“’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。“