andace. Is she
more beautiful than I am? Do not deceive me."

"More beautiful than you, madam," Balthasar cried as he fell at the feet
of Balkis, "how could that possibly be!"

"Well, then, her eyes? her mouth, her colour? her throat?" the queen
continued.

With his arms outstretched towards her, Balthasar cried:

"Give me but the little feather that has fallen on your neck and in
return you shall have half my kingdom as well as the wise Sembobitis and
Menkera the eunuch."

But she rose and fled with a ripple of dear laughter.

When the mage and the eunuch returned they found their master plunged
deep in thought which was not his custom.

"My lord!" asked Sembobitis, "have you concluded a good commercial
treaty?"

That day Balthasar supped with the Queen of Sheba and drank the wine of
the palm-tree.

"It is true, then," said Balkis as they supped together, "that Queen
Guidace is not so beautiful as I?"

"Queen Candace is black," replied Balthasar.

Balkis looked expressively at Balthasar.

"One may be black and yet not ill-looking," she said.

"Balkis!" cried the king.

He said no more, but seized her in his arms, and the head of the queen
sank back under the pressure of his lips. But he saw that she was
weeping. Thereupon he spoke to her in the low, caressing tones that
nurses use to their nurslings. He called her his little blossom and his
little star.

"Why do you weep?" he asked. "And what must one do to dry your tears? If
you have a desire tell me and it shall be fulfilled."

She ceased weeping, but she was sunk deep in thought He implored her a
long time to tell him her desire. And at last she spoke.

"I wish to know fear."

And as Balthasar did not seem to understand, she explained to him that
for a long time past she had greatly longed to face some unknown danger,
but she could not, for the men and gods of Sheba watched over her.

"And yet," she added with a sigh, "during the night I long to feel the
delicious chill of terror penetrate my flesh. To have my hair stand up
on my head with horror. O! it would be such joy to be afraid!"

She twined her arms about the neck of the dusky king, and said with the
voice of a pleading child:

"Night has come. Let us go through the town in disguise. Are you
willing?"

He agreed. She ran to the window at once and looked though the lattice
into the square below.

"A beggar is lying against the palace wall. Give him your garments and
ask him in e