“WhatsortofjudgmentisthisthatthejudgesbringalreadywrittendownintotheCourt？Hearkenyou，lawyer，andyoustreet-curs，hiscompanions，whocallyourselvessoldiers。IfOlafRed-Sworddies，thosehostageswhomweholddiealso。Ifheistortured，thosehostageswillbetorturedalso。Moreover，erelongwewillsackthisfineplace，andwhathasbefallenOlafshallbefallyoualso，youfalsejudges，neitherlessnormore。Rememberit，allyouwhoshallhavechargeofOlafinhisbonds，and，ifshebewithinhearing，lettheAugustaIrenerememberitalso，lestanothertimethereshouldbenoOlaftosaveherlife。“
NowIcouldseethatthejudgeswereterrified。Hastily，withwhitefaces，theyconsultedtogetherastowhethertheyshouldorderJoddtobeseized。PresentlyIheardthepresidentsaytohiscompanions:
“Nay，bestlethimgo。Ifheistouched，ourhostageswilldie。
Moreover，doubtlessConstantineandtheArmeniansareatthebackofhim，orhewouldnotdaretospeakthus。Wouldthatwewereclearofthisbusinesswhichhasbeenthrustuponus。“
Thenhecalledaloud，“Lettheprisonerberemoved。“
DownthelongCourtIwasmarched，onlynowguards，whohadbeencalledin，wentinfrontofandbehindme，andwiththemthefourexecutionersbywhomIwassurrounded。
“Farewell，god-mother，“IwhisperedtoMartinaasIpassed。
“Nay，notfarewell，“shewhisperedback，lookingupatmewitheyesthatwerefulloftears，thoughwhatshemeantIdidnotknow。
AttheendoftheCourt，wherethosewhodaredtosympathisewithmeopenlyweregathered，roughvoicescalledblessingsonmeandroughhandspattedmeontheshoulder。TooneofthesemenwhosevoiceI
recognisedinthegloomIturnedtospeakaword。Thereontheblackexecutionerwhowasbetweenus，hewhomIhaddismissedfromthejailforcruelty，struckmeonthemouthwiththebackofhishand。NextinstantIheardasoundthatremindedmeofthegrowlthewhitebeargavewhenitgrippedSteinar。Twoarmsshotoutandcaughtthatblacksavagebythehead。Therewasanoiseasofsomethingbreaking，anddownwenttheman——acorpse。
Thentheyhurriedmeaway，fornowitwasnotonlythejudgeswhowereafraid。
Itcomestomethatforsomedays，threeorfour，Isatinmycellatthepalace，forhereIwaskeptbecause，asIlearnedafterwards，itwasfearedthatifIwereremovedtothatStateprisonofwhichIhadbeengovernor，someattemptwouldbemadetorescueme。
Thiscellwasoneofseveralsituatedbeneaththatbroadterracewhichlookedoutontothesea，whereIrenehadfirstquestionedmeastotheshellnecklaceand，againstmyprayer，hadsetituponherownbreast。Ithadalittlebarredwindow，outofwhichIcouldwatchthesea，andthroughthiswindowcamethesoundofsentriestrampingoverheadandofthevoiceoftheofficerwho，atstatedhours，arrivedtoturnouttheguard，asforsomeyearsithadbeenmydutytodo。
Iwonderedwhothatofficermightbe，andwonderedalsohowmanyofsuchmensinceByzantiumbecamethecapitaloftheEmpirehadfilledhisofficeandmine，andwhathadbecomeofthemall。AsIknew，ifthatterracehadbeenabletospeak，itcouldhavetoldmanybloodyhistories，whereofdoubtlessminewouldbeanother。Doubtless，too，thereweremoretofollowuntiltheendcame，whateverthatmightbe。
InthatstraitplaceIreflectedonmanythings。Allmyyouthcamebacktome。ImarvelledwhathadhappenedatAarsinceIleftitsuchlongyearsago。Onceortwicerumourshadreachedmefrommeninmycompany，whowereDanish-born，thatIdunawasagreatladythereandstillunmarried。ButofFreydisaIhadheardnothing。Probablyshewasdead，and，ifso，Ifeltsurethatherfierceandfaithfulspiritmustbenearmenow，asthatofRagnarhadseemedtobeintheBattleoftheGarden。
HowstrangeitwasthatafterallmyvisionhadbeenfulfilledandithadbeenmylottomeetherofwhomIhaddreamed，wearingthatnecklaceofwhichIhadfoundone-halfupontheWandererinhisgrave-
mound。WereIandtheWandererthesamespirit，Iaskedofmyself，andsheofthedreamandHeliodorethesamewoman？
Whocouldtell？Atleastthiswassure，fromthemomentthatfirstwesawoneanotherweknewwebelongedeachtoeachforthepresentandthefuture。Therefore，asitwaswiththesewehadtodo，thepastmightsleepandallitssecrets。
Nowwehadmetbuttobepartedagainbydeath，whichseemedhardindeed。Yetsincewe/had/met，formypartFatehadmyforgivenessforIknewthatweshouldmeetagain。IlookedbackonwhatIhaddoneandleftundone，andcouldnotblamemyselfovermuch。True，itwouldhavebeenwiserifIhadstayedbyIreneandHeliodore，andnotledthatchargeagainsttheGreeks。Onlythen，asasoldier，Ishouldneverhaveforgivenmyself，forhowcouldIstandstillwhilemycomradesfoughtforme？No，no，IwasgladIhadledthechargeandleditwell，thoughmylifemustpayitsprice。Norwasthisso。I
mustdie，notbecauseIhadliftedswordagainstIrene’stroops，butforthesinoflovingHeliodore。
Afterall，whatwaslifeasweknewit？Apassingbreath！Well，asthebodybreathesmanymilliontimesbetweenthecradleandthegrave，soIbelievedthesoulmustbreatheoutitscountlesslives，eachendinginaformofdeath。Andbeyondthese，what？Ididnotknow，yetmynew-foundfaithgavememuchcomfort。
InsuchmeditationsandinsleepIpassedmyhours，waitingalwaysuntilthedoorofmycellshouldopenandthroughitappear，notthejailerwithmyfood，whichInotedwasplentifulanddelicate，buttheexecutionersormayhapthetormentors。
Atlengthitdidopen，somewhatlateatnight，justasIwasabouttolaymyselfdowntorest，andthroughitcameaveiledwoman。Ibowedandmotionedtomyvisitortobeseatedonthestoolthatwasinthecell，thenwaitedinsilence。Presentlyshethrewoffherveil，andinthelightofthelampshowedthatIstoodbeforetheEmpressIrene。
“Olaf，“shesaidhoarsely，“Iamcomeheretosaveyoufromyourself，ifitmaybeso。IwashiddeninyonderCourt，andheardallthatpassedatyourtrial。“
“Iguessedasmuch，Augusta，“Isaid，“butwhatofit？“
“Foronething，this:Thecowardandfool，whonowisdead——ofhiswounds——whogaveevidenceastothekillingofthethreeothercowardsbyyou，hascausedmynametobecomeamockthroughoutConstantinople。
Aye，thevilestmakesongsuponmeinthestreets，suchsongsasI
cannotrepeat。“
“Iamgrieved，Augusta，“Isaid。
“ItisIwhoshouldgrieve，notyou，whoaretoldofasamanwhogrewwearyoftheloveofanEmpress，andcastheroffasthoughshewereatavernwench。Thatisthefirstmatter。ThesecondisthatunderthefindingoftheCourtofJustice——“
“Oh！Augusta，“Iinterrupted，“whystainyourlipswiththosewords’ofjustice’！“
“——UnderthefindingoftheCourt，“shewenton，“yourfateisleftinmyhands。Imaykillyouortormentyourbody。OrImayspareyouandraiseyourheadhigherthananyotherintheEmpire，aye，andadornitwithacrown。“
“Doubtlessyoumaydoanyofthesethings，Augusta，butwhichofthemdoyouwishtodo？“
“Olaf，notwithstandingallthathasgone，Iwouldstilldothelast。I
speaktoyounomoreofloveortenderness，nordoIpretendthatthisisforyoursakealone。Itisforminealso。Mynameissmirched，andonlymarriagecancoverupthestainuponit。Moreover，Iambesetbytroublesandbydangers。ThoseaccursedNorthmen，wholoveyousowellandwhofight，notlikemenbutlikedevils，areinleaguewiththeArmenianlegionsandwithConstantine。Mygeneralsandmytroopsfallawayfromme。Ifitwereassailed，IamnotsurethatIcouldholdthispalace，strongthoughitbe。There’sbutonemanwhocanmakemesafeagain，andthatmanisyourself。TheNorthmenwilldoyourbidding，andwithyouincommandofthemIfearnoattack。Youhavethehonesty，thewitandthesoldier’sskillandcourage。Youmustcommand，ornone。OnlythistimeitmustnotbeasIrene’slover，forthatiswhattheynameyou，butasherhusband。Apriestiswaitingwithincall，andoneofhighdegree。Withinanhour，Olaf，youmaybemyconsort，andwithinayeartheEmperoroftheWorld。Oh！“shewentonwithpassion，“cannotyouforgivewhatseemtobemysinswhenyourememberthattheywerewroughtforloveofyou？“
“Augusta，“Isaid，“Ihavesmallambition；Iamnotmindedtobeanemperor。Buthearken。Putasidethisthoughtofmarriagewithonesofarbeneathyou，andletmemarryherwhomIhavechosen，andwhohaschosenme。ThenoncemoreI’lltakecommandoftheNorthmenanddefendyouandyourcausetothelastdropofmyblood。“
Herfacehardened。
“Itmaynotbe，“shesaid，“notonlyforthosereasonsIhavetoldyou，butforanotherwhichIgrievetohavetotell。Heliodore，daughterofMagastheEgyptian，isdead。’
“Dead！“Igasped。“Dead！“
“Aye，Olaf，dead。Youdidnotsee，andshe，beingabravewoman，hiditfromyou，butoneofthosespearsthatwereflunginthefightstruckherintheside。Forawhilethewoundwentwell。Buttwodaysagoitmortified；lastnightshediedandthismorningImyselfsawherburiedwithhonour。“
“Howdidyouseeherburied，youwhoarenotwelcomeamongtheNorthmen？“Iasked。
“Bymyorder，asherbloodwashigh，shewaslaidinthepalacegraveyard，Olaf。“
“Didsheleavemenowordortoken，Augusta？ShesworetomethatifshediedshewouldsendtometheotherhalfofthatnecklacewhichI
wear。“
“Ihaveheardofnone，“saidIrene，“butyouwillknow，Olaf，thatI
