Bartja exclaimed: "Spartan, I would I could take you back with
me to Susa, that my friends there might see what I have seen myself, the
most courageous, the most honorable of men!"

"Believe me, boy," returned Aristomachus smiling, "every Spartan would
have done the same. In our country it needs more courage to be a coward
than a brave man."

"And you, Bartja," cried Darius, the Persian king's cousin, "could you
have borne to stand at the pillory?" Bartja reddened, but it was easy to
see that he too preferred death to disgrace.

"Zopyrus, what say you?" asked Darius of the third young Persian.

"I could mutilate my own limbs for love of you two," answered he,
grasping unobserved the hands of his two friends.

With an ironical smile Psamtik sat watching this scene--the pleased
faces of Amasis, Croesus and Gyges, the meaning glances of the
Egyptians, and the contented looks with which Aristomachus gazed on the
young heroes.

Ibykus now told of the oracle which had promised Aristomachus a return
to his native land, on the approach of the men from the snowy mountains,
and at the same time, mentioned the hospitable house of Rhodopis.

On hearing this name Psamtik grew restless; Croesus expressed a wish to
form the acquaintance of the Thracian matron, of whom AEsop had related
so much that was praiseworthy; and, as the other guests, many of whom
had lost consciousness through excessive drinking, were leaving the
hall, the dethroned monarch, the poet, the sculptor and the Spartan hero
made an agreement to go to Naukratis the next day, and there enjoy the
conversation of Rhodopis.

CHAPTER VI.

On the night following the banquet just described, Amasis allowed
himself only three hours' rest. On this, as on every other morning, the
young priests wakened him at the first cock-crow, conducted him as usual
to the bath, arrayed him in the royal vestments and led him to the altar
in the court of the palace, where in presence of the populace he offered
sacrifice. During the offering the priests sang prayers in a loud voice,
enumerated the virtues of their king, and, that blame might in no case
light on the head of their ruler, made his bad advisers responsible for
every deadly sin committed in ignorance.

They exhorted him to the performance of good deeds, while extolling his
virtues; read aloud profitable portions of the holy writings, containing
the deeds and sayings of great men, and then conducted him to his
apart