CHAPTER VI.
THE sharp-witted Athenian saw clearly how matters lay in this sad story;nor did it escape him that malice had had a hand in the affair. Howcould Bartja's dagger have come into the hanging-gardens except throughtreachery?
While he was telling the king his suspicions, Oropastes was led into thehall.
The king looked angrily at him and without one preliminary word, asked:"Have you a brother?"
"Yes, my King. He and I are the only two left out of a family of six. Myparents..."
"Is your brother younger or older than yourself?"
"I was the eldest of the family; my brother, the youngest, was the joyof my father's old age."
"Did you ever notice a remarkable likeness between him and one of myrelations?"
"Yes, my King. Gaumata is so like your brother Bartja, that in theschool for priests at Rhagae, where he still is, he was always called'the prince.'"
"Has he been at Babylon very lately?"
"He was here for the last time at the New Year's festival."
"Are you speaking the truth?"
"The sin of lying would be doubly punishable in one who wears my robes,and holds my office."
The king's face flushed with anger at this answer and he exclaimed:"Nevertheless you are lying; Gaumata was here yesterday evening. You maywell tremble."
"My life belongs to the king, whose are all things; neverthelessI swear--the high-priest-by the most high God, whom I have servedfaithfully for thirty years, that I know nothing of my brother'spresence in Babylon yesterday."
"Your face looks as if you were speaking the truth."
"You know that I was not absent from your side the whole of that highholiday."
"I know it."
Again the doors opened; this time they admitted the trembling Mandane.The high-priest cast such a look of astonishment and enquiry on her,that the king saw she must be in some way connected with him, andtherefore, taking no notice of the trembling girl who lay at his feet,he asked: "Do you know this woman?"
"Yes, my King. I obtained for her the situation of upper attendant tothe--may Auramazda forgive her!--King of Egypt's daughter."
"What led you,--a priest,--to do a favor to this girl?"
"Her parents died of the same pestilence, which carried off my brothers.Her father was a priest, respected, and a friend of our family; so weadopted the little girl, remembering the words: 'If thou withhold helpfrom the man who is pure in heart and from his widow and orphans, thenshall the pure, subject earth cast thee out unto the stinging-nettles,to painful sufferings and to the most fearful regions!' Thus I becameher foster-father, and had her brought up with my youngest brother untilhe was obliged to enter the school for priests."
The king exchanged a look of intelligence with Phanes, and asked: "Whydid not you keep the girl longer with you?"
"When she had received the ear-rings I, as priest, thought it moresuitable to send such a young girl away from my house, and to put her ina 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 withher as with a sister; but on discovering later that the passionate loveof youth had begun to mingle with the childish friendship of formerdays, I felt strengthened in my resolution to send her away."
"Now we know enough," said the king, commanding the high-priest by anod to retire. He then looked down on the prostrate girl, and saidimperiously: "Rise!"
Mandane rose, trembling with fear. Her fresh young face was pale asdeath, and her red lips were blue from terror.
"Tell all you know about yesterday evening; but remember, a lie and yourdeath are one and the same."
The girl's knees trembled so violently that she could hardly stand, andher fear entirely took away the power of speaking.
"I have not much patience," exclaimed Cambyses. Mandane started, grewpaler still, but could not speak. Then Phanes came forward and asked theangry king to allow him to examine the girl, as he felt sure that fearalone had closed her lips and that a kind word would open them.
Cambyses allowed this, and the Athenian's words proved true; no soonerhad he assured Mandane of the good-will of all present, laid his handon her head and spoken kindly to her, than the source of her tearswas unlocked, she wept freely, the spell which had seemed to chain hertongue, vanished, and she began to tell her story, interrupted onlyby low sobs. She hid nothing, confessed that Boges had given her hissanction and assistance to the meeting with Gaumata, and ended bysaying: "I know that I have forfeited my life, and am the worst andmost ungrateful creature in the world; but none of all this would havehappened, if Oropastes had allowed his brother to marry me."
The serious audience, even the king himself, could not resist a smile atthe longing tone in which these words were spoken and the fresh burst ofsobs which succeeded them.
And this smile saved her life. But Cambyses would not have smiled, afterhearing such a story, if Mandane, with that instinct which always seemsto stand at a woman's command in the hour of her greatest danger, hadnot known how to seize his weak side, and use it for her own interests,by dwelling much longer than was necessary, on the delight which Nitetishad manifested at the king's gifts.
"A thousand times" cried she, "did my mistress kiss the presents whichwere brought from you, O King; but oftenest of all did she press herlips to the nosegay which you plucked with your own hands for her, somedays ago. And when it began to fade, she took every flower separately,spread out the petals with care, laid them between woollen cloths, and,with her own hands, placed her heavy, golden ointment-box upon them,that they might dry and so she might keep them always as a remembranceof your kindness."
Seeing Cambyses' awful features grow a little milder at these words, thegirl took fresh courage, and at last began to put loving words into hermistress's mouth which the latter had never uttered; professing that sheherself had heard Nitetis a hundred times murmur the word "Cambyses"in her sleep with indescribable tenderness. She ended her confession bysobbing and praying for mercy.
The king looked down at her with infinite contempt, though withoutanger, and pushing her away with his foot said: "Out of my sight, youdog of a woman! Blood like yours would soil the executioner's axe. Outof my sight!"
Mandane needed no second command to depart. The words "out of my sight"sounded like sweet music in her ears. She rushed through the courtsof the palace, and out into the streets, crying like a mad woman "I amfree! I am free!"
She, had scarcely left the hall, when Datis, the "king's eye" reappearedwith the news that the chief of the eunuchs was nowhere to be found. Hehad vanished from the hanging-gardens in an unaccountable manner;but he, Datis, had left word with his subordinates that he was to besearched for and brought, dead or alive.
The king went off into another violent fit of passion at this news, andthreatened the officer of police, who prudently concealed the excitementof the crowd from his lord, with a severe punishment, if Boges were notin their hands by the next morning.
As he finished speaking, a eunuch was brought into the hall, sent by theking's mother to ask an interview for herself with her son.
Cambyses prepared at once to comply with his mother's wish, at the sametime giving Phanes his hand to kiss, a rare honor, only shown to thosethat ate at the king's table, and saying: "All the prisoners are tobe set at liberty. Go to your sons, you anxious, troubled fathers, andassure them of my mercy and favor. I think we shall be able to finda satrapy a-piece for them, as compensation for to-night's undeservedimprisonment. To you, my Greek friend, I am deeply indebted. Indischarge of this debt, and as a means of retaining you at my court, Ibeg you to accept one hundred talents from my treasury."
"I shall scarcely be able to use so large a sum," said Phanes, bowinglow.
"Then abuse it," said the king with a friendly smile, and calling outto him, "We shall meet again at supper," he left the hall accompanied byhis court.
.........
...............
In the meantime there had been sadness and mourning in the apartmentsof the queen-mother. Judging from the contents of the letter to Bartja,Kassandane had made up her mind that Nitetis was faithless, and her ownbeloved son innocent. But in whom could she ever place confidence again,now that this girl, whom she had looked upon as the very embodiment ofevery womanly virtue, had proved reprobate and faithless--now that thenoblest youths in the realm had proved perjurers?
Nitetis was more than dead for her; Bartja, Croesus, Darius, Gyges,Araspes, all so closely allied to her by relationship and friendship,as good as dead. And yet she durst not indulge her sorrow; she had torestrain the despairing outbursts of grief of her impetuous child.
Atossa behaved like one deprived of her senses when she heard of thesentences of death. The self-control which she had learnt from Nitetisgave way, and her old impetuosity burst forth again with doublevehemence.
Nitetis, her only friend,--Bartja, the brother whom she loved with herwhole heart,--Darius, whom she felt now she not only looked up to as herdeliverer, but loved with all the warmth of a first affection--Croesusto whom she clung like a father,--she was to lose every one she loved inone day.
She tore her dress and her hair, called Cambyses a monster, and everyone who could possibly believe in the guilt of such people, infatuatedor insane. Then her tears would burst out afresh, she would utterimploring supplications to the gods for mercy, and a few minutes later,begin conjuring her mother to take her to the hanging-gardens, that theymight hear Nitetis' defence of her own conduct.
Kassandane tried to soothe the violent girl, and assured her everyattempt to visit the hanging-gardens would be in vain. Then Atossa beganto rage again, until at last her mother was forced to command silence,and as morning had already began to dawn, sent her to her sleeping-room.
The girl obeyed, but instead of going to bed, seated herself at a tallwindow looking towards the hanging-gardens. Her eyes filled with tearsagain, as she thought of her friend--her sister-sitting in that palacealone, forsaken, banished, and looking forward to an ignominious death.Suddenly her tearful, weary eyes lighted up as if from some strongpurpose, and instead of gazing into the distance, she fixed them ona black speck which flew towards her in a straight line from Nitetis'house, becoming larger and more distinct every moment; and finallysettling on a cypress before her window. The sorrow vanished at oncefrom her lovely face and with a deep sigh of relief she sprang up,exclaiming:
"Oh, there is the Homai, the bird of good fortune! Now everything willturn out well."
It was the same bird of paradise which had brought so much comfort toNitetis that now gave poor Atossa fresh confidence.
She bent forward to see whether any one was in the garden; and findingthat she would be seen by no one but the old gardener, she jumped out,trembling like a fawn, plucked a few roses and cypress twigs and tookthem to the old man, who had been watching her performances with adoubtful shake of the head.
She stroked his cheeks coaxingly, put her flowers in his brown hand, andsaid: "Do you love me, Sabaces?"
"O, my mistress!" was the only answer the old man could utter, as hepressed the hem of her robe to his lips.
"I believe you, my old friend, and I will show you how I trust myfaithful, old Sabaces. Hide these flowers carefully and go quickly tothe king's palace. Say that you had to bring fruit for the table. Mypoor brother Bartja, and Darius, the son of the noble Hystaspes, arein prison, near the guard-house of the Immortals. You must manage thatthese flowers reach them, with a warm greeting from me, but mind, themessage must be given with the flowers."
"But the guards will not allow me to see the prisoners."
"Take these rings, and slip them into their hands."
"I will do my best."
"I knew you loved me, my good Sabaces. Now make haste, and come backsoon."
The old man went off as fast as he could. Atossa looked thoughtfullyafter him, murmuring to herself: "Now they will both know, that Iloved them to the last. The rose means, 'I love you,' and the evergreencypress, 'true and steadfast.'" The old man came back in an hour;bringing her Bartja's favorite ring, and from Darius an Indianhandkerchief dipped in blood.
Atossa ran to meet him; her eyes filled with tears as she took thetokens, and seating herself under a spreading plane-tree, she pressedthem by turns to her lips, murmuring: "Bartja's ring means that hethinks of me; the blood-stained handkerchief that Darius is ready toshed his heart's blood for me."
Atossa smiled as she said this, and her tears, when she thought ofher friends and their sad fate, were quieter, if not less bitter, thanbefore.
A few hours later a messenger arrived from Croesus with news that theinnocence of Bartja and his friends had been proved, and that Nitetiswas, to all intents and purposes, cleared also.
Kassandane sent at once to the hanging-gardens, with a request thatNitetis would come to her apartments. Atossa, as unbridled in her joy asin her grief, ran to meet her friend's litter and flew from one of herattendants to the other crying: "They are all innocent; we shall notlose one of them--not one!"
When at last the litter appeared and her loved one, pale as death,within it, she burst into loud sobs, threw her arms round Nitetis as shedescended, and covered her with kisses and caresses till she perceivedthat her friend's strength was failing, that her knees gave way, and sherequired a stronger support than Atossa's girlish strength could give.
The Egyptian girl was carried insensible into the queen-mother'sapartments. When she opened her eyes, her head-more like a marble pieceof sculpture than a living head--was resting on the blind queen's lap,she felt Atossa's warm kisses on her forehead, and Cambyses, who hadobeyed his mother's call, was standing at her side.
She gazed on this circle, including all she loved best, with anxious,perplexed looks, and at last, recognizing them one by one, passed herhand across her pale fore head as if to remove a veil, smiled at each,and closed her eyes once more. She fancied Isis had sent her a beautifulvision, and wished to hold it fast with all the powers of her mind.
Then Atossa called her by her name, impetuously and lovingly. She openedher eyes again, and again she saw those loving looks that she fanciedhad only been sent her in a dream. Yes, that was her own Atossa--thisher motherly friend, and there stood, not the angry king, but the manshe loved. And now his lips opened too, his stern, severe eyes rested onher so beseechingly, and he said: "O Nitetis, awake! you must not--youcannot possibly be guilty!" She moved her head gently with a look ofcheerful denial and a happy smile stole across her features, like abreeze of early spring over fresh young roses.
"She is innocent! by Mithras, it is impossible that she can be guilty,"cried the king again, and forgetful of the presence of others, he sankon his knees.
A Persian physician came up and rubbed her forehead with a sweet-scentedoil, and Nebenchari approached, muttering spells, felt her pulse, shookhis head, and administered a potion from his portable medicine-chest.This restored her to perfect consciousness; she raised herself withdifficulty into a sitting posture, returned the loving caresses of hertwo friends, and then turning to Cambyses, asked: "How could you believesuch a thing of me, my King?" There was no reproach in her tone, butdeep sadness, and Cambyses answered softly, "Forgive me."
Kassandane's blind eyes expressed her gratitude for thisself-renunciation on the part of her son, and she said: "My daughter, Ineed your forgiveness too."
"But I never once doubted you," cried Atossa, proudly and joyfullykissing her friend's lips.
"Your letter to Bartja shook my faith in your innocence," addedKassandane.
"And yet it was all so simple and natural," answered Nitetis. "Here, mymother, take this letter from Egypt. Croesus will translate it for you.It will explain all. Perhaps I was imprudent. Ask your mother to tellyou what you would wish to know, my King. Pray do not scorn my poor, illsister. When an Egyptian girl once loves, she cannot forget. But I feelso frightened. The end must be near. The last hours have been so very,ver
y terrible. That horrible man, Boges, read me the fearful sentenceof death, and it was that which forced the poison into my hand. Ah, myheart!"
And with these words she fell back into the arms of Kassandane.
Nebenchari rushed forward, and gave her some more drops, exclaiming: "Ithought so! She has taken poison and her life cannot be saved, thoughthis antidote may possibly prolong it for a few days." Cambyses stoodby, pale and rigid, following the physician's slightest movements, andAtossa bathed her friend's forehead with her tears.
"Let some milk be brought," cried Nebenchari, "and my largemedicine-chest; and let attendants be called to carry her away, forquiet is necessary, above all things."
Atossa hastened into the adjoining room; and Cambyses said to thephysician, but without looking into his face: "Is there no hope?"
"The poison which she has taken results in certain death."
On hearing this the king pushed Nebenchari away from the sick girl,exclaiming: "She shall live. It is my will. Here, eunuch! summon all thephysicians in Babylon--assemble the priests and Alobeds! She is not todie; do you hear? she must live, I am the king, and I command it."
Nitetis opened her eyes as if endeavoring to obey her lord. Her face wasturned towards the window, and the bird of paradise with the gold chainon its foot, was still there, perched on the cypress-tree. Her eyes fellfirst on her lover, who had sunk down at her side and was pressing hisburning lips to her right hand. She murmured with a smile: "O, thisgreat happiness!" Then she saw the bird, and pointed to it with her lefthand, crying: "Look, look, there is the Phoenix, the bird of Ra!"
After saying this she closed her eyes and was soon seized by a violentattack of fever.