nd
pleasure, "And so, to provide me with this splendid armor and dress,
you have been depriving yourself of all your finest and most beautiful
ornaments!"

"No," said Panthea, "you are yourself my finest ornament, if you
appear in other people's eyes as you do in mine, and I have not
deprived myself of you."

The appearance which Abradates made in other people's eyes was
certainly very splendid on this occasion. There were many spectators
present to see him mount his chariot and drive away; but so great was
their admiration of Panthea's affection and regard for her husband,
and so much impressed were they with her beauty, that the great
chariot, the resplendent horses, and the grand warrior with his armor
of gold, which the magnificent equipage was intended to convey, were,
all together, scarcely able to draw away the eyes of the spectators
from her. She stood, for a while, by the side of the chariot,
addressing her husband in an under tone, reminding him of the
obligations which they were under to Cyrus for his generous and noble
treatment of her, and urging him, now that he was going to be put to
the test, to redeem the promise which she had made in his name, that
Cyrus would find him faithful, brave, and true.

The driver then closed the door by which Abradates had mounted, so
that Panthea was separated from her husband, though she could still
see him as he stood in his place. She gazed upon him with a
countenance full of affection and solicitude. She kissed the margin of
the chariot as it began to move away. She walked along after it as it
went, as if, after all, she could not bear the separation. Abradates
turned, and when he saw her coming on after the carriage, he said,
waving his hand for a parting salutation, "Farewell, Panthea; go back
now to your tent, and do not be anxious about me. Farewell." Panthea
turned--her attendants came and took her away--the spectators all
turned, too, to follow her with their eyes, and no one paid any regard
to the chariot or to Abradates until she was gone.

On the field of battle, before the engagement commenced, Cyrus, in
passing along the lines, paused, when he came to the chariots of
Abradates, to examine the arrangements which had been made for them,
and to converse a moment with the chief. He saw that the chariots were
drawn up in a part of the field where there was opposed to them a very
formidable array of Egyptian soldiers. The Egyptians in this war were
allies of