This former favorite,—­this humbled daughter of the Achaemenidae, had been expecting him already some time.

She was magnificently dressed, and almost overloaded with jewels.  A thick veil of gauze inwrought with gold hung from her little tiara, and interlaced with this was the blue and white band of the Achaemenidae.  There could be no question that she was beautiful, but her figure was already too strongly developed, a frequent result of the lazy harem life among Eastern women.  Fair golden hair, interwoven with little silver chains and gold pieces, welled out almost too abundantly from beneath her tiara, and was smoothed over her white temples.

She sprang forward to meet Boges, trembling with eagerness, caught a hasty glance at herself in the looking-glass, and then, fixing her eyes on the eunuch, asked impetuously:  “Are you pleased with me?  Will he admire me?”

Boges smiled his old, eternal smile and answered:  “You always please me, my golden peacock, and the king would admire you too if he could see you as you were a moment ago.  You were really beautiful when you called out, ‘Will he admire me?’ for passion had turned your blue eyes black as night, and your lip was curled with hatred so as to show two rows of teeth white as the snow on the Demawend!”

Phaedime was flattered and forced her face once more into the admired expression, saying:  “Then take us at once to the banquet, for I know my eyes will be darker and more brilliant, and my teeth will gleam more brightly, when I see that Egyptian girl sitting where I ought to sit.”

“She will not be allowed to sit there long.”

“What! is your plan likely to succeed then?  Oh, Boges, do not hide it any longer from me—­I will be as silent as the grave—­I will help you—­I will—­”

“No, I cannot, I dare not tell you about it, but this much I will say in order to sweeten this bitter evening:  we have dug the pit for our enemy, and if my golden Phaedime will only do what I tell her, I hope to give her back her old place, and not only that, but even a higher one.”

“Tell me what I am to do; I am ready for anything and everything.”

“That was well and bravely spoken; like a true lioness.  If you obey me we must succeed; and the harder the task, the higher the reward.  Don’t dispute what I am going to say, for we have not a minute to lose.  Take off all your useless ornaments and only wear the chain the king gave you on your marriage.  Put on a dark simple dress instead of this bright one; and when you have prostrated yourself before Kassandane, bow down humbly before the Egyptian Princess too.”

“Impossible!”

“I will not be contradicted.  Take off those ornaments at once, I entreat you.  There, that is right.  We cannot succeed unless you obey me.  How white your neck is!  The fair Peri would look dark by your side.”

“But—­”

“When your turn comes to ask a favor of the king, tell him you have no wishes, now that the sun of your life has withdrawn his light.”