Darius considered that the former one had religious convictions involving the telling of lies--and this is the result! We are fallen low indeed when we cannot eat a Magian's pastry! I am passionately fond of hunting, but it is far from here to the desert and the lions are scarce.

Besides, the men who are fit for lion-hunting are generally engaged in hunting their fellow-creatures." "Does the Great King hunt ?" inquired Nehushta, languidly sipping her sherbet from a green jade goblet, as she lay among her cushions, supporting herself upon one elbow.
"Whenever he has leisure.

He will talk of nothing else to you--" "Surely," interrupted Nehushta, with an air of perfect innocence, "I shall not be so far honoured as that the Great King should talk with me ?" Atossa raised her blue eyes and looked curiously at the dark princess.
She knew nothing of what had passed the night before, save that the king had seen Nehushta for a few moments, but she knew his character well enough to imagine that his frank and, as she thought, undignified manner might have struck Nehushta even in that brief interview.

The idea that the princess was already deceiving her flashed across her mind.

She smiled more tenderly than ever, with a little added air of sadness that gave her a wonderful charm.
"Yes, the Great King is very gracious to the ladies of the court," she said.