When Nitetis left the hall, Otanes, the father of Phaedime had called
out: "The Egyptian women seem to take great interest in the love-affairs
of their brothers-in-law. The Persian women are not so generous with
their feelings; they keep them for their husbands."

Cambyses was too proud to let it be seen that he had heard these words;
like the ostrich, he feigned deafness and blindness in order not to seem
aware of the looks and murmurs of his guests, which all went to prove
that he had been deceived.

Bartja could have had no share in her perfidy; she had loved this
handsome youth, and perhaps all the more because she had not been able to
hope for a return of her love. If he had had the slightest suspicion of
his brother, he would have killed him on the spot. Bartja was certainly
innocent of any share in the deception and in his brother's misery, but
still he was the cause of all; so the old grudge, which had only just
been allowed to slumber, woke again; and, as a relapse is always more
dangerous than the original illness, the newly-roused anger was more
violent than what he had formerly felt.

He thought and thought, but he could not devise a fitting punishment for
this false woman. Her death would not content his vengeance, she must
suffer something worse than mere death!

Should he send her back to Egypt, disgraced and shamed? Oh, no! she
loved her country, and she would be received by her parents with open
arms. Should he, after she had confessed her guilt, (for he was
determined to force a confession from her) shut her up in a solitary
dungeon? or should he deliver her over to Boges, to be the servant of
his concubines? Yes! now he had hit upon the right punishment. Thus the