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For whom were these tears? for the play-fellow of her youth, or for the handsome, beloved prince? Amasis embraced his wife and daughter in the eyes of all his people; and held up his little grandson, Prince Necho, to their gaze, the sight eliciting cries of joy on all sides. But Psamtik, the child's own father, stood by the while, tearless and motionless.
"And thus I received my dismissal, after having taken a solemn oath to leave Memphis that very day, and Egypt, at latest, in three weeks. "At the palace-gate I met Psamtik, the crown-prince. I was going to offer him my parting salutation, but he turned his back upon me, saying: Once more you have escaped punishment, Athenian; but you cannot elude my vengeance.
The old man received the prince with much affection, and asked: "What brings my illustrious son to the poor servant of the Deity?" "I have much to report to thee, my father;" answered Psamtik with a triumphant smile, "for I come in this moment from Amasis." "Then he has at length granted thee an audience?" "At length!"
Psamtik listened as if turned into stone; his father continued; "Thy mother died in giving birth to thee; fiery-red hair, the mark of the sons of Typhon, grew around thy brow; thou becam'st a gloomy man. Misfortune pursued thee and robbed thee of a beloved wife and four of thy children.
"And the prince Psamtik?" "On my appealing to him by his father's munificence, he turned his back on me, and answered with a bitter laugh: 'Collect money for the destruction of your temple, and I am ready to double my father's donation!" "The wretch!" "Say rather: the true Egyptian! to Psamtik everything foreign is an abomination." "How much have the Greeks in Naukratis contributed?"
Psamtik had seated himself under the shadow of the sacred grove of silver poplars bordering the shores of the consecrated lake, holy to the great Neith.
"You have been driven out of Egypt, persecuted and insulted by Psamtik, and you have come to Persia to enlist Cambyses as an instrument of revenge against my country." "You are mistaken. I have nothing against your country, but all the more against Amasis and his house. In Egypt the state and the king are one, as you very well know."
I confess I should like to know, whether Psamtik bears his fate as calmly and bravely as you did twenty-five years ago." "That we can easily discover, by putting him on trial," said Phanes. "Let him be brought into the palace-court to-morrow, and let the captives and the condemned be led past him. Then we shall see whether he is a man or a coward." "Be it so," answered Cambyses.
Paula had sunk speechless on to a seat, and he stood staring in silence, till a burst of laughter broke from the assembly and old Psamtik, the captain of the guard, who had long been a member of the council of justice, exclaimed: "By my soul, a splendid stone! There is the heathen god Eros with his winged sweetheart Psyche smiling in his face.
I abide by what I have said." "Then tremble, not alone before Phanes, but before another before one who holds thee in his power, and who himself is in ours." "Thou thinkest to alarm me; thou wouldst rend the bond formed only yesterday? Psamtik, Psamtik, I counsel thee to remember, that thou standest before thy father and thy king." "And thou, forget not that I am thy son!
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