ersian king, I know, loves truth-telling. I still love and pray for
Athens, even if unknown enemies conspired against me."

"Humph! You can learn our other virtues later. Are you blind to my power?
If so, I pity more than I blame you."

"The king is kind," returned Glaucon, putting by a part of his hauteur. "I
would not anger him. I only know he would rather have men say, 'Xerxes
conquered a proud nation, hard to subdue,' than, 'He conquered a feeble
race of whining slaves.' "

"Excellent! In all save your vain confidence of victory, you seem wise
beyond your youth. You are handsome. You are noble--"

"Very noble," interposed Mardonius.

"And you saved the lives of Mardonius and Artazostra. Did you know their
nobility when you rescued them?"

"Not so. I would not let them drown like sheep."

"The better, then. You acted without low motive of reward. Yet let the day
never come when Xerxes is called 'ungrateful' for benefits done his
servants. You shall come to love me by beholding my magnanimity. I will
make you a Persian, despite your will. Have you seen battle?"

"I was too young to bear a spear at Marathon," was the unflinching answer.

"Learn then to wield it in another army. Where is the archsecretary?"

That functionary was present instantly. Mardonius, taking the whispers of
the king, dictated an order which the scribe stamped on his tablet of wet
clay with a rapid stylus.

"Now the chief proclaimer," was the king's order, which brought a tall man
in a bright scarlet caftan salaaming to the dais.

He took the tablet from the secretary and gave a resounding blow upon the
brass gong dangling from his elbow. The clatter of wine cups ceased. The
drinkers were silent on pain of death. The herald sent his proclamation in
stentorian voice down the hall:--

"_In the name of Xerxes the Achaemenian, king of kings, king of Persia,
Media, Babylon, and Lydia; smiter of the Scythians, dominator of the
Indians, terror of the Hellenes; to all peoples of the world his
slaves,--hear ye!_

"Says Xerxes the king, whose word changes not. Forasmuch as Glaucon the
Athenian did save from death my servant and my sister, Mardonius and
Artazostra, I do enroll him among the 'Benefactors of the King,' a sharer
of my bounty forever. Let his name henceforth be not Glaucon, but
Prexaspes. Let my purple cap be touched upon his head. Let him be given
the robe of honour and the girdle of honour. Let the treasurer pay him a
talent of