om his widow and orphans, then
shall the pure, subject earth cast thee out unto the stinging-nettles,
to painful sufferings and to the most fearful regions!' Thus I became
her foster-father, and had her brought up with my youngest brother until
he was obliged to enter the school for priests."

The king exchanged a look of intelligence with Phanes, and asked: "Why
did not you keep the girl longer with you?"

"When she had received the ear-rings I, as priest, thought it more
suitable to send such a young girl away from my house, and to put her in
a position to earn her own living."

"Has she seen your brother since she has been grown up?"

"Yes, my King. Whenever Gaumata came to see me I allowed him to be with
her as with a sister; but on discovering later that the passionate love
of youth had begun to mingle with the childish friendship of former
days, I felt strengthened in my resolution to send her away."

"Now we know enough," said the king, commanding the high-priest by a
nod to retire. He then looked down on the prostrate girl, and said
imperiously: "Rise!"

Mandane rose, trembling with fear. Her fresh young face was pale as
death, and her red lips were blue from terror.

"Tell all you know about yesterday evening; but remember, a lie and your
death are one and the same."

The girl's knees trembled so violently that she could hardly stand, and
her fear entirely took away the power of speaking.

"I have not much patience," exclaimed Cambyses. Mandane started, grew
paler still, but could not speak. Then Phanes came forward and asked the
angry king to allow him to examine the girl, as he felt sure that fear
alone had closed her lips and that a kind word would open them.

Cambyses allowed this, and the Athenian's words proved true; no sooner
had he assured Mandane of the good-will of all present, laid his hand
on her head and spoken kindly to her, than the source of her tears
was unlocked, she wept freely, the spell which had seemed to chain her
tongue, vanished, and she began to tell her story, interrupted only
by low sobs. She hid nothing, confessed that Boges had given her his
sanction and assistance to the meeting with Gaumata, and ended by
saying: "I know that I have forfeited my life, and am the worst and
most ungrateful creature in the world; but none of all this would have
happened, if Oropastes had allowed his brother to marry me."

The serious audience, even the king himself, could not resist a smi