entially, on entering his father's presence.

Amasis nodded silently in return, and then asked abruptly and sternly:
"What is thy desire? my time is limited."

"For your son, more than for others," replied the prince with quivering
lips. "Seven times have I petitioned for the great favor, which thou
grantest for the first time to-day."

"No reproaches! I suspect the reason of thy visit. Thou desirest an
answer to thy doubts as to the birth of thy sister Nitetis."

"I have no curiosity; I come rather to warn thee, and to remind thee that
I am not the only one who is acquainted with this mystery."

"Speakest thou of Phanes?"

"Of whom else should I speak? He is banished from Egypt and from his own
country, and must leave Naukratis in a few days. What guarantee hast
thou, that he will not betray us to the Persians?"

"The friendship and kindness which I have always shown him."

"Dost thou believe in the gratitude of men?"

"No! but I rely on my own discernment of character. Phanes will not
betray us! he is my friend, I repeat it!"

"Thy friend perhaps, but my mortal enemy!"

"Then stand on thy guard! I have nothing to fear from him."

"For thyself perhaps nought, but for our country! O father, reflect that
though as thy son I may be hateful in thine eyes, yet as Egypt's future I
ought to be near thy heart. Remember, that at thy death, which may the
gods long avert, I shall represent the existence of this glorious land as
thou dost now; my fall will be the ruin of thine house, of Egypt!"

Amasis became more and more serious, and Psamtik went on eagerly: "Thou
knowest that I am right! Phanes can betray our land to any foreign enemy;
he is as intimately acquainted with it as we are; and beside this, he
possesses a secret, the knowledge of which would convert our most
powerful ally into a most formidable enemy."

"There thou art in error. Though not mine, Nitetis is a king's daughter
and will know how to win the love of her husband."

"Were she the daughter of a god, she could not save thee from Cambyses'
wrath, if he discovers the treachery; lying is to a Persian the worst of
crimes, to be deceived the greatest disgrace; thou hast deceived the
highest and proudest of the nation, and what can one inexperienced girl
avail, when hundreds of women, deeply versed in intrigue and artifice,
are striving for the favor of their lord?"

"Hatred and revenge are good masters in the art of rhetoric," said Amasis
in a cut