secure motion; and
she bent her head a little as Atossa came quickly to meet her.

The queen's frank smile was on her face as she grasped both Nehushta's
hands in cordial welcome, and for a moment, the two women looked into
each other's eyes. Nehushta had made up her mind to hate Atossa from the
first, but she did not belong to that class of women who allow their
feelings to show themselves, and afterwards feel bound by the memory of
what they have shown. She, too, smiled most sweetly as she surveyed the
beautiful fair queen from beneath her long drooping lids, and examined
her appearance with all possible minuteness. She remembered her well
enough, but so warm was the welcome she received, that she almost
thought she had misjudged Atossa in calling her hard and cold. She drew
her guest to the cushions upon the carpets, and they sat down side by
side.

"I have been talking about you already this morning, my princess," began
Atossa, speaking at once in familiar terms, as though she were
conversing with an intimate friend. Nehushta was very proud; she knew
herself to be of a race as royal as Atossa, though now almost extinct;
and in answering, she spoke in the same manner as the queen; so that the
latter was inwardly amused at the self-confidence of the Hebrew
princess.

"Indeed?" said Nehushta, "there must be far more interesting things than
I in Shushan. I would have talked of you had I found any one to talk
with."

The queen laughed a little.

"As I was coming out this morning, I met an old friend of mine upon the
balcony before the king's apartment,--Zoroaster, the handsome captain.
We fell into conversation, how handsome he has grown since I saw him
last!" The queen watched Nehushta closely while affecting the greatest
unconcern, and she thought the shadows about the princess's eyes turned
a shade darker at the mention of the brilliant warrior. But Nehushta
answered calmly enough:

"He took the most excellent care of us. I should like to see him to-day,
to thank him for all he did. I was tired last night and must have seemed
ungrateful."

"What need is there of ever telling men we are grateful for what they do
for us?" returned the queen. "I should think there were not a noble in
the Great King's guard who would not give his right hand to take care of
you for a month, even if you never so much as noticed his existence."

Nehushta laughed lightly at the compliment.

"You honour me too much," she said, "bu