was
being led astray, or made to abandon the right path.

The cold breeze blew steadily from the east, with a chill dampness in
it, sighing wearily among the trees. The summer was not yet wholly come,
and the after-breath of the winter still made itself felt from time to
time. The lovers parted, taking leave of the spot they loved so
well,--Zoroaster with a heavy foreboding of evil to come; Nehushta with
a great longing for the morrow, a mad desire to be on the way to
Shushan.

Something in her way of speaking had given Zoroaster a sense of pain.
Her interest in the court and in the Great King, the strange capricious
hatred that seemed already forming in her breast against Atossa, the
evident desire she betrayed to take part in the brilliant life of the
capital,--indeed, her whole manner troubled him. It seemed so
unaccountable that she should be angry with him for his conduct at the
burial of the prophet, that he almost thought she had wished to take
advantage of a trifle for the sake of annoying him. He felt that doubt
which never comes so suddenly and wounds so keenly as when a man feels
the most certain of his position and of himself.

He retired to his apartment in the palace with a burden of unhappiness
and evil presentiment that was new to him. It was very different from
the sincere sorrow he had felt and still suffered for the death of his
master and friend. That misfortune had not affected him as regarded
Nehushta. But now he had been separated from her during all the week by
the exigencies of the funeral ceremonies, and he had looked forward to
meeting her this evening as to a great joy after so much mourning, and
he was disappointed. She had affected to be offended with him, yet his
reason told him that he had acted naturally and rightly. Could he, the
bearer of the prophet's body, the captain of all the fortress, the man
of all others upon whom all eyes were turned, have exchanged love
glances or spoken soft words to the princess by his side at such a time?
It was absurd; she had no right to expect such a thing.

However, he reflected that a new kind of life was to begin on the
morrow. For the best part of a month he would ride by her litter all day
long, and sit at her table at noonday and evening; he would watch over
her and take care of her, and see that her slightest wants were
instantly supplied; a thousand incidents would occur whereby he might
re-establish all the loving intimacy which seemed to