Meanwhile, Boges, after exciting Phaedime’s curiosity by many vague hints, divulged to her the nature of his infamous scheme.  When Gaumata had come to Babylon for the New Year’s festival, Boges had discovered his remarkable likeness to Bartja.  He knew of his love for Mandane, gained his confidence, and arranged the nocturnal meeting under Nitetis’ bedroom window.  In return he exacted the promise of the lover’s immediate departure after the meeting.  He helped him to escape through a trap-door.  To get Bartja out of the way, he had induced a Greek merchant to dispatch a letter to the prince, asking him, in the name of her he loved best, to come alone in the evening to the first station outside the Euphrates gate.  Unfortunately, the messenger managed the matter clumsily, and apparently gave the letter to Gaumata.  But to counteract Bartja’s proof of innocence, Boges had managed to get hold of his dagger, which was conclusive evidence.  And now Nitetis was sentenced to be set astride upon an ass and led through the streets of Babylon.  As for Gaumata, three men were lying in wait for him to throw him into the Euphrates before he could get back to Rhagae.  Phaedime joined in Boges’ laughter, and hung a heavy jewel-studded chain round his neck.

* * * * *

A few hours only were wanted for the time fixed for Nitetis’ disgrace, and the streets of Babylon were thronged with a dense crowd of sightseers, when a small caravan approached the Bel gate.  In the first carriage was a fine, handsome man of about fifty, of commanding aspect, and dressed as a Persian courtier.  With difficulty the driver cleared a passage through the crowd.  “Make way for us!  The royal post has no time to lose, and I am driving some one who will make you repent every minute’s delay.”  They arrived at the palace, and the stranger’s insistence succeeded in gaining admission to the king.  The Greek—­for such the stranger had declared himself—­affirmed that he could prove the condemned men’s innocence.

“Call him in!” exclaimed Cambyses.  “But if he wants to deceive me, let him remember that where the head of a son of Cyrus is about to fall, a Greek head has but very little chance.”  The Greek’s calm and noble manner impressed Cambyses favourably, and his hostility was entirely overcome when the stranger revealed to him that he was Phanes, the famous commander of the Greek mercenaries in Egypt, and that he had come to offer his service to Cambyses.

Phanes now related how, on approaching Babylon by the royal post, just before midnight, they heard some cries of distress, and found three fierce-looking fellows dragging a youth towards the river; how with his Greek war-cry he had rushed on the murderers, slain one of them, and put the others to flight; and how he discovered—­so he thought—­the youth to be none other but Bartja, whom he had met at the Egyptian court.

They took him to the nearest station, bled him, and bound up his wounds.  When he regained consciousness, he told them his name was Gaumata.  Then he was seized by fever, during which he constantly spoke of the hanging gardens and of his Mandane.