Veranilda

The grey-headed porter silently admitted him, and he passed by a narrow corridor into a hall lighted as usual from above, paved with red tiles, here and there trodden

s voice bade her cousin come forward. He entered a smaller room opening upon a diminutive court where a few shrubs grew; around the wall

ransact my business with him. It is Venustus, a curial, a man who has always been well disposed to me. He said that he must perforce make known to the governor my inten

itted hi

; I know not on what business. It would have been wiser,' he added, 'to

matter though we reach Surrentu

en to the messenger

e, that we were prep

ge was brought out; then, as Basil stood in the hall, he saw Aurelia come forward, accompanied by a slight female figure, whose grace could not be disguised by the long hooded cloak which wrapped it from head to foot, allowing not a glimpse of face. The young man trembled, and followed. He saw the ladies step into the carriage, and was himself about t

shed to quit Cumae, where she had lived for some years; she purposed, moreover, to take away with her a maiden of Gothic race, who, though not treated as a captive, had been under observation since she was sent to dwell here by Belisarius. This could not pass as a matter of small moment. Plainly, permission to depart must be sought

this sum of money. He foresaw endless delay, infinite peril to his hopes. Schooli

elf,' said the Hun, '

rything for immediate liberty; all together she thought it might be the equivalent of half the sum demanded. The rest she would swear to pay. This being reported to Chorsoman, his hideous, ashen-grey countenance assumed a fierce expressi

d two days ago a courier to Rome apprising the noble commandant Bessas of her father's death, and of her intention to ar

oman

the widow of a G

longer a heretic,' answered Basil

an desired immediate audience, therewith handing to the governor a piece of metal which looked like a large coin. Chorsoman had no sooner glanced at this than he bade admit the

is heart leaping in joy. 'Does your Greatness

next moment, 'and the vessels'; then snarling

beside the carriage he briefly narrated all in a whisper to Aurelia-all except his own ingenious device for balking the Hun's cupidity. What means Marcian had employed for their release he could bu

man, who it was easy to see had been stabbed to death, and perhaps not more than an hour ago. Quarrel or robbery, who could say? An incident not so uncommon as great

he citadel rage burned his throat, and Aurelia, all bitterness at the loss of her treasure, found words to increase this wrath. A Hun! A Scythian savage! A descendant perchance of the fearful Attila! He to represent the Roman Empire! Fit instrum

g her with a glance beware of the nearest boatma

and look on, and play the cour

od in an age when the nobles of Rome were held to inglorious peace, their sole career that of

eat orb of the moon. They were in the harbour at last, but had to wait on board until a messenger could go to the village and a conveyance arrive. The litter came, with a horse for Basil; Felix, t

is kinsman in the vestibule. 'Decius! we are here-and one with us whom

d not once had he looked u

Faltonia Proba, whose pious muse inspired her to utter the Gospel in a Virgilian canto. And at Aurelia's side, bending over a piece of delicate needlework, sat the Gothic maiden, clad in white, her flaxen hair, loosely held with silk, falling behind her shoulders, shadowing her forehead, and half hiding the little ears. A

e has been so little opportunity of free conversation, that we have almost, one might say, to make each o

table answer as his

haps this afternoon you could persuade him to forget his books for half an hour? But let us speak, to begin w

d all but forgotten the duty that lay before him. He answered that a week at least must pass before the sailing, and, as

ome?' was Aurelia's next question, to

rchance I shall not even enter the city. At Portus, I may

ht of his remains being transported under the guardianship of Basil; none the less

Veranilda, 'O, the pleasure of these large spaces, this free air, after the straight house at Cumae! Do you not breathe mor

fountain had crumbled into ruin. A high wall formerly enclosed it, but, in a shock of earthquake some years ago, part of this had fallen, leaving a gap which framed a lovely

he ruin, wandered away. When she was distant not many paces, Basil

ched your hand

ved it-I

nilda's cheeks flu

ly, were it b

wer. Basil seated h

y soul longs for you-say only that you

moisture as for an instant

who I am?'

u are beauty and sweet

ment Aurelia turned towards them,

d Aurelia, with her tenderest smile. '

ely moved from Veranilda's face, could not bring himself to address her in common words, and dreaded that she would soon vanish. So indeed it befell. With

ll impatience. 'I must follow her-I cannot

sin che

you, Basil. Come whe

and Aurelia, taking up the needlework left by Ver

She was then but thirteen. In all that it beseems a woman to know, she is no less skilled. Yonder lies her cithern; she learnt to touch it, I scarce know how, out of mere desire to soothe my melancholy, and I suspect-though she will not avow it-that the music she plays is oft

relia?' cried the listener,

ur prudence, is that a

t long and wel

garded him

in the garden just

me if I knew her origin,

hat I should tell

hery at the beginning of the great war delivered Rhegium into the hands of the Greeks. Her mother, Theodenantha, a woman of noble spirit, scorned the unworthy Goth, and besought the conqueror to let her remain in Italy, even as a slave, rather than share with such a husband the honours of the

eranilda into my house. As the years went by, she was all but forgotten; there came a new governor-this thievish Hun-who paid no heed to us. I looked forward to a day when we might quit Cumae and live in freedom where we would.

heard hi

eranilda's only brother, was winning glory in the war with the Persians. For many days I lived in fear lest my pearl should be torn from me. Olybrius it was, no doubt, who bade the Hun keep watch upon us, and it can only have

know him. He is the staunchest and frankest of friends.

d us to go; why, you cannot guess. What if he have

hic maiden, Chorsoman would never have dared to sell her freedom. As to Marcian's power, that was derived from the authorities at Rome

ather's treachery is Veranilda's shame; she saw her noble mother die for it, and it has made her mourning keener than a common sorrow. I think she would never hav

'Or let me go to her. She shall not suffer that

He should see Veranilda ere long. But

en that she is no

ess?' exclaimed Basil. 'Does she

fe who believes not is sanctified by the husband." None the less, Veranilda is under the menace of the Roman law; and you, if it be known that yo

l at once, with a wild gestur

what if the Emperor of the East is of as little acc

stern gladness as she stood before him, and took h

who would make Rome free. Be one in relig

s eyes and drew

ich men much wiser than I declare to pass all human understanding. Ask Decius if he can defend the faith of Athanasius against that of the Arians; he wil

ived spiritual comfort from an Arian priest, who came to that city in disguise. What her religion truly was she could not have declared, for the memories of early life were sometimes as strong in her as rancour against the faith

the warring Goths: Totila's victories had now once more extended religious tolerance over a great part of the country; the Arian priesthood re-entered their churches; and even in Rome the Greek garrison grew careless of the reviving heresy. Of these things did Decius speak, when the distressed lover sought his counsel. No one more liberal than Decius; but he bore a name which he could not forget, and in his eyes the Goth was a barbarian, the Gothic woman hardly above the level of a slave. That Basil should take a Gothic wife, even one born of a royal line, seemed to him an indignity. Withheld b

' he murmured.

Decius, he was a man of the sixth century after Christ; his mind conceived an ideal of human excellence which would have been unintelligible to the Decii of old; in his heart meekness

im seemed at once gratitude and promise; she was calmer, and less timid. Though she took little part in the conversation, her words fell very sweetly after the men's speech and the self-confident tones of Aurelia; her language was that of an Italian lady, but in the accent could be marked a slight foreignness, which to Basil's ear had the charm of rarest music, and ev