ss polished, and that the spaces
between the columns were half filled with hanging plants and creepers.
Upon the pavement at one end were spread rich carpets, and half a dozen
enormous cushions of soft-coloured silk were thrown negligently one upon
the other. Three doors, hung with curtains, opened upon the
balcony,--and near to the middle one, two slave-girls, clad in white,
crouched upon their heels and talked in an undertone.

Atossa stepped forward upon the marble, and the rustle of her dress and
the quick short sound of her heeled shoes, roused the two slave-girls to
spring to their feet. They did not know the queen, but they thought it
best to make a low obeisance, while their dark eyes endeavoured quickly
to scan the details of her dress, without exhibiting too much boldness.
Atossa beckoned to one of them to come to her, and smiled graciously as
the dark-skinned girl approached.

"Is not thy mistress Nehushta?" she inquired; but the girl looked
stupidly at her, not comprehending her speech. "Nehushta," repeated the
queen, pronouncing the name very distinctly with a questioning
intonation, and pointing to the curtained door. The slave understood
the name and the question, and quick as thought, she disappeared within,
leaving Atossa in some hesitation. She had not intended to send for the
Hebrew princess, for she thought it would be a greater compliment to let
Nehushta find her waiting; but since the barbarian slave had gone to
call her mistress, there was nothing to be done but to abide the result.

Nehushta, however, seemed in no hurry to answer the summons, for the
queen had ample time to examine the terrace, and to glance through the
hanging plants at the sunlit meadows and the flowing stream to
southward, before she heard steps behind the curtain, and saw it lifted
to allow the princess to pass.

The dark maiden was now fully refreshed and rested from the journey, and
she came forward to greet her guest in her tunic, without her mantle, a
cloud of soft white Indian gauze loosely pinned upon her black hair and
half covering her neck. Her bodice-like belt was of scarlet and gold,
and from one side there hung a rich-hilted knife of Indian steel in a
jewelled sheath. The long sleeves of her tunic were drawn upon her arms
into hundreds of minute folds, and where the delicate stuff hung in an
oblong lappet over her hands, there was fine needlework and embroidery
of gold. She moved easily, with a languid grace of