guests in golden cups as they sat on couches of
gold and silver, and the pavement of the court was of many colored
marbles.

In another part of the palace Vashti, the queen, also made a feast for
the women.

On the seventh day the king sent his seven chamberlains to bring Queen
Vashti before him, wearing her royal crown. He wished to show to his
people and princes the beauty of the queen, for she was very fair to
look upon.

But the queen refused to obey the king's command, and he was angry. He
asked the seven princes who stood next to him in the kingdom what he
should do, and what the laws of the Medes and Persians (which could not
be broken) would say in such a case.

The princes did not speak of any law, but one of them told the king
that the conduct of Vashti would do them great harm through all the
kingdom, for women hearing of the act of the queen, would despise and
disobey their husbands. They advised, therefore, that a commandment
should go forth from the king and be written among the laws of the
Medes and Persians, that Vashti should no more come before the king,
and that her royal estate should be given to another better than she.

This pleased the king, and he did as Memucan, the prince, had advised,
and he sent letters into all parts of his empire to people of various
languages, that every man should rule in his own house.

Then the king's servants, the nobles, advised the king to send officers
to every part of his kingdom to find some one worthy to take the place
of Queen Vashti, and the plan pleased the king, and he did so.

There was in Shushan a Jew named Mordecai, who had been brought away
from Jerusalem with the captives when Nebuchadnezzar conquered the
city. He had an adopted daughter named Hadassah. This was her true
name, although the Persians called her Esther. She was the daughter of
Mordecai's uncle, and when her father and mother died, Mordecai took
her for his own. She was very beautiful, and as good as she was
beautiful, for Mordecai had taught her to be faithful to the true God,
though living among a strange people.

When Mordecai heard that the king was seeking for a maiden worthy to be
a queen through all his provinces, he brought Esther and placed her in
care of Hegai, who had the care of that part of the king's house where
the women lived. Hegai was very kind to her, and gave her seven maids
to serve her, and the best place in the house for her own.

Mordecai had told