ps. Far off from the tower the melancholy
cry of an owl echoed sadly across the gardens, and a cool damp breeze
sprang up suddenly, from the east. Nehushta shuddered slightly, and drew
her cloak about her.

"Let us walk upon the terrace," she said, "it is cold to-night--is not
this the last night here?"

"Yes; to-morrow we must go hence upon our journey. This is the last
night."

Nehushta drew closer to her lover as they paced the terrace together,
and each wound one arm about the other. For some minutes they walked in
silence, each perhaps recalling the many meetings upon that very terrace
since the first time their lips met in love under the ivory moonlight of
the month Tammuz, more than a year ago. At last Nehushta spoke.

"Know you this new king?" she asked. "I saw him but for a few moments
last year. He was a young prince, but he is not fair."

"A young prince with an old man's head upon his shoulders," answered
Zoroaster. "He is a year younger than I--but I would not have his
battles to fight; nor, if I had, would I have taken Atossa to be my
wife."

"Atossa?" repeated Nehushta.

"Yes. The king has already married her--she was the wife of Cambyses,
and also of the false Smerdis, the Magian, whom Darius has slain."

"Is she fair? Have I not seen her?" asked Nehushta quickly.

"Indeed, you must have seen her at the court in Shushan, before we came
to Ecbatana. She was just married to Cambyses then, but he regarded her
little, for he was ever oppressed with wine and feasting. But you were a
child then, and were mostly with the women of your house, and you may
not have seen her."

"Tell me--had she not blue eyes and yellow hair? Had she not a cruel
face--very cold?"

"Aye, it may be that she had a hard look. I remember that her eyes were
blue. She was very unhappy; therefore she helped the Magian. It was not
she that betrayed him."

"You pitied her even then, did you not?" asked Nehushta.

"Yes--she deserved pity."

"She will have her revenge now. A woman with a face like hers loves
revenge."

"Then she will deserve pity no longer," said Zoroaster, with a slight
laugh.

"I hate her!" said the princess, between her teeth.

"Hate her? How can you hate a woman you have never more than seen, and
she has done you no evil in the world?"

"I am sure I shall hate her," answered Nehushta. "She is not at all
beautiful--only cold and white and cruel. How could the Great King be so
foolish as to marry her