joice too when such crimes are punished. Tell me has war been declared
already?"

"Not yet; but hosts on hosts are marching to the valley of the Euphrates
to join our main army."

"My courage sinks as quickly as it rose. I tremble at the word, the mere
word, war. How many childless mothers Ares makes, how many young fair
heads must wear the widow's veil, how many pillows are wet through with
tears when Pallas takes her shield."

"But a man developes in war; his heart expands, his arm grows strong. And
none rejoice more than you when he returns a conqueror from the field.
The wife of a Persian, especially, ought to rejoice in the thought of
battle, for her husband's honor and fame are dearer to her than his
life."

"Go to the war. I shall pray for you there."

"And victory will be with the right. First we will conquer Pharaoh's
host, then release Phanes' little daughter . . ."

"And then Aristomachus, the brave old man who succeeded Phanes when he
fled. He has vanished, no one knows whither, but people say that the
crown-prince has either imprisoned him in a dismal dungeon on account of
his having uttered threats of retaliating the cruelty shown to Phanes'
children, or--what would be worse--has had him dragged off to some
distant quarry. The poor old man was exiled from his home, not for his
own fault, but by the malice of his enemies, and the very day on which we
lost sight of him an embassy arrived here from the Spartan people
recalling Aristomachus to the Eurotas with all the honors Greece could
bestow, because his sons had brought great glory to their country. A ship
wreathed with flowers was sent to fetch the honored old man, and at the
head of the deputation was his own brave, strong son, now crowned with
glory and fame."

"I know him. He's a man of iron. Once he mutilated himself cruelly to
avoid disgrace. By the Anahita star, which is setting so beautifully in
the east, he shall be revenged!"

"Oh, can it be so late? To me the time has gone by like a sweet breeze,
which kissed my forehead and passed away. Did not you hear some one call?
They will be waiting for us, and you must be at your friend's house in
the town before dawn. Good-bye, my brave hero."

"Good-bye, my dearest one. In five days we shall hear our marriage-hymn.
But you tremble as if we were going to battle instead of to our wedding."

"I'm trembling at the greatness of our joy; one always trembles in
expectation of anything unusually gr