the emperor's orders went further than he intended, even in
the first passion of his anger. But of one thing we may be quite sure,
and that is that remorse and shame filled his soul when the hideous
story reached him. Not that he would confess it; to the public he would
say he was justified in what he had done, but none the less he would
have given all he had to undo his actions. He came back one night to
Milan, and shut himself up again in his palace.

At the time of the emperor's return Ambrose happened to be staying with
a friend in the country, for his health had suffered from his hard work,
and also from this last blow, and his uncertainty how best to bring
Theodosius to a sense of his crime. When he entered Milan once more, he
waited, in the hope that the emperor might send for him, as he was used
to do; but as no messenger arrived, the bishop understood that
Theodosius refused to see him, and the only course open was to write a
letter.

The occasion was not one for polite phrases, neither was Ambrose the man
to use them. In the plainest words he set his guilt before Theodosius
and besought him to repent. And as his sin had been public, his
repentance must be public too. But this letter remained unanswered.
Theodosius was resolved to brave the matter out, and next day,
accompanied by his usual attendants, he went to the great church.

At the porch Ambrose met him, and refused to let him pass.

'Go back,' he said, 'lest you add another sin to those you have already
committed. You are blinded by power, and even now your heart is hard,
and you do not understand that your hands are steeped in blood. Go
back.'

And Theodosius went back, feeling in his soul the truth of the bishop's
words, but prevented by pride from humbling himself.

Months went on, and the two men still lived as strangers, and now
Christmas was near. Rufinus, prefect of the palace, who was suspected of
having inflamed the wrath of the Emperor in the matter of Thessalonica,
upbraided his master with showing so sad a face while the whole world
was rejoicing. Theodosius then opened his soul to him, and acknowledged
that at length he had repented of his crime and was ready to confess it
before the bishop and the people. Once having spoken, he would not
delay, and there and then went on foot to the church. As before,
Ambrose, who had been warned of his intention, met him in the porch,
thinking that the emperor meant to force his way in, and in that