Now，IwouldwinbackEgypt，ifImay，andtherebyaddglorytomynameandtheEmpire。Hearallthatheproposes，studyitwell，andmakereporttome。AfterwardsIwillseehimalone，whoforthepresentwillsendhimaletterbythehandofMartinaherebiddinghimopenallhishearttoyou。ForaweekormoreIshallhavenotimetospenduponthisMagas，whomustgivemyselftobusinessuponwhichhangsmypowerandperchancemylife。“
　　Thesewordsshespokeheavily，thenfellintoafitofbrooding。
　　Rousingherself，shewenton:
　　“Didyounoteyesterday，Olaf，ifyouhadanymindleftforthethingsofearth，thatasIdroveinstatethroughthestreetsmanymetmewithsullensilence，whileotherscursedmeopenlyandshouted，’WhereistheAugustus？’’GiveusConstantine。Wewillhavenowoman’srule。’“
　　“Isawandheardsomethingofthesethings，Augusta；alsothatcertainofthesoldiersonguardinthecityhadamutinousair。“
　　“Aye，butwhatyoudidnotseeandhearwasthataplothadbeenlaidtomurdermeinthecathedral。Igotwindofitintimeandifyouwerestillgovernorofyonderprisonyou’dknowwherethemurderersareto-day。Yetthey’rebuttools；itistheircaptainswhomIwant。
　　Well，torturemaymakethemspeak；Stauraciushasgonetoseetoit。
　　Oh！thestrifeisfierceanddoubtful。Iwalkblindfoldalongaprecipice。AboveareFortune’sheights，andbeneathblackruin。
　　Perhapsyou’dbewisetogetyoutoConstantine，Olaf，andbecomehisman，asmanyaredoing，sincehe’dbegladofyou。Noneedtoshakeyourhead，forthat’snotyourway；youarenohoundtobitethehandthatfeedsyou，likethesestreet-breddogs。WouldthatIcouldkeepyounearertome，wherehourbyhouryoumighthelpmewithyourcounselandyourquietstrength。Butitmaynotbe——asyet。IraiseyouashighasIdare，butitmustbedonestepbystep，forevennowsomegrowjealous。Takeheedtowhatyoueat，Olaf。SeethatyourguardsareNorthmen，andbeneathyourdoubletwearmail，especiallyatnight。Moreover，unlessIsendforyou，donotcomenearmetoooften，and，whenwemeet，bemyhumbleservant，likeothers；aye，learntocrawlandkisstheground。Aboveall，keepsecretasthegrave。
　　“Now，“shewentonafterapause，duringwhichIstoodsilent，“whatistheremore？Oh！withyournewoffices，you’llretainthatofcaptainofmyguard，forIwouldbewellwatchedduringthesenextfewweeks。FollowupthematteroftheEgyptian；youmayfindadvancementinit。PerchanceonedayyouwillbethegeneralIsendagainsttheMoslems——ifIcanspareyou。Onallthismatterbesecretalso，foroncerumourbuzzesoveritthatpeachrots。TheEgyptianandhisswarthygirlcometothepalaceto-day，whenhewillreceivemyletter。Meethimandseethemwellhoused，thoughnottoonearme；
　　Martinawillhelpyou。Nowbegoneandleavemetomybattles。“
　　SoIwent，andshewatchedmetothedoorwitheyesthatwerefulloftenderness。
　　Againthereisablankinmymemory，ormyvision。IsupposethatMagasandhisdaughterHeliodorearrivedatthepalaceonthedayofmyinterviewwithIrene，ofwhichIhavetold。IsupposethatI
　　welcomedthemandconductedthemtotheguesthousethathadbeenmadereadyfortheminthegardens。Doubtless，IlistenedeagerlytothefirstwordswhichHeliodorespoketome，savethatoneinthecathedral，thewordofgreeting。Doubtless，Iaskedhermanythings，andshegavememanyanswers。Butofallthisnothingremains。
　　WhatcomesbacktomeisapictureoftheEgyptianprince，Magas，andmyselfseatedatsomemealinachamberoverlookingthemoonlitpalacegarden。Wewerealone，andthisnoble，white-beardedman，hook-nosedandhawk-eyed，wastellingmeofthetroublesofhiscountrymen，theChristianCoptsofEgypt。
　　“Lookonme，sir，“hesaid。“AsIcouldprovetoyou，wereitworthwhile，andasmanycouldbearwitness，fortherecordshavebeenkept，IamadescendantinthetruelinefromtheancientPharaohsofmycountry。Moreover，mydaughter，throughherGrecianmother，issprungfromthePtolemies。OurraceisChristian，andhasbeenforthesethreehundredyears，althoughitwasamongthelasttobeconverted。
　　Yet，nobleasweare，wesuffereverywrongatthehandsoftheMoslems。Ourgoodsandlandsaredoublytaxed，and，ifweshouldgointothetownsofLowerEgypt，wemustweargarmentsonwhichtheCrossisbroideredasabadgeofshame。Yet，whereIlive——neartothefirstcataractoftheNile，andnotsoveryfarfromthecityofoldThebes——theProphet-worshippershavenorealpower。Iamstillthetruerulerofthatdistrict，astheBishopBarnabaswilltellyou，andatanymoment，weremystandardtobelifted，IcouldcallthreethousandCopticspearstofightforChristandEgypt。Moreover，ifmoneywereforthcoming，thehostsofNubiacouldberaised，andtogetherwemightsweepdownontheMoslemsliketheNileinflood，anddrivethembacktoAlexandria。“
　　Thenhewentontosetouthisplans，whichinsumwerethataRomanfleetandarmyshouldappearatthemouthsoftheNiletobesiegeandcaptureAlexandria，and，withhishelp，massacreordriveouteveryMosleminEgypt。Thescheme，whichhesetforthwithmuchdetail，seemedfeasibleenough，andwhenIhadmastereditsparticularsI
　　promisedtoreportittotheEmpress，andafterwardstospeakwithhimfurther。
　　Ileftthechamber，andpresentlystoodinthegarden。Althoughitwasautumntime，thenightinthismildclimatewasverywarmandpleasant，andthemoonlightthrewblackshadowsofthetreesacrossthepaths。Underoneofthesetrees，anancient，green-leavedoak，thelargestofalittlegrove，Isawawomansitting。PerchanceIknewwhoshewas，perchanceIhadcomethithertomeether，Icannotsay。Atleast，thiswasnotourfirstmeetingbymany，forasIcamesherose，liftingherflower-likefacetowardsmyown，andnextmomentwasinmyarms。
　　Whenwehadkissedourfull，webegantotalk，seatedhandinhandbeneaththeoak。
　　“Whathaveyoubeendoingthisday，beloved？“sheasked。
　　“MuchwhatIdoeveryday，Heliodore。Ihaveattendedtomyduties，whicharethreefold，asChamberlain，asMasterofthePalace，andasCaptainoftheGuard。Also，foralittlewhile，IsawtheAugusta，towhomIhadtoreportvariousmatters。Theinterviewwasbrief，sincearumourhadreachedherthattheArmenianregimentsrefusetotaketheoathoffidelitytoheralone，asshehascommandedshouldbedone，anddemandthatthenameoftheEmperor，herson，shouldbecoupledwithhers，asbefore。Thisreportdisturbedhermuch，sothatshehadlittletimeforotherbusiness。“
　　“Didyouspeakofmyfather’smatter，Olaf？“
　　“Aye，shortly。Shelistened，andaskedwhetherIweresurethatIhadgotthetruthfromhim。SheaddedthatIhadbesttestitbywhatI
　　couldwinfromyoubyanyartsthatamanmayuse。For，Heliodore，becauseofsomethingthatmygod-mother，Martina，saidtoher，itisfixedinhermindthatyouareblack-skinnedandveryugly。Therefore，theAugusta，whodoesnotlikeanymanabouthertocareforotherwomen，thinksImaymakelovetoyouwithsafety。SoIprayedforleavefrommydutiesontheguardthiseveningthatImightsupwithyourfatherintheguest-house，andseewhatIcouldlearnfromoneorbothofyou。“
　　“Lovemakesyouclever，Olaf。Buthearken。IdonotbelievethattheEmpressthinksmeblackanduglyanylonger。AsitchancedwhileI
　　walkedintheinnergardenthisafternoon，whereyousaidImightgowhenIwishedtobequitealone，dreamingofourloveandyou，I
　　lookedupandsawanimperialwomanofmiddleage，whowasgorgeousasapeacock，watchingmefromalittledistance。Iwentonmyway，pretendingtoseenoone，andheardtheladysay:
　　“’Hasallthistroubledrivenmemad，Martina，ordidIbeholdawomanbeautifulasoneofthenymphsofmypeople’sfableswanderingyonderamongthosebushes？’
　　“Irepeatherverywords，Olaf，notbecausetheyaretrue——for，remember，shesawmeatadistanceandagainstabackgroundofrocksandautumnflowers——butbecausetheywereherwords，whichIthinkyououghttohear，withthosethatfollowedthem。“
　　“Irenehassaidmanyfalsethingsinherlife，“Isaid，smiling，“butbyalltheSaintsthesewerenotamongthem。“
　　Thenweembracedagain，andafterthatwasfinishedHeliodore，herheadrestingonmyshoulder，continuedherstory:
　　“’Whatwasshelike，Mistress？’askedtheladyMartina，forbythistimeIhadpassedbehindsomelittletrees。’Ihaveseennoonewhoisbeautifulinthisgardenexceptyourself。’
　　“’Shewascladinaclingingwhiterobe，Martina，thatleftherarmsandbosombare’——beingalone，Olaf，IworemyEgyptiandressbeneathmycloak，whichIhadlaiddownbecauseoftheheatofthesun。’Shewasnotsoverytall，yetroundedandmostgraceful。Hereyesseemedlargeanddark，Martina，likeherhair；herfacewastintedlikearich-huedrose。Oh！wereIamansheseemedsuchaoneasIshouldlove，who，likeallmypeople，haveeverworshippedbeauty。Yet，whatdidIsay，thatsheputmeinmindofanymphofGreece。Nay，thatwasnotso。ItwasofagoddessofOldEgyptthatsheputmeinmind，foronherfacewasthedreamingsmilewhichIhaveseenonthatofastatueofmotherIsiswhomtheEgyptiansworshipped。Moreover，sheworejustsuchaheaddressasIhavenoteduponthosestatues。’
　　“NowtheladyMartinaanswered:’Surely，youmusthavedreamed，Mistress。TheonlyEgyptianwomaninthepalaceisthedaughteroftheoldCopticnoble，Magas，whoisinOlaf’scharge，andthoughIamtoldthatsheisnotsouglyasIheardatfirst，Olafhasneversaidtomethatshewaslikeagoddess。WhatyousawwasdoubtlesssomeimageofFortuneconjuredupbyyourmind。ThisItaketobethebestofomens，whointhesedoubtfuldaysgrowsuperstitious。’
　　“’WouldOlaftellonewomanthatanotherwaslikeagoddess，Martina，eventhoughshetowhomhespokewashisgod-motherandadozenyearsyoungerthanhimself？Come，’sheadded，’andletusseeifwecanfindthisEgyptian。’
　　“Then，“Heliodorewenton，“notknowingwhattodo，Istoodstillthereagainsttherockworkandtheflowerstillpresently，roundthebushes，appearedthesplendidladyandMartina。“
　　NowwhenI，Olaf，heardallthis，Igroanedandsaid:
　　“Oh！Heliodore，itwastheAugustaherself。“
　　“Yes，itwastheAugusta，asIlearnedpresently。Well，theycame，andIcurtsiedtothem。
　　“’AreyouthedaughterofMagas，theEgyptian？’askedthelady，eyeingmefromheadtofoot。