last hour
bless those who begot you, and curse those who have robbed you of your
parents, your crown and your life."

"I do not understand you."

"Curse those who robbed you of your parents, crown and life, girl!" cried
the physician again, rising to his full height, breathing hard as he said
the words, and gazing down on the dying girl. "Curse those wretches,
girl! that curse will do more in gaining mercy from the judges of the
dead, than thousands of good works!" And as he said this he seized her
hand and pressed it violently.

Nitetis looked up uneasily into his indignant face, and stammered in
blind obedience, 'I curse."

"Those who robbed my parents of their throne and lives!"

"Those who robbed my parents of their throne and their lives," she
repeated after him, and then crying, "Oh, my heart!" sank back exhausted
on the bed.

Nebenchari bent down, and before the royal physicians could return,
kissed her forehead gently, murmuring: "She dies my confederate. The gods
hearken to the prayers of those who die innocent. By carrying the sword
into Egypt, I shall avenge king Hophra's wrongs as well as my own."

When Nitetis opened her eyes once more, a few hours later, Kassandane was
holding her right hand, Atossa kneeling at her feet, and Croesus standing
at the head of her bed, trying, with the failing strength of old age, to
support the gigantic frame of the king, who was so completely overpowered
by his grief, that he staggered like a drunken man. The dying girl's eyes
lighted up as she looked round on this circle. She was wonderfully
beautiful. Cambyses came closer and kissed her lips; they were growing
cold in death. It was the first kiss he had ever given her, and the last.
Two large tears sprang to her eyes; their light was fast growing dim; she
murmured Cambyses' name softly, fell back in Atossa's arms, and died.

We shall not give a detailed account of the next few hours: it would be
an unpleasant task to describe how, at a signal from the principal
Persian doctor, every one, except Nebenchari and Croesus, hastily left
the room; how dogs were brought in and their sagacious heads turned
towards the corpse in order to scare the demon of death;--how, directly
after Nitetis' death, Kassandane, Atossa and their entire retinue moved
into another house in order to avoid defilement;--how fire was
extinguished throughout the dwelling, that the pure element might be
removed from the polluting spirits of death;--