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Why, he seems to fancy he is King of Lydia!" "Do you dislike the satrap?" said Zopyrus. "Well, I think I do," was the answer. "I always take an aversion or a fancy to people at first sight, and very seldom find reason to change my mind afterwards. I disliked Oroetes before I heard him speak a word, and I remember having the same feeling towards Psamtik, though Amasis took my fancy."
That which pleaseth thee is therefore always lawful." Cambyses sent the Magi away with rich gifts, gave Oropastes full powers as regent of the kingdom in his absence, and soon after told his horrified mother that, as soon as the conquest of Egypt and the punishment of the son of Amasis should have been achieved, he intended to marry his sister Atossa.
Cambyses was standing before her, and behind, hardly visible in the dim light, Nebenchari, the Egyptian oculist. As Nitetis entered, Cambyses came towards her and led her to his mother. The daughter of Amasis fell on her knees before this venerable woman, and kissed her hand with real affection.
"Greek was not easy to learn, but I am very glad now that I did not give it up in despair, and really paid attention to Croesus' lessons." Who could those men have been," asked Darius, "who dared to speak evil of women?" "A couple of Greek poets," answered Amasis, "the boldest of men, for I confess I would rather provoke a lioness than a woman. But these Greeks do not know what fear is.
The friendship already shown by Amasis, and the fear in which he evidently stood of the Persian power, were the thoughts which had power to calm Croesus, who soon left, in order to pass the night at the house of Theopompus, the Milesian merchant.
"I confided my pair of cats to the care of one of the Egyptian servants at the palace, feeling sure that these enemies of the rats would keep my dwelling clear for the future; indeed I began to feel a certain veneration for my deliverers from the plague of mice. "Last year Amasis fell ill before the court could adjourn to Memphis, and we remained at Sais.
"Amasis, the King of Egypt, has dared to make sport of you, the lord of the world. That gentle girl was not his daughter, though she herself believed that she was; she . . ." "Impossible!" "It would seem so, and yet I am speaking the simple truth. Amasis spun a web of lies, in which he managed to entrap, not only the whole world, but you too, my Sovereign.
Amasis listened attentively, drawing figures the while in the sand with the golden flower on his staff. At last he spoke: "Verily, Croesus, I the great god, the 'sun of righteousness, 'the son of Neith, 'the lord of warlike glory, as the Egyptians call me, am tempted to envy thee, dethroned and plundered as thou art. I have been as happy as thou art now.
Rhodopis herself was engaged in a lively conversation with two Samian Greeks: the celebrated worker in metals, sculptor and goldsmith Theodorus, and the Iambic poet Ibykus of Rhegium, who had left the court of Polykrates for a time in order to become acquainted with Egypt, and were bearers of presents to Amasis from their ruler.
His face was dark and stern as he broke the silence with the following words: "This noble Greek, who, I am inclined to believe, is my friend, has brought me strange tidings. He says that I have been basely deceived by Amasis, that my deceased wife was not his, but his predecessor's daughter." A murmur of astonishment ran through the assembly. "This old man is here to prove the imposture."
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