"Cambyses seemed satisfied with this answer, but, as the next night the
vision appeared again, he threatened the wise men with death, unless
they could give him another and a different interpretation. They
pondered long, and at last answered, 'that Atossa would become a queen
and the mother of mighty princes.'

"This answer really contented the king, and he smiled strangely to
himself as he told us his dream. 'The same day Kassandane sent for me
and told me to give up all thoughts of her daughter, as I valued my
life.

"'Just as I was leaving the queen's garden I saw Atossa behind a
pomegranate-bush. She beckoned. I went to her; and in that hour we
forgot danger and sorrow, but said farewell to each other for ever. Now
you know all; and now that I have given her up--now that I know it would
be madness even to think of her again--I am obliged to be very stern
with myself, lest, like the king, I should fall into deep melancholy
for the sake of a woman. And this is the end of the story, the close
of which we were all expecting, when Atossa, as I lay under sentence of
death, sent me a rose, and made me the happiest of mortals. If I had
not betrayed my secret then, when we thought our last hour was near, it
would have gone with me to my grave. But what am I talking about? I know
I can trust to your secrecy, but pray don't look at me so deplorably. I
think I am still to be envied, for I have had one hour of enjoyment that
would outweigh a century of misery. Thank you,--thank you: now let me
finish my story as quickly as I can.

"Three days after I had taken leave of Atossa I had to marry Artystone,
the daughter of Gobryas. She is beautiful, and would make any other man
happy. The day after the wedding the Angare reached Babylon with the
news of your illness. My mind was made up at once; I begged the king to
let me go to you, nurse you, and warn you of the danger which threatens
your life in Egypt--took leave of my bride, in spite of all my
father-in-law's protestations, and went off at full speed with
Prexaspes, never resting till I reached your side, my dear Bartja. Now
I shall go with you and Zopyrus to Egypt, for Gyges must accompany the
ambassador to Samos, as interpreter. This is the king's command; he has
been in better spirits the last few days; the inspection of the
masses of troops coming up to Babylon diverts him, besides which, the
Chaldaeans have assured him that the planet Adar, which belongs to their
war-g