influence and consideration might suffer through this mutilated brother,
he ordered him to leave Babylon at once for a country-house of his own on
Mount Arakadris.

During the few days which had just passed, a shabbily-dressed and
closely-veiled woman had watched day and night at the great gate of the
palace; neither the threats of the sentries nor the coarse jests of the
palace-servants could drive her from her post. She never allowed one of
the less important officials to pass without eagerly questioning him,
first as to the state of the Egyptian Princess, and then what had become
of Gaumata. When his sentence was told her as a good joke by a
chattering lamp-lighter, she went off into the strangest excitement, and
astonished the poor man so much by kissing his robe, that he thought she
must be crazed, and gave her an alms. She refused the money, but
remained at her post, subsisting on the bread which was given her by the
compassionate distributors of food. Three days later Gaumata himself,
with his head bound up, was driven out in a closed harmamaxa. She rushed
to the carriage and ran screaming by the side of it, until the driver
stopped his mules and asked what she wanted. She threw back her veil and
showed the poor, suffering youth her pretty face covered with deep
blushes. Gaumata uttered a low cry as he recognized her, collected
himself, however, in a moment, and said: "What do you want with me,
Mandane?"

The wretched girl raised her hands beseechingly to him, crying: "Oh, do
not leave me, Gaumata! Take me with you! I forgive you all the misery
you have brought on me and my poor mistress. I love you so much, I will
take care of you and nurse you as if I were the lowest servant-girl."

A short struggle passed in Gaumata's mind. He was just going to open the