“I stood before the shattered carriage as it hung over the precipice ready to fall to pieces every moment, and then for the first time I met your sister’s imploring look.  From that moment I loved her, but at the time I was much too intent on saving them, to think of anything else, and had no idea what had taken place within me.  I dragged the trembling women out of the carriage, and one minute later it rolled down the abyss crashing into a thousand pieces.  I am a strong man, but I confess that all my strength was required to keep myself and the two women from falling over the precipice until ropes were thrown to us from above.  Atossa hung round my neck, and Kassandane lay on my breast, supported by my left arm; with the right I fastened the rope round my waist, we were drawn up, and I found myself a few minutes later on the high-road—­your mother and sister were saved.

“As soon as one of the Magi had bound up the wounds cut by the rope in my side, the king sent for me, gave me the chain I am now wearing and the revenues of an entire satrapy, and then took me to his mother and sister.  They expressed their gratitude very warmly; Kassandane allowed me to kiss her forehead, and gave me all the jewels she had worn at the time of the accident, as a present for my future wife.  Atossa took a ring from her finger, put it on mine and kissed my hand in the warmth of her emotion—­you know how eager and excitable she is.  Since that happy day—­the happiest in my life—­I have never seen your sister, till yesterday evening, when we sat opposite to each other at the banquet.  Our eyes met.  I saw nothing but Atossa, and I think she has not forgotten the man who saved her.  Kassandane . . .”

“Oh, my mother would be delighted to have you for a son-in-law; I will answer for that.  As to the king, your father must apply to him; he is our uncle and has a right to ask the hand of Cyrus’s daughter for his son.”

“But have you forgotten your father’s dream?  You know that Cambyses has always looked on me with suspicion since that time.”

“Oh, that has been long forgotten.  My father dreamt before his death that you had wings, and was misled by the soothsayers into the fancy that you, though you were only eighteen then, would try to gain the crown.  Cambyses thought of this dream too; but, when you saved my mother and sister, Croesus explained to him that this must have been its fulfilment, as no one but Darius or a winged eagle could possibly have possessed strength and dexterity enough to hang suspended over such an abyss.”

“Yes, and I remember too that these words did not please your brother.  He chooses to be the only eagle in Persia; but Croesus does not spare his vanity—­”

“Where can Croesus be all this time?”

“In the hanging-gardens.  My father and Gobryas have very likely detained him.”

Just at that moment the voice of Zopyrus was heard exclaiming, “Well, I call that polite!  Bartja invites us to a wine-party and leaves us sitting here without a host, while he talks secrets yonder.”