He had come to conduct Nitetis to Kassandane's apartments, where Cambyses was waiting for her.
The eunuch affected an abject humility, and poured forth a stream of flattering words, in which he likened the princess to the sun, the starry heavens, a pure fount of happiness, and a garden of roses.
Nitetis deigned him not a word in reply, but followed, with a beating heart, to the queen's apartment.
In order to keep out the noonday sun and produce a salutary half-light for the blind queen's eyes, her windows were shaded by curtains of green Indian silk.

The floor was covered with a thick Babylonian carpet, soft as moss under the foot.

The walls were faced with a mosaic of ivory, tortoise-shell, gold, silver, malachite, lapis-lazuli, ebony and amber.
The seats and couches were of gold covered with lions' skins, and a table of silver stood by the side of the blind queen.

Kassandane was seated in a costly arm-chair.

She wore a robe of violet-blue, embroidered with silver, and over her snow-white hair lay a long veil of delicate lace, woven in Egypt, the ends of which were wound round her neck and tied in a large bow beneath her chin.