstthesewerevagueandshadowy，thentheygrewmoreclear.Shedreamedthatshesawadimandmoonlitgarden，andinitavasttreewithtwistedrootsthatseemedfamiliartoher.Somethingmovingamongthebranchesofthistreeattractedherattention，butforalongwhileshewatcheditwithoutbeingabletodiscoverwhatitwas.Nowshesaw.Themovingthingwasahideousblackdwarfwithbeadyeyes，whoheldinhishandalittleivorytippedbow，onthestringofwhichwassetanarrow.Herconsciousnessconcentrateditselfuponthisarrow，andthoughsheknewnothow，shebecameawarethatitwaspoisoned.Whatwasthedwarfdoinginthetreewithabowandpoisonedarrow，shewondered？Suddenlyasoundseemedtostrikeherear，thesoundofaman’sfootstepswalkingovergrass，andsheperceivedthatthefigureofthedwarf，croucheduponthebough，becametenseandalert，andthathisfingerstighteneduponthebow—
stringuntilthebloodwasdrivenfromtheiryellowtips.Followingtheglanceofhiswickedblackeyes，shesawadvancingthroughtheshadowatallmancladinadarkrobe.Nowheemergedintoapatchofmoonlightandstoodlookingaroundhimasthoughheweresearchingforsomeone.Thenthedwarfraisedhimselftohiskneesuponthebough，and，aimingatthebarethroatoftheman，drewthebow—stringtohisear.Atthismomentthevictimturnedhisheadandthemoonlightshonefulluponhisface.ItwasthatoftheprinceAziel.
Elissaawokefromhervisionwithalittlecry，thenrosetrembling，andstrovetocomfortherselfinthethoughtthatalthoughitwassoveryvividshehaddreamedbutadream.Stillshakenandunnerved，shepassedintoanotherchamber，andmadepretencetoeatofthemealthatwasmadereadyforher，foritwasnowthehourofsunset.Whileshewasthusemployed，itwasannouncedthatthePh？nician，Metem，desiredtospeakwithher，andshecommandedthatheshouldbeadmitted.
\"Lady，\"hesaidbowing，sosoonasherattendantshadwithdrawntothefartherendofthechamber，\"youcanguessmyerrand.ThismorningI
gaveyoucertaintidingswhichprovedbothtrueanduseful，andforthosetidingsyoupromisedareward.\"