"But the superior force must conquer at last.--What would be the use of my trying to put off a danger which, you say yourself, cannot be averted? If my tooth aches, I have it drawn at once, instead of tormenting and making myself miserable for weeks by putting off the painful operation as a coward or a woman would, till the last moment. I can await this coming danger bravely, and the sooner it comes the better, for then I shall have it behind me." "You do not know how serious it is." "Are you afraid for my life?" "No." "Then tell me, what you are afraid of." "That Egyptian priest with whom I used to study the stars, once cast your horoscope with me. He knew more about the heavens, than any man I ever saw. I learnt a great deal from him, and I will not hide from you that even then he drew my attention to dangers that threaten you now." "And you did not tell me?" "Why should I have made you uneasy beforehand? Now that your destiny is drawing near, I warn you." "Thank you,--I will be careful. In former times I should not have listened to such a warning, but now that I love Sappho, I feel as if my life were not so much my own to do what I like with, as it used to be." "I understand this feeling . . ." "You understand it? Then Araspes was right? You don't deny?" "A mere dream without any hope of fulfilment." "But what woman could refuse you?" "Refuse!" "I don't understand you. Do you mean to say that you--the boldest sportsman, the strongest wrestler--the wisest of all the young Persians --that you, Darius, are afraid of a woman?" "Bartja, may I tell you more, than I would tell even to my own father?" "Yes." "I love the daughter of Cyrus, your sister and the king's, Atossa." "Have I understood you rightly? you love Atossa? Be praised for this, O ye pure Amescha cpenta! Now I shall never believe in your stars again, for instead of the danger with which they threatened me, here comes an unexpected happiness. Embrace me, my brother, and tell me the whole story, that I may see whether I can help you to turn this hopeless dream, as you call it, into a reality." "You will remember that before our journey to Egypt, we went with the entire court from Ecbatana to Susa. I was in command of the division of the "Immortals" appointed to escort the carriages containing the king's mother and sister, and his wives. In going through the narrow pass which leads over the Orontes, the horses of your mother's carriage slipped. The yoke to which the horses were harnessed broke from the pole, and the heavy, four-wheeled carriage fell over the precipice without obstruction. [There was a yoke at the end of the shaft of a Persian carriage, which was fastened on to the backs of the horses and took the place of our horse-collar and pole-chain.]