es you on a level with his mother, and chooses you to
be his favorite wife before the whole world.' O pray allow me to dress
you in these new and beautiful things. How lovely you will look! How
angry and envious the others will feel! If I could only be there when you
enter the hall! Come, my mistress, let me take off your simple dress, and
array you, (only as a trial you know,) in the robes that as the new queen
you ought to wear."

Nitetis listened in silence to the chattering girl, and admired the gifts
with a quiet smile. She was woman enough to rejoice at the sight, for he,
whom she loved better than life itself, had sent them; and they were a
proof that she was more to the king than all his other wives;--that
Cambyses really loved her. The long wished-for letter fell unread to the
ground, the girl's wish to dress her was granted without a word, and in a
short time the splendid toilette was completed. The royal purple added to
her beauty, the high flashing tiara made her slender, perfect figure seem
taller than it really was, and when, in the metal mirror which lay on her
dressing table, she beheld herself for the first time in the glorious
likeness of a queen, a new expression dawned on her features. It seemed
as if a portion of her lord's pride were reflected there. The frivolous
waiting-woman sank involuntarily on her knees, as her eyes, full of
smiling admiration, met the radiant glance of Nitetis,--of the woman who
was beloved by the most powerful of men.

For a few moments Nitetis gazed on the girl, lying in the dust at her
feet; but soon shook her beautiful head, and blushing for shame, raised
her kindly, kissed her forehead, gave her a gold bracelet, and then,
perceiving her letter on the ground, told her she wished to be alone.
Mandane ran, rather than walked, out of the room in her eagerness to show
the splendid present she had just received to the inferior attendants and
slaves; and Nitetis, her eyes glistening and her heart beating with
excess of happiness, threw herself on to the ivory chair which stood
before her dressing-table, uttered a short prayer of thanksgiving to her
favorite Egyptian goddess, the beautiful Hathor, kissed the gold chain
which Cambyses had given her after plunging into the water for her ball,
then her letter from home, and rendered almost over-confident by her
great happiness, began to unroll it, slowly sinking back into the purple
cushions as she did so and murmuring: "How very,