heardhisansweralso。
“Letherbebroughthither，“hesaid。“Fortherest，bidthecaptainsholdStauraciusandtheothersfast。Ifthereisanysignofstiragainstus，cuttheirthroats，advisingthemthatthiswillbedoneshouldtheyallowtroubletoarise。DonotfirethepalaceunlessI
givetheword，foritwouldbeapitytoburnsofineabuilding。Itisthosewhodwellinitwhoshouldbeburned；butdoubtlessConstantinewillseetothat。Collecttherichestofthebooty，thatwhichismostportable，andletitbecarriedtoourquartersinthebaggagecarts。Seethatthesethingsaredonequickly，beforetheArmeniansgettheirhandsintothebag。I’llbewithyousoon；butiftheEmperorConstantineshouldarrivefirst，tellhimthatallhasgonewell，betterthanhehoped，indeed，andprayhimtocomehither，wherewemaytakecounsel。“
Themessengerwent。JoddandsomeoftheNorthmenbegantoconsulttogether，andMartinaledmeaside。
“Tellmewhathaschanced，Martina，“Iasked，“forIambewildered。“
“Arevolution，thatisall，Olaf。JoddandtheNorthmenarethepointofthespear，itshandleisConstantine，andthehandsthatholditaretheArmenians。Ithasbeenverywelldone。Someoftheguardswhoremainedwerebribed，othersfrightenedaway。Onlyafewfought，andofthemtheNorthmenmadeshortwork。Ireneandherministerswerefooled。Theythoughttheblowwouldnotfallforaweekormore，ifatall，sincetheEmpressbelievedthatshehadappeasedConstantinebyherpromises。I’lltellyoumorelater。“
“Howdidyoufindme，Martina，andintime？“
“Oh！Olaf，itisaterriblestory。AlmostIswoonagaintothinkofit。Itwasthus:IrenediscoveredthatIhadvisitedyouinyourcell；
shegrewsuspiciousofme。ThismorningIwasseizedandorderedtosurrenderthesignet；butfirstIhadheardthattheyplannedyourdeathto-day，notasentenceofbanishmentandmurderafaroff，asI
toldyou。MylastactbeforeIwastakenwastodispatchatrustedmessengertoJoddandtheNorthmen，tellingthemthatiftheywouldsaveyoualivetheymuststrikeatonce，andnotto-night，ashadbeenarranged。Withinthirtysecondsafterhehadleftmysidetheeunuchshadmeandtookmetomychamber，wheretheybarredmein。AwhilelatertheAugustacameraginglikealioness。Sheaccusedmeoftreachery，andwhenIdenieditstruckmeintheface。Look，herearethemarksofthejewelsonherhands。Oh，alas！whatsaidI？Youcannotsee。ShehadlearnedthattheladyHeliodorehadescapedher，andthatIhadsomehandinherescape。ShevowedthatI，yourgod-
mother，wasyourlover，andasthisisacrimeagainsttheChurch，promisedmethatafterothersufferingsIshouldbeburnedaliveintheHippodromebeforeallthepeople。Lastlyshesaidthis，’KnowthatyourOlafofwhomyouaresofonddieswithinanhourandthus:HewillbetakentotheHallofthePitandtheregivenleavetowalktillthejudgescome。Beingblind，youmayguesswherehewillwalk。
BeforethisdoorisunlockedagainItellyouhe’llbebutaheapofsplinteredbones。Aye，youmaystartandweep；butsaveyourtearsforyourself，’andshecalledmeafoulname。’Ihavegotyoufastatlength，younight-prowlingcat，andGodHimselfcannotgiveyoustrengthtostretchoutyourhandandguidethisaccursedOlaffromtheedgeofthePitofDeath。’
“’GodaloneknowswhatHecando，Augusta，’Ianswered，forthewordsseemedtobeputintomylips。
“Thenshecursedandstruckmeagain，andsoleftmebarredinmychamber。
“WhenshehadgoneIflungmyselfuponmykneesandprayedtoGodtosaveyou，Olaf，sinceIwashelpless；prayedasIhadneverprayedbefore。Prayingthus，IthinkthatIfellintoaswoon，formyagonywasmorethanIcouldbear，andintheswoonIdreamed。IdreamedthatIstoodinthisplace，wheretillnowIhaveneverbeenbefore。Isawthejudges，thejailers，andafewotherswatchingfromthatgallery。
Isawyouwalkalongthehalltowardsthegreatopenpit。ThenI
seemedtoglidetoyouandtakeyourhandandguideyouroundthepit。
And，Olaf，thishappenedthrice。AfterwardscameatumultwhileyouwereontheveryedgeofthepitandIheldyou，notsufferingyoutostir。TheninrushedtheNorthmenandIwiththem。Yes，standingtherewithyouupontheedgeofthepit，IsawmyselfandtheNorthmenrushintothehall。“
“Martina，“Iwhispered，“ahandthatseemedtobeawoman’sdidguidemethriceroundtheedgeofthepit，anddidholdmealmostuntilyouandtheNorthmenrushedin。“
“Oh！Godisgreat！“shegasped。“Godisverygreat，andtoHimIgivethanks。Buthearkentotheendofthetale。Iawokefrommyswoonandheardnoisewithout，andaboveittheNorthmen’scryofvictory。Theyhadscaledthepalacewallsorbrokeninthegates——asyetIknownotwhich——theywereontheterracedrivingtheGreekguardsbeforethem。
Irantothewindow-placeandtherebelowmesawJodd。Iscreamedtillheheardme。
“’SavemeifyouwouldsaveOlaf，’Icried。’Iamprisonedhere。’
“Theybroughtoneoftheirscalingladdersanddrewmethroughthewindow。ItoldthemallIknew。Theycaughtapalaceeunuchandbeathimtillhepromisedtoleadustothishall。Heled，butinthelabyrinthofpassagesfelldownsenseless，fortheyhadstruckhimtoohard。Weknewnotwhichwaytoturn，tillsuddenlyweheardyourvoiceandrantowardsit。
“Thatisallthestory，Olaf。“
AsMartinafinishedspeakingIheardthesoundoftrampingguardsandofawoman’sdressuponthepavement。Thenavoice，thatofIrene，spoke，andthoughherwordswerequietIcaughtinthemthetrembleofsmotheredrage。
“Bepleasedtotellme，CaptainJodd，“shesaid，“whatishappeninginmypalace，andwhyI，theEmpress，amhaledfrommyapartmenthitherbysoldiersunderyourcommand？“
“Lady，“answeredJodd，“youaremistaken。Yesterdayyouwereanempress，to-dayyouare——well，whateveryourson，theEmperor，choosestonameyou。Astowhathasbeenandishappeninginthispalace，I
scarcelyknowwheretobeginthetale。FirstofallyourgeneralandchamberlainOlaf——incaseyoushouldnotrecognisehim，Imeanthatblindmanwhostandsyonder——wasbeingtrickedtodeathbycertainservantsofyourswhocalledthemselvesjudges，andwhostatedthattheywereactingbyyourorders。“
“Confrontmewiththem，“saidIrene，“thatImayprovetoyouthattheylie。“
“Certainly。Ho！you，bringtheladyIrenehere。Nowholdheroverthathole。Nay，strugglenot，lady，lestyoushouldslipfromtheirhands。
Lookdownsteadily，andyouwillseebythelightthatflowsinfromthecavebeneath，certainheapslyingontherocksroundwhichtherisingwatersseethe。Thereareyourjudgeswhomyousayyouwishtomeet。Ifyoudesiretoaskthemanyquestions，wecansatisfyyourwill。Nay，whyshouldyouturnpaleatthemeresightoftheplacethatyouthoughtgoodenoughtobethebedofafaithfulsoldierofyourown，onehighinyourservice，whomithaspleasedyoutoblind？
Whydiditpleaseyoutoblindhim，Lady？“
“Whoareyouthatdaretoaskmequestions？“shereplied，gatheringuphercourage。
“I’lltellyou，Lady。NowthattheGeneralOlafyonderisblindedIamtheofficerincommandoftheNorthmen，who，untilyoutriedtomurderthesaidGeneralOlafawhileago，wereyourfaithfulguard。Iamalso，asitchances，theofficerincommandofthispalace，whichwetookthismorningbyassaultandbyarrangementwithmostofyourGreeksoldiers，havinglearnedfromyourconfidentiallady，Martina，oftheviledeedyouwereabouttoworkontheGeneralOlaf。“
“Soitwasyouwhobetrayedme，Martina，“gaspedIrene；“andIhadyouinmypower。Oh！Ihadyouinmypower！“
“Ididnotbetrayyou，Augusta。Isavedmygod-sonyonderfromtortureandbutchery，asbymyoathIwasboundtodo，“answeredMartina。
“Havedonewiththistalkofbetrayals，“wentonJodd，“forwhocanbetrayadevil？Now，Lady，withyourStatequarrelswehavenothingtodo。Youcansettlethempresentlywithyourson，thatis，ifyoustilllive。ButwiththismatterofOlafwehavemuchtodo，andwewillsettlethatatonce。Thefirstpartofthebusinessweallknow，soletusgettothenext。Bywhoseorderwereyoublinded，GeneralOlaf？“
“BythatoftheAugusta，“Ianswered。
“Forwhatreason，GeneralOlaf？“
“ForonethatIwillnotstate，“Ianswered。
“Good。YouwereblindedbytheAugustaforareasonyouwillnotstate，butwhichiswellknowntoallofus。Now，wehavealawintheNorthwhichsaysthataneyeshouldbegivenforaneyeandalifeforalife。Woulditnotthenberight，comrades，thatthiswomanshouldbeblindedalso？“
“What！“screamedIrene，“blinded！Iblinded！I，theEmpress！“
“Tellme，Lady，aretheeyesofonewhowasanEmpressdifferentfromothereyes？Whyshouldyoucomplainofthatdarknessintowhichyouweresoreadytoplungeonebetterthanyourself。Still，Olafshalljudge。Isityourwill，General，thatweblindthiswomanwhoputoutyoureyesandafterwardstriedtomurderyou？“
Now，IfeltthatallinthatplacewerewatchingmeandhangingonthewordsthatIshouldspeak，sointentlythattheyneverheardothersenteringit，asIdid。ForawhileIpaused，forwhyshouldnotIrenesufferalittleofthatagonyofsuspensewhichshehadinflicteduponmeandothers？
ThenIsaid，“SeewhatIhavelost，friends，throughnogravefaultofmyown。Iwasinthewayofgreatness。Iwasasoldierwhomyoutrustedandlikedwell，oneofunstainedhonourandofunstainedname。
AlsoIlovedawoman，bywhomIwasbelovedandwhomIhopedtomakemywife。AndnowwhatamI？Mytradeisgone，forhowcanamaimedmanleadinwar，orevendothemeanestserviceofthecamp？Therestofmydays，shouldanybegrantedtome，mustbespentindarknessblackerthanthatofmidnight。Imustliveoncharity。WhenthelittlestoreIhaveisspent，forIhavetakennobribeandheapedupnoriches，howcanIearnaliving？ThewomanwhomIlovehasbeencarriedaway，afterthisEmpresstriedthricetomurderher。WhetherI
shalleverfindheragaininthisworldIknownot，forshehasgonetoafarcountrythatisfullofenemiestoChristianmen。NordoI
