seemed to her as she gazed and turned first one side of her face to
the light and then the other, that she was a shade paler than usual. The
change would have been imperceptible to any one else, but she noticed it
with a little frown of disapproval. But presently she smoothed her brow
and smiled happily to herself. She had sustained a terrible danger
successfully.

She had hoped to have been able to warn Phraortes how to act; but,
partly because the meeting had taken place so soon after his arrival,
and partly because she had employed a portion of that brief interval
with Zoroaster and in the scene she had suddenly invented and acted, she
had been obliged to meet her chief agent without a moment's preparation,
and she knew enough of his cowardly character to fear lest he should
betray her and throw himself upon the king's mercy as a reward for the
information he could give. But the crucial moment had passed
successfully and there was nothing more to fear. Atossa threw herself
upon the couch where the king had sat, and abandoned herself to the
delicious contemplation of the pain she must have given in showing
herself to Nehushta in Zoroaster's arms. She was sure that as the
princess could not have seen Zoroaster's face, she must have thought
that it was he who was embracing the queen. She must have suffered
horribly, if she really loved him!

CHAPTER XII.

When Darius left the queen, he gave over the miserable Phraortes to the
guards, to be cared for, and bent his steps towards the gardens. It was
yet early, but he wished to be alone, and he supposed that Nehushta
would come there before noon, as was her wont. Meanwhile, he wished to
be free of the court and of the queen. Slowly he entered the marble gate
and walked up the long walk of roses, plucking a leaf now and then, and
twisting it in his fingers, scenting the fresh blossoms with an almost
boyish gladness, and breathing in all the sweet warmth of the summer
morning. He had made a mistake, and he was glad to be away, where he
could calmly reflect upon the reason of his being deceived.

He wandered on until he came to the marble pavilion, and would have gone
on to stray farther into the gardens, but that he caught sight of a
woman's mantle upon the floor as he passed by the open doorway. He went
up the few steps and entered.

Nehushta lay upon the marble pavement at her full length, her arms
extended above her head. Her face was ghastly pale and her par