THE ADVENTURES OF DEMOCEDES. 113

not consent. A sprain or other harm might come to
him again. What would he then do without Demo-
cedes? He could not let him go.

As asking had proved useless, the wily Greek next
tried artifice. Atossa, the favorite wife of the king,
had a tumor to form on her breast. She said noth-
ing of it for a time, but at length it grew so bad that
she was forced to speak to the surgeon. He exam-
ined the tumor, and told her he could cure it, and
would do so if she would solemnly swear to do in
return whatever he might ask. As she agreed to
this, he cured the tumor, and then told her that the
reward he wished was liberty to return to Greece.
But he told Atossa that the king would not grant
that favor even to her, and that it could only be had
by stratagem. He advised her how she should act.

When next in conversation with the king, Atossa
told him‘that the Persians expected him to do some-
thing for the glory and power of the empire. He
must add to it by conquest.

“So I propose,” he replicd. “I have in view an
expedition against the Scythians of the north.”

“ Better lead one against the Greeks of the west,”
she replied. “I have heard much about the beauty
of the maidens of Sparta, Athens, Argos, and Corinth,
and I want to have some of these fair barbarians to
serve me as slaves. And if you wish to know more
about these Greek people, you have near you the best
person possible to give you information,—the Greek
who cured your foot.”

The suggestion seemed to Darius one worth consid-
ering. He would certainly like to know more about

h : 10*