in the cold eyes of his son,
and could feel the joy of wiping them away. He seized the opportunity
at once, and bending clown over the groaning form, kissed his forehead,
raised him from the ground and said gently:

"Forgive my anger, my son! the words that have grieved thee came not
from my heart, but were spoken in the haste of wrath. Many years hast
thou angered me by thy coldness, hardness and obstinacy; to-day thou
hast wounded me again in my most sacred feelings; this hurried me into
an excess of wrath. But now all is right between us. Our natures are so
diverse that our innermost feelings will never be one, but at least we
can act in concert for the future, and show forbearance one towards the
other."

In silence Psamtik bowed down and kissed his father's robe "Not so,"
exclaimed the latter; "rather let my lips receive thy kiss, as is meet
and fitting between father and son! Thou needest not to think again of
the evil dream I have related. Dreams are phantoms, and even if sent
by the gods, the interpreters thereof are human and erring. Thy hand
trembles still, thy cheeks are white as thy robe. I was hard towards
thee, harder than a father...."

"Harder than a stranger to strangers," interrupted his son. "Thou hast
crushed and broken me, and if till now my face has seldom worn a
smile, from this day forward it can be naught but a mirror of my inward
misery."

"Not so," said Amasis, laying his hand on his son's shoulder. "If I
wound, I can also heal. Tell me the dearest wish of thy heart, it shall
be granted thee!"

Psamtik's eyes flashed, his sallow cheeks glowed for a moment, and he
answered without consideration, though in a voice still trembling from
the shock he had just received: "Deliver Phanes, my enemy, into my
power!"

The king remained a few moments in deep thought, then answered: "I knew
what thou wouldst ask, and will fulfil thy desire: but I would rather
thou hadst asked the half of my treasures. A thousand voices within warn
me that I am about to do an unworthy deed and a ruinous--ruinous for
myself, for thee, the kingdom and our house. Reflect before acting, and
remember, whatever thou mayst meditate against Phanes, not a hair of
Rhodopis' head shall be touched. Also, that the persecution of my poor
friend is to remain a secret from the Greeks. Where shall I find his
equal as a commander, an adviser and a companion? He is not yet in thy
power, however, and I advise thee to remember, that tho