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。