“Thengiveitme，“saidHeliodorefaintly。“Iwilldrinkatonceandhavedone。“
ThenitwasthatIcameoutfrombehindmycurtainandgropedmywaytowardsthem。
“SirPhysician，orSirEnvoyoftheCaliphHarun，“Isaid；butforthemomentwentnofurther，since，withalowcry，Heliodorecastherselfuponmybreastandstoppedmylipswithhers。
“HushtillIhavespoken，“Iwhispered，placingmyarmabouther；thencontinued。“IsworetoyoujustnowthatIwouldnotrevealmyselfunlessIheardaughtwhichwouldbringdisgraceonmyheadorname。Tostandstillbehindyondercurtainwhilemybetrothedispoisonedatyourhandswouldbringdisgraceuponmyheadandnamesoblackthatnotalltheseasofalltheworldcouldwashitaway。Say，Physician，doesyondercupholdenoughofdeathforbothofus？“
“Yes，GeneralOlaf，andifyouchoosetoshareitIthinktheCaliphwillbeglad，sincehelovesnotthekillingofbravemen。Onlyitmustbenowandwithoutmorewords。Youcantalkforalittleafterwardsbeforethesleeptakesyou。“
“Sobeit，“Isaid。“SinceImustdie，asIheardyoudecreebutnow，itisnocrimetodiethus，oratleastI’llriskitwhohaveonetoguarduponthatroad。Drink，beloved，alittlelessthanhalfsinceI
amthestronger。Thengivemethecup。“
“Husband，Ipledgeyou，“shesaid，anddrank，thrustingthecupintomyhand。
I，too，liftedittomylips。Lo！itwasempty。
“Oh！mostcruelofthieves，“Icried，“youhavestolenall。“
“Aye，“sheanswered。“ShallIseeyouswallowpoisonbeforemyeyes？I
die，butperchanceGodmaysaveyouyet。“
“Notso，Heliodore，“Icriedagain，and，turning，begantogropemywaytothewindow-place，whichIknewwasfarfromtheground，sinceI
hadnoweaponthatwouldservemyturn。
Inaninstant，asIthrustthelatticeopen，Ifelttwostrongarmscastaboutmeandheardthephysicianexclaim，“Come，Lady，helpmewiththismadman，lesthedohimselfamischief。“
Sheseizedmealso，andwestruggledtogetherallthreeofus。Thedoorsburstopen，andIwasdraggedbackintothecentreoftheroom。
“OlafRed-Sword，theblindGeneraloftheChristians，“saidthephysicianinanewvoice，onethatwasfullofmajestyandcommand，“I
whospeaktoyouamnodoctorofmedicineandnoenvoy。IamHarun-al-
Rashid，CaliphoftheFaithful。Isitnotso，myservants？“
“Itisso，Caliph，“pealedtheanswerfrommanythroats。
“Hearken，then，tothedecreeofHarun-al-Rashid。LearnbothofyouthatallwhichhaspassedbetweenuswasbutaplaythatIhaveplayedtotesttheloveandfaithfulnessofyoutwain。LadyHeliodore，beatease。Youhavedrunknothingsavewaterdistilledwithroses，andnosleepshallfallonyousavethatwhichNaturebringstohappiness。
Lady，Itellyouthat，havingseenwhatIhaveseenandheardwhatI
haveheard，ratherwouldIstandintheplaceofthatblindmanto-nightthanbeSovereignoftheEast。Truly，Iknewnotthatlovesuchasyourswastobemetwithintheworld。IsaythatwhenIsawyoudrainthecupinalastpoorstruggletodrivebackthedeaththatthreatenedthisOlafmyownheartwentoutinloveforyou。Yethavenofear，sincemyloveisofakindthatwouldnotrobyouofyourlove，butratherwouldbringittoarichandgloriousblossominthesunshineofmyfavour。Wondrousisthetaleofthewooingofyoutwainandhappyshallbeitsend。GeneralOlaf，youconqueredmeinwaranddealtwiththoseofmyservantswhofellintoyourhandsaccordingtothenoblenessofyourheart。ShallI，then，beoutdoneingenerositybyonewhomawhileagoIshouldhavenamedaChristiandog？Notso！
LetthehighpriestoftheChristians，Politian，bebroughthither。Hestandswithout，andwithhimtheladynamedMartina，whowastheEmpressIrene’swaiting-woman。“
Themessengerswentandtherefollowedasilence。Therearetimeswhentheheartistoofullforwords；atleast，HeliodoreandIfoundnothingtosaytoeachother。Weonlyclaspedeachother’shandandwaited。
Atlengththedooropened，andIheardtheeager，bustlingstepofPolitian，alsoanotherglidingstep，whichIknewforthatofMartina。
Shecametome，shekissedmeonthebrow，andwhisperedintomyear，“Soalliswellatlast，asIknewitwouldbe；andnow，Olaf——andnow，Olaf，youareabouttobemarried。Yes，atonce，and——Iwishyoujoy。“
Herwordsweresimpleenough，yettheykindledinmyheartalightbywhichitsawmanythings。
“Martina，“Isaid，“ifIhavelivedtoreachthishour，underGoditisthroughyou。Martina，theysaythateachofushasaguardianangelinheaven，andifthatbeso，minehascometoearth。YetinheavenaloneshallIlearntothankherasIought。“
ThensuddenlyMartinawassobbingonmybreast；afterwhichIrememberonlythatHeliodorehelpedmetowipeawayhertears，whileinthebackgroundIheardtheCaliphsaytohimselfinhisdeepvoice，“Wondrous！Wondrous！ByAllah！theseChristiansareastrangefolk。
Howfarwiserisourlaw，forthenhecouldhavemarriedbothofthem，andallthreewouldhavebeenhappy。TrulyhewhodecreedthatitshouldbesoknewtheheartofmanandwomanandwasaprophetsentbyGod。Nay，answermenot，friendPolitian，sinceonmattersofreligionwehaveagreedthatwewillneverargue。Doyourofficeaccordingtoyourunholyrites，andIandmyservantswillwatch，prayingthattheEvilOnemaybeabsentfromtheservice。Oh！silence，silence！HaveI
notsaidthatwewillnotargueonsubjectsofreligion？Toyourbusiness，man。“
SoPolitiandrewustogethertotheotherendofthechamber，andtherewedusasbesthemight，withMartinaforwitnessandthesolemnMoslemsforcongregation。
Whenitwasover，Haruncommandedmywifetoleadmebeforehim。
“Hereisamarriagegiftforyou，GeneralOlaf，“hesaid；“one，I
think，thatyouwillvaluemorethananyother，“andhehandedmesomethingsharpandheavy。
Ifeltit，hiltandblade，andknewitfortheWanderer’ssword，yes，myownredswordfromwhichItookmyname，thattheCommanderoftheFaithfulnowrestoredtome，andwithitmyplaceandfreedom。Itookit，and，sayingnoword，withthatsameswordgavetohimthetriplesaluteduetoasovereign。
InstantlyIheardHarun’sscimitar，thescimitarthatwasfamousthroughouttheEast，rattleasitleftitsscabbard，asdidthescimitarsofallthosewhoattendedonhim，andknewthattherewasbeingreturnedtomethesalutewhichasovereigngivestoageneralinhighcommand。ThentheCaliphspokeagain。
“Aweddinggifttoyou，LadyHeliodore，childofanancientandmightyrace，andnew-madewifeofagallantman。Forthesecondtimeto-nighttakethiscupofgold，butletthatwhichlieswithinitadornyourbreastinmemoryofHarun。Queensofoldhavewornthosejewels，butneverhavetheyhungaboveanoblerheart。“
Heliodoretookthecup，andinhertremblinghandIheardthepricelessgemsthatfilleditclinkagainstitssides。OncemoretheCaliphspoke。
“Agiftforyoualso，LadyMartina。Takethisringfrommyhandandplaceitonyourown。Itseemsasmallthing，doesitnot？Yetsomethinglieswithinitscircle。InthiscityIsawto-dayaverybeauteoushousebuiltbyoneofyourGrecianfolk，andbehinditlandsthataswifthorsecouldscarcelycircletwicewithinanhour，mostfruitfullandsfedbythewaters。Thathouseandthoselandsareyours，togetherwithruleoverallwhodwelluponthem。Thereyoumaylivecontentwithwhomeveryoumayplease，evenifhebeaChristian，freeoftaxortribute，providedonlythatneitheryounorheshallplotagainstmypower。Now，toallthreeofyoufarewell，perchanceforever，unlesssomeofusshouldmeetagaininwar。GeneralOlaf，yourshipliesintheharbour；useitwhenyouwill。IpraythatyouwillthinkkindlyofHarun-al-Rashid，ashedoesofyou，OlafRed-
Sword。Come，letusleavethesetwo。LadyMartina，Iprayyoutobemyguestthisnight。“
Sotheyallwent，leavingHeliodoreandmyselfaloneinthegreatroom，yes，aloneatlastandsafe。
Yearshadgoneby，Iknownothowmany，butonlythatmuchhadhappenedinthem。ForawhileIreneandyoungConstantinewerejointrulersoftheEmpire。Thentheyquarrelledagain，andConstantine，afraidoftreachery，fledwithhisfriendsinashipafteranattempthadbeenmadetoseizehisperson。HepurposedtojoinhislegionsinAsia，orsoitwassaid，andmakewaruponhismother。Butthosefriendsofhisupontheshipweretraitors，who，fearingIrene’svengeanceorperhapshisown，sinceshethreatenedtotellhimallthetruthconcerningthem，seizedConstantineanddeliveredhimuptoIrene。She，themotherwhoborehim，causedhimtobetakentothepurplePorphyryChamberinthepalace，thatchamberinwhich，asthefirst-bornofanemperor，hesawthelight，andthererobbedhimoflightforever。
Yes，StauraciusandhisbutchersblindedConstantineasIhadbeenblinded。Onlyitwastoldthattheydrovetheirknivesdeepersothathedied。Butotherssaythathelivedon，aprisoner，unknown，unheeded，asthoseunclesofhiswhom/he/hadblindedandwhooncewereinmychargehadlived，tillinGreecetheassassin’sdaggersfoundtheirhearts。Ifso，oh！whatafatewashis。
AfterwardsforfiveyearsIrenereignedaloneinglory，whileStauracius，mygod-father，andhisbrothereunuch，Aetius，stroveagainsteachothertobefirstMinisteroftheCrown。Aetiuswon，and，notcontentwithallhehad，plottedthathisrelativeNicetas，whoheldtheplaceofCaptainoftheGuard，whichonceIfilled，shouldbenamedsuccessortothethrone。Thenatlastthenoblesrebelled，and，electingoneoftheirnumber，Nicephorus，asemperor，seizedIreneinherprivatehouseofEleutherius，whereshelaysick，andcrownedNicephorusinSt。Sophia。NextdayhevisitedIrene，when，fearingtheworstandbrokenbyillness，sheboughtapromiseofsafetybyrevealingtohimallherhoardedtreasure。
