domestic wife of a Greek husband. Sleep well, my darling, thy
grandmother will wake and watch for thee."

Sappho's happy fancies soon cradled her to sleep; but Rhodopis remained
awake watching the day dawn, and the sun rise, her mind occupied with
thoughts which brought smiles and frowns across her countenance in rapid
succession.

The next morning she sent to Croesus, begging him to grant her an hour's
interview, acquainted him with every particular she had heard from
Sappho, and concluded her tale with these words: "I know not what
demands may be made on the consort of a Persian king, but I can truly
say that I believe Sappho to be worthy of the first monarch of the
world. Her father was free and of noble birth, and I have heard that,
by Persian law, the descent of a child is determined by the rank of the
father only. In Egypt, too, the descendants of a female slave enjoy the
same rights as those of a princess, if they owe their existence to the
same father."

"I have listened to you in silence," answered Croesus, "and must
confess, that, like yourself, I do not know in this moment whether to be
glad or sorry for this attachment. Cambyses and Kassandane (the king's
and Bartja's mother) wished to see the prince married before we left
Persia, for the king has no children, and should he remain childless,
the only hope for the family of Cyrus rests on Bartja, as the great
founder of the Persian empire left but two sons,--Cambyses, and him
who is now the suitor of your granddaughter. The latter is the hope and
pride of the entire Persian nation, high and low; the darling of the
people; generous, and noble, handsome, virtuous, and worthy of their
love. It is indeed expected that the princes shall marry in their
own family, the Achaemenidae; but the Persians have an unbounded
predilection for everything foreign. Enchanted with the beauty of your
granddaughter, and rendered indulgent by their partiality for Bartja,
they would easily forgive this breach of an ancient custom. Indeed, if
the king gives his approval, no objection on the part of his subjects
can be entertained. The history of Iran too offers a sufficient number
of examples, in which even slaves became the mothers of kings. The queen
mother, whose position, in the eyes of the people, is nearly as high as
that of the monarch himself, will do nothing to thwart the happiness of
her youngest and favorite son. When she sees that he will not give up
Sappho,--that his