“’Yes，Madam，’Ianswered。’IamHeliodore，thedaughterofMagas。I
praythatIhavedonenowronginwalkinginthisgarden，buttheGeneralOlaf，theMasterofthePalace，gavemeleavetocomehere。’
“’AnddidtheGeneralOlaf，whomweknowasMichael，giveyouthatnecklacewhichyouwear，also，ODaughterofMagas？Nay，youmustneedsanswerme，forIamtheAugusta。’
“NowIcurtsiedagain，andsaid:
“’Notso，OAugusta；thenecklaceisfromOldEgypt，andwasfounduponthebodyofaroyalladyinatomb。Ihavewornitformanyyears。’
“’Indeed，andthatwhichtheGeneralMichaelwearscamealsofromatomb。’
“’Yes，hetoldmeso，Augusta，’Isaid。
“’Itwouldseemthatthetwomustoncehavebeenone，DaughterofMagas？’
“’Itmaybeso，Augusta；Idonotknow。’
“NowtheEmpresslookedabouther，andtheladyMartina，droppingbehind，begantofanherself。
“’Areyoumarried，girl？’sheasked。
“’No，’Ianswered。
“’Areyouaffianced？’
“NowIhesitatedalittle，thenanswered’No’again。
“’Youseemtobesomewhatdoubtfulonthepoint。Farewellforthiswhile。Whenyouwalkabroadinourgarden，whichisopentoyou，bepleasedtoarrayyourselfinthedressofourcountry，andnotinthatofacourtesanofEgypt。’“
“Whatdidyouanswertothatsaying？“Iasked。
“Thatwhichwasnotwise，Ifear，Olaf，formytemperstirredme。I
answered:’Madam，Ithankyouforyourpermissiontowalkinyourgarden。IfeverIshoulddosoagainasyourguest，besurethatI
willnotweargarmentswhich，beforeByzantiumwasavillage，weresacredtothegodsofmycountryandthoseofmyancestorstheQueensofEgypt。’“
“Andthen？“Iasked。
“TheEmpressanswered:’Wellspoken！SuchwouldhavebeenmyownwordshadIbeeninyourplace。Moreover，theyaretrue，andtherobebecomesyouwell。Yetpresumenottoofar，girl，seeingthatByzantiumisnolongeravillage，andEgypthassomefanaticMoslemforaPharaoh，whothinkslittleofyourancientblood。’
“SoIbowedandwent，andasIwalkedawayheardtheEmpressratingtheladyMartinaaboutIknownotwhat，savethatyournamecameintothematter，andmyown。WhydoesthisEmpresstalksomuchaboutyou，Olaf，seeingthatshehasmanyofficerswhoarehigherinherservice，andwhywasshesomovedaboutthismatterofthenecklaceofgoldenshells？“
“Heliodore，“Ianswered，“ImusttellnowwhatIhavehiddenfromyou。
TheAugustahasbeenpleased——why，Icannotsay，butchiefly，I
suppose，becauseoflateyearsithasbeenmyfancytokeepmyselfapartfromwomen，whichisrareinthisland——toshowmecertainfavour。Igather，even，that，whethershemeansitormeansitnot，shehasthoughtofmeasahusband。“
“Oh！“interruptedHeliodore，startingawayfromme，“nowIunderstandeverything。And，pray，haveyouthoughtasawifeofher，whohasbeenawidowthesetenyearsandhasasonoftwenty？“
“GodaboveusaloneknowswhatIhaveorhavenotthought，butitiscertainthatatpresentIthinkofheronlyasonewhohasbeenmostkindtome，butwhoismoretobefearedthanmyworstfoe，ifIhaveany。“
“Hush！“shesaid，raisingherfinger。“IfanciedIheardsomeonestirbehindus。“
“Fearnothing，“Ianswered。“Wearealonehere，forIsetguardsofmyowncompanyaroundtheplace，withcommandtoadmitnoone，andmyorderrunsagainstallsavetheEmpressinperson。“
“Thenwearesafe，Olaf，sincethisdampwoulddisarrangeherhair，which，Inoted，iscurledwithirons，notbyNature，likemyown。Oh！
Olaf，Olaf，howwonderfulisthefatethathasbroughtustogether。I
saythatwhenIsawyouyonderinthecathedralforthefirsttimesinceIwasborn，Iknewyouagain，asyouknewme。Thatiswhy，whenyouwhisperedtome，’Greetingaftertheages，’Igaveyoubackyourwelcome。Iknownothingofthepast。Ifwelivedandlovedbefore，thattaleislosttome。Butthere’syourdreamandthere’sthenecklace。WhenIwasachild，Olaf，itwastakenfromtheembalmedbodyofsomeroyalwoman，who，bytradition，wasofmyownrace，yes，andbyrecordsofwhichmyfathercantellyou，forheisamongthelastwhocanstillreadthewritingoftheoldEgyptians。Moreover，shewasverylikeme，Olaf，forIrememberherwellasshelayinhercoffin，preservedbyartswhichtheEgyptianshad。Shewasyoung，notmucholderthanIamto-day，andherstorytellsthatshediedingivingbirthtoason，whogrewupastrongandvigorousman，andalthoughhewasbuthalfroyal，foundedanewdynastyinEgyptandbecamemyforefather。Thisnecklacelayuponherbreast，andbeneathitawritingonpapyrus，whichsaidthatwhenthehalfofitwhichwaslostshouldbejoinedagaintothathalf，thenthosewhohadwornthemwouldmeetoncemoreasmortals。Nowthetwohalvesofthenecklacehavemet，and/we/havemetasGoddecreed，anditisoneandweareoneforeverandforever，leteveryEmpressoftheearthdowhattheywilltopartus。“
“Aye，“Ianswered，embracingheragain，“weareoneforeverandforever，thoughperchanceforawhilewemaybeseparatedfromtimetotime。“
AminutelaterIheardarustleasofbranchesbeingmovedbypeoplethrustingtheirwaythroughthem。Achokedvoicecommanded，“Takehimlivingordead。“
Armedmenappearedaboutus，fourofthem，andonecried“Yield！“
IsprangupanddrewtheWanderer’ssword。
“WhoorderstheGeneralMichaeltoyieldinhisowncommand？“Iasked。
“Ido，“answeredtheman。“Yieldordie！“
Now，thinkingthatthesewererobbersormurderershiredbysomeenemy，Isprangathim，norwasthatbattlelong，foratmyfirststrokehefelldead。Thentheotherthreesetonme。ButIworemailbeneathmydoublet，asIrenehadbademedo，andtheirswordsglanced。
Moreover，theoldnorthernrageenteredintome，andtheseeasternerswerenomatchformyskillandstrength。Firstoneandthenanotherofthemwentdown，whereonthethirdfledaway，takingwithhimagrizzlywoundbehind，forIstruckhimashefled。
“Nowitseemsthereisanendofthat，“IgaspedtoHeliodore，whowascrouchedupontheseat。“Come，letmetakeyoutoyourfatherandsummonmyguards，erewemeetmoreofthesemurderers。“
AsIspokeacloakedandhoodedwomanglidedfromtheshelterofthetreesbehindandstoodbeforeus。Shethrewbackthehoodfromherheadandthemoonlightfelluponherface。ItwasthatoftheEmpress，butoh！sochangedbyjealousragethatIshouldscarcehaveknownher。Thelargeeyesseemedtoflashfire，thecheekswerewhite，savewheretheyhadbeentouchedwithpaint，thelipstrembled。Twiceshetriedtospeakandfailed，butatthethirdeffortwordscame。
“Nay，allisbutbegun，“shesaidinavoicethatwasfullofhate。
“KnowthatIhaveheardyoureveryword。So，traitor，youwouldtellmysecretstothisEgyptianslutandthenmurdermyownservants，“andshepointedtothedeadandwoundedmen。“Well，youshallpayforit，bothofyou，thatIswear。“
“Isitmurder，Augusta，“Iasked，saluting，“whenfourassailoneman，and，thinkingthemassassins，hefightsforhislifeandwinsthefray？“
“Whatarefoursuchcursagainstyou？Ishouldhavebroughtadozen。
Yetitwasatmeyoustruck。Whate’ertheydidIorderedthemtodo。“
“HadIknownit，Augusta，Iwouldneverhavedrawnsword，whoamyourofficerandobedienttotheend。“
“Nay，you’dstabmewithyourtongue，notwithyoursword，“sheansweredwithsomethinglikeasob。“Yousayyouaremyobedientofficer。Well，nowwewillsee。Smitemethatbold-facedbaggagedead，orsmite/me/dead，Icarenotwhich，thenfalluponyoursword。“
“ThefirstIcannotdo，Augusta，foritwouldbemurderagainstonewhohasdonenowrong，andIwillnotstainmysoulwithmurder。“
“Donenowrong！Hasshenotmockedme，myyears，mywidowhood，yes，andevenmyhair，intheprideofher——heryouth，me，theEmpressoftheWorld？“
NowHeliodorespokeforthefirsttime。
“AndhasnottheEmpressoftheWorldcalledapoormaidofbloodasnobleasherownbyshamefulnames？“sheasked。
“Forthesecond，“IwentonbeforeIrenecouldanswer，“Icannotdothateither，foritwouldbefoultreasonaswellasmurdertoliftmyswordagainstyouranointedMajesty。Butasforthethird，asismyduty，thatIwilldo——orrathersufferyourservantstodo——ifitpleasesyoutorepeattheorderlaterwhenyouarecalm。“