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life should be shattered at one blow; and with his usual intrepid
disregard of consequences and his iron determination to maintain his
opinions, he had suffered no contradiction of his will. He had married
Atossa,--in the first place, because she was the most beautiful woman in
Persia; and secondly, because he comprehended her great intelligence
and capacity for affairs, and believed himself able to make use of her
at his pleasure. As for Atossa herself, she had not hesitated a moment
in concurring in the marriage,--she had ruled her former husbands, and
she would rule Darius in like manner, she thought, to her own complete
aggrandisement and in the face of all rivals. As yet, the king had taken
no second wife, although he looked with growing admiration upon the
maiden Artystone, who was then but fifteen years of age, the youngest
daughter of Cyrus and own sister to Atossa.

All this Zoroaster knew, and he recognised, also from the meeting he had
just had with the queen, that she was desirous of maintaining her
friendship with himself. But since the violent scene of the previous
night, he had determined to be the king's man in truest loyalty, and he
feared lest Atossa's plans might, before long, cross her husband's.
Therefore he accepted her offer of friendship coldly, and treated her
with the most formal courtesy. On the other hand, he understood well
enough that if she resented his manner of acting towards her, and
ascertained that he really loved Nehushta, it would be in her power to
produce difficulties and complications which he would have every cause
for fearing. She would certainly discover the king's admiration for
Nehushta. Darius was a man almost incapable of concealment; with whom to
think was to act instantly and without hesitation. He generally acted
rightly, for his instincts were noble and kingly, and his heart as
honest and open as the very light of day. He said what he thought and
instantly fulfilled his words. He hated a lie as poison, and the only
untruth he had ever been guilty of was told when, in order to gain
access to the dwelling of the false Smerdis, he had declared to the
guards that he brought news of importance from his father. He had
justified this falsehood by the most elaborate and logical apology to
his companions, the six princes, and had explained that he only lied for
the purpose of saving Persia; and when the lot fell to himself to assume
the royal authority, he fulfilled most amp