r to my lord the king."

"Quick, slave, quick! that I may drink and regain my youth!"

"Nay, listen, O king! further said the star to me,--

"'It is only at night, when the stars have power, that this their gift
will avail; wherefore the king must wait till the hush of the midnight,
when the moon is high, and then may he mingle the liquid with his wine.
And he must reveal to none that he hath received the gift from the hand
of the servant of the stars. For THEY do their work in secret, and when
men sleep; therefore they love not the babble of mouths, and he who
reveals their benefits shall surely die."

"Fear not," said the king, grasping the vessel; "none shall know: and,
behold, I will rise on the morrow; and my two sons, wrangling for my
crown--verily I shall be younger than they!"

Then the king laughed loud; and he scarcely thanked the servant of the
stars, neither did he promise him reward; for the kings in those days
had little thought save for themselves.

And Morven said to him, "Shall I not attend my lord?--for without me,
perchance, the drug might fail of its effect."

"Ay," said the king, "rest here."

"Nay," replied Morven; "thy servants will marvel and talk much, if they
see the son of Osslah sojourning in thy palace. So would the displeasure
of the gods of night perchance be incurred. Suffer that the lesser door
of the palace be unbarred, so that at the night hour, when the moon is
midway in the heavens, I may steal unseen into thy chamber, and mix the
liquid with thy wine."

"So be it," said the king. "Thou art wise, though thy limbs are crooked
and curt; and the stars might have chosen a taller man." Then the king
laughed again; and Morven laughed too, but there was danger in the mirth
of the son of Osslah.

The night had begun to wane, and the inhabitants of Oestrich were buried
in deep sleep, when, hark! a sharp voice was heard crying out in the
streets, "Woe, woe! Awake, ye sons of Oestrich! woe!" Then forth, wild,
haggard, alarmed, spear in hand, rushed the giant sons of the rugged
tribe, and they saw a man on a height in the middle of the city,
shrieking "Woe!" and it was Morven, the son of Osslah! And he said unto
them, as they gathered round him, "Men and warriors, tremble as ye hear.
The star of the west hath spoken to me, and thus said the star: 'Evil
shall fall upon the kingly house of Oestrich,--yea, ere the morning
dawn; wherefore, go thou mourning into the streets, and wake the