lew a little golden
whistle. Its shrill tones acted like magic on the eager crowd; the
raised hands fell in a moment, the little tripping feet stood still, the
opening lips closed and the eager tumult was turned into a dead silence.

Whoever disobeyed the sound of this little whistle, was certain of
punishment. It was as important as the words "Silence, in the king's
name!" or the reading of the riot-act. To-day it worked even more
effectually than usual. Boges' self-satisfied smile showed that he had
noticed this; he then favored the assembly with a look expressive of his
contentment with their conduct, promised in a flowery speech to exert
all his influence with the king in behalf of his dear little white
doves, and wound up by telling them to arrange themselves in two long
rows.

The women obeyed and submitted to his scrutiny like soldiers on drill,
or slaves being examined by their buyer.

With the dress and ornaments of most he was satisfied, ordering,
however, to one a little more rouge, to another a little white powder
to subdue a too healthy color, here a different arrangement of the
hair--there a deeper tinge to the eyebrows, or more pains to be taken in
anointing the lips.

When this was over he left the hall and went to Phaedime, who as one
of the king's lawful wives, had a private room, separated from those
allotted to the concubines.

This former favorite,--this humbled daughter of the Achaemenidae, had
been expecting him already some time.

She was magnificently dressed, and almost overloaded with jewels. A
thick veil of gauze inwrought with gold hung from her little tiara, and
interlaced with this was the blue and white band of the Achaemenidae.
There could be no question that she was beautiful, but her figure was
already too strongly developed, a frequent result of the lazy harem life
among Eastern women. Fair golden hair, interwoven with little silver
chains and gold pieces, welled out almost too abundantly from beneath
her tiara, and was smoothed over her white temples.

She sprang forward to meet Boges, trembling with eagerness, caught a
hasty glance at herself in the looking-glass, and then, fixing her eyes
on the eunuch, asked impetuously: "Are you pleased with me? Will he
admire me?"

Boges smiled his old, eternal smile and answered: "You always please me,
my golden peacock, and the king would admire you too if he could see you
as you were a moment ago. You were really beautiful when you