g him in proportion as he was less
anxious to be pleased, for she turned again and walked forward upon the
terrace.

"Come into the sunlight--the morning air is cold," she said, "I would
speak with thee awhile."

A carved chair stood in a corner of the balcony. Zoroaster moved it into
the sunshine, and Atossa sat down, smiling her thanks to him, while he
stood leaning against the balustrade,--a magnificent figure as the light
caught his gilded harness and gold neckchain, and played on his long
fair beard and nestled in the folds of his purple mantle.

"Tell me--you came last night?" she asked, spreading her dainty hands in
the sunshine as though to warm them. She never feared the sun, for he
was friendly to her nativity and never seemed to scorch her fair skin
like that of meaner women.

"Thy servant came last night," answered the prince.

"Bringing Nehushta and the other Hebrews?" added the queen.

"Even so."

"Tell me something of this Nehushta," said Atossa. She had dropped into
a more familiar form of speech. But Zoroaster was careful of his words
and never allowed his language to relapse from the distant form of
address of a subject to his sovereign.

"The queen knoweth her. She was here as a young child a few years
since," he replied. He chose to let Atossa ask questions for all the
information she needed.

"It is so long ago," she said, with a little sigh. "Is she fair?"

"Nay, she is dark, after the manner of the Hebrews."

"And the Persians too," she interrupted.

"She is very beautiful," continued Zoroaster. "She is very tall." Atossa
looked up quickly with a smile. She was not tall herself, with all her
Beauty.

"You admire tall women?"

"Yes," said Zoroaster calmly--well knowing what he said. He did not wish
to flatter the queen; and besides he knew her too well to do so if he
wished to please her. She was one of those women who are not accustomed
to doubt their own superiority over the rest of their sex.

"Then you admire this Hebrew princess?" said she, and paused for an
answer. But her companion was as cold and calm as she. Seeing himself
directly pressed by a suspicion, he changed his tactics and flattered
Atossa for the sake of putting a stop to her questions.

"Height is not of itself beauty," he answered with a courteous smile.
"There is a kind of beauty which no height can improve,--a perfection
which needs not to be set high for all men to acknowledge it."

The queen simply too