altar without a living fire. And now the flame has burned
more brightly, and by the light of it I have read other words
which also have come from the fountain of Truth, and speak yet
more clearly of the rising of the Victorious One in his
brightness."

He drew from the breast of his tunic two small rolls of
fine parchment, with writing upon them, and unfolded them
carefully upon his knee.

"In the years that are lost in the past, long before our
fathers came into the land of Babylon, there were wise men in
Chaldea, from whom the first of the Magi learned the secret of
the heavens. And of these Balaam the son of Beor was one of the
mightiest. Hear the words of his prophecy: 'There shall come a
star out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall arise out of Israel.'"

The lips of Tigranes drew downward with contempt, as he
said:

"Judah was a captive by the waters of Babylon, and the
sons of Jacob were in bondage to our kings. The tribes of
Israel are scattered through the mountains like lost sheep,
and from the remnant that dwells in Judea under the yoke of
Rome neither star nor sceptre shall arise."

"And yet," answered Artaban, "it was the Hebrew Daniel,
the mighty searcher of dreams, the counsellor of kings, the
wise Belteshazzar, who was most honoured and beloved of our
great King Cyrus. A prophet of sure things and a reader of