“Yes!—­though we must laugh at Zabastes we should also pity him,” —­he resumed in gayer accents—­“His fate is not enviable.  He is nothing but a Critic—­he could not well be a lesser man,—­one who, unable himself to do any great work, takes refuge in finding fault with the works of others.  And those who abhor true Poesy are in time themselves abhorred,—­the balance of Justice never errs in these things.  The Poet wins the whole world’s love, and immortal fame,—­his adverse Critic, brief contempt, and measureless oblivion.  Come,”—­he added, addressing Theos—­“we will leave these maidens to their duties and pastimes,—­Niphrata!” here his dazzling smile flashed like a beam of sunlight over his face—­ “thou wilt bring us fruit and wine yonder,—­we shall pass the afternoon together within doors.  Bid my steward prepare the Rose Chamber for my guest, and let Athazel and Zimra attend there to wait upon him.”

All the maidens saluted, touching their heads with their hands in token of obedience, and Sah-luma leading the way, courteously beckoned Theos to follow.  He did so, conscious as he went of two distinct impressions,—­first, that the mysterious mental agitation he had suffered from when he had found himself so unexpectedly in a strange city, was not completely dispelled,—­and secondly, that he felt as though he must have known Sah-luma all his life!  His memory still remained a blank as regarded his past career,—­but this fact had ceased to trouble him, and he was perfectly tranquil, and altogether satisfied with his present surroundings.  In short, to be in Al-Kyris, seemed to him quite in keeping with the necessary course of events,—­while to be the friend and companion of Sah-luma was more natural and familiar to his mind, than all once natural and familiar things.

CHAPTER XIII.

A poet’s palace.

Gliding along with that graceful, almost phantom-like swiftness of movement that was so much a part of his manner, Sah-luma escorted his visitor to the further end of the great hall.  There,—­throwing aside a curtain of rich azure silk which partially draped two large folding-doors,—­he ushered him into a magnificent apartment opening out upon the terrace and garden beyond,—­a garden filled with such a marvellous profusion of foliage and flowers, that looking at it from between the glistening marble columns surrounding the palace, it seemed as though the very sky above rested edge-wise on towering pyramids of red and white bloom.  Awnings of pale blue stretched from the windows across the entire width of the spacious outer colonnade, and here two small boys, half nude, and black as polished ebony, were huddled together on the mosaic pavement, watching the arrogant deportment of a superb peacock that strutted majestically to and fro with boastfully spreading tail and glittering crest as brilliant as the gleam of the hot sun on the silver fringe of the azure canopies.