“Yes, that I will do.”

“When your father asks after your welfare, you must weep.”

“I will do that too.”

“And so that all the Achaemenidae can see that you are weeping.”

“That will be a fearful humiliation!”

“Not at all; only a means by which to rise the more surely.  Wash the red color from your cheeks and put on white powder.  Make yourself pale—­paler still.”

“Yes, I shall need that to hide my blushes.  Boges, you are asking something fearful of me, but I will obey you if you will only give me a reason.”

“Girl, bring your mistress’s new dark green robe.”

“I shall look like a slave.”

“True grace is lovely even in rags.”

“The Egyptian will completely eclipse me.”

“Yes, every one must see that you have not the slightest intention of comparing yourself with her.  Then people will say:  ’Would not Phaedime be as beautiful as this proud woman, if she had taken the same pains to make herself so?"’

“But I cannot bow down to her.”

“You must.”

“You only want to humble and ruin me.”

“Short-sighted fool! listen to my reasons and obey.  I want especially to excite the Achaemenidae against our enemy.  How it will enrage your grandfather Intaphernes, and your father Otanes to see you in the dust before a stranger!  Their wounded pride will bring them over to our side, and if they are too ‘noble,’ as they call it, to undertake anything themselves against a woman, still they will be more likely to help than to hinder us, if I should need their assistance.  Then, when the Egyptian is ruined, if you have done as I wish, the king will remember your sad pale face, your humility and forgetfulness of self.  The Achaemenidae, and even the Magi, will beg him to take a queen from his own family; and where in all Persia is there a woman who can boast of better birth than you?  Who else can wear the royal purple but my bright bird of Paradise, my beautiful rose Phaedime?  With such a prize in prospect we must no more fear a little humiliation than a man who is learning to ride fears a fall from his horse.”

And she, princess as she was, answered:  “I will obey you.”

“Then we are certain of victory,” said the eunuch.  “There, now your eyes are flashing darkly again as I like to see them, my queen.  And so Cambyses shall see you when the tender flesh of the Egyptian shall have become food for dogs and the birds of the air, and when for the first time after long months of absence, I bring him once more to the door of your apartments.  Here, Armorges! tell the rest of the women to get ready and enter their litters.  I will go on and be there to show them their places.”

..........................

The great banqueting-hall was bright as day—­even brighter, from the light of thousands of candles whose rays were reflected in the gold plates forming the panelling of the walls.  A table of interminable length stood in the middle of the hall, overloaded with gold and silver cups, plates, dishes, bowls, jugs, goblets, ornaments and incense-altars, and looked like a splendid scene from fairy-land.