Veranilda

of the state, and a menace to its existence. In Italy, by the end of the fifth century, the great system of citizenship, with its principle of infinite devotion to the good of

tendency of the times, as when he forbade the freedmen, serfs, and slaves on any estate to plead against their lord, and so delivered the mass of the rural inhabitants of Italy to private jurisdiction. The Gothic war of course hastened the downfall of political and social order. The manners of the nobles grew violent in law

town of Nuceria, and of a considerable tract of country, with a villa converted into a stronghold up on the mountain side. Having suffered wrongs at the hands of the Imperial conquerors-property of his in Rome had been seized-he heard with satisfaction of the rise of Totila, and, as soon as the king's progress southward justified such a step, entered into friendly com

hy not? My own villa in Picenum might be strengthened with wall

to happen soon. His means were represented chiefly by the Arpinum estate, which he had inherited from his father; in Rome he had nothing but his mansion on the Caelian. The treasure at his command, a considerable sum, he had brought away in a strong box, and it was now more than doubled in value by what fell to him under the will of Maximus-money to be paid out of the great coffer

for warfare. It was all very well for an invalid, like Decius, to nurse a tranquil existence, unheeding the temper of the times. A strong and healthy man had no right to lurk away from the streaming flood of things; it behoved him

door which admitted to the open terrace overlooking the sea. Having stepped forth, Basil stood for a moment sniffing the cool air with its scent from the vineyards, and looking at the yellow rift in the eastern sky; then he fo

will relieve you for this las

strictest orders, and feared to

ady Aurelia shall know of your steadfastness. But

er way. He stamped nervously, and turned to look for a moment in the outward direction. This little villa stood on the edge of a declivity falling towards the sea; a thicket of myrtles grew below. At the distance of half a mile along the coast, beyond a hollow wooded with ilex, rose a temple, which time and the hand of man had yet spared; its whiteness glimmered against a sky whose cloudle

Basil drew her without the garden. Veranilda's eyes fixed themselves

with wings of blue, and a garment which shone like gold, and on his head was a wreath of I know not what flowers. I ran to tell my mother, but when she came, a

oft words. Then he asked whether Aurelia knew

This night I have hardly slept, lest I should miss

ke the sky black as when Auster blows

he little laugh of

onded Veranilda, t

ailed for Rome.' 'Does Aurelia know that

eemed to you to

it.-And afterwards? Sha

guest. We must dwell where I am l

villa at Arpinum. Then he asked her, playfully, but with a serious

ied. 'Where it seems good to my dear l

our enemies,' said Basil,

ene

You know that the Gothic king is conqueri

o her lover's face w

O Basil? It is he

f Theodoric. They whom I fear and abhor are the slaves of Jus

led with joy. She caught his hand

said Basil, 'could you still hav

'for it was needless. When I look on you

or on her ear the name of Rome fell with a magic sound; all her life she had heard it spoken reverentially, with awe, yet the city itself she had never seen. Rome, she knew, was vast; there, it se

ream; the rising day made his face beautiful, his eyes gleamed with an unutterable rapture. At length he sighed and awoke and looked about him. At no great distance, as though just issued from the ilex wood, moved a man's figur

ce, and an important message for her ear. At length he was allowed to enter the atrium, and Aurelia saw before her a man in black monkish habit, his body bent and tremulous, but evidently not with age, for his aspect ot

rment of Holy John the Baptist. I had it of a hermit in the Egyptian desert, who not many da

ed the relic

ed, 'do you of

a step nearer

ike him from whom I receive

f the road; his visage, much begrimed, wore an expression of habitual suffering, and sighs as of pain

said in an undertone, after a

h. In pilgrimings and fastings I do penance for

lia, 'was the message yo

far worse than that of his body, fell upon him. He was delivered over to the Demon, and, being yet alive, saw about him the fires of Gehenna. Thus, for a season, did he suffer things unspeakable, wandering in desert places, ahungered, athirst, faint unto death, yet not permitted to die. One night of storm, he crept for shelter into the ruins of a heathen temple. Of a sudden, a dreadful light shone about him, and he beheld the Demon in the guise of that false god, who fell upon him an

listen to this narrative. At

God has sen

s struggle it is often granted him to see beyond this wor

' inquired the awed woman, gazing

follower of the holy Sisin

t speak w

had a tro

he must not, by reason of his

urged. 'May I not seek him in

nd to return, though he knew not at what hour, nor even whether it would be this day. And, after demanding

to come over to Surrentum. When his friend had ridden forth Basil sought conversation with Aurelia, whom he found in a mood unlike any she had yet shown to him, a mood of dr

It is not only that I may talk with him of the war, and learn his hopes, but that I may secure

e, or the Greeks in Neapolis. Until the Goths reached Campania, a Roman here who fell under suspicion of favouring them must be prepared either to flee or to defend himself. D

sing herself from her abstraction, 'that we mus

s hence I

meeting his resolute smile, 'what

on. Tell me, did that stand in the

n her eyes a

ent on, 'blessed by a Cathol

' replied Au

sin,' he added cheerily. 'Our good Decius will be gone; we await the sailing o

ade careless of doctrinal differences: She perceived, moreover, that Basil was in no mood for religious discussion; there was little hope that he would consent to postpone his marriage on such an account; yet to convert Basil to 'heresy' was a fine revenge she would not willingly forego, her own bias to Arianism being stronger than ever since the wrong she believed herself to have suffered at the hands of the deacon, and the insult cast at her by her long-hated aunt. After years of bitterness, her triumph seemed assured. It was much to have inherited from

the black monk. He came when day was declining, and joyfully she learnt that Sisinnius permitted her to visit him; it must be on the morrow at the second hour, the place a spot in the ilex wood, not far away, whither the monk would guide her. But

r cheeks, a lustre in her eyes, which told of hopes abundantly fulfilled. At once she sought Veranilda, to whom she had not yet spoken of the monk's visit. At this juncture the coming even of an ordinary priest of the Arian faith would have been more than welcome to them, living as they perforce did without office or sacrament; but Sisinnius, declared Aurelia, was a veritable man of God, one who had visions and saw into the futu

our fate to us?' she asked

d Aurelia, 'but I may not repeat it, no, not even to you

ne!' said Veranilda, pre

l upon Theodenantha. There were old ballads of the Goths, oftener stern than tender, but to the listeners, ignorant of her tongue, Veranilda's singing made them sweet as lover

er that, the sky still lowered; there was thunder of waves upon the shore; at times a mist swept down from the mountains, which enveloped all in gl