she could not muster courage to address him.

At last Witichis rose with a sigh, and, turning, saw the motionless
figure at the door.

"Thou here, Queen!" he asked with surprise, as he approached her. "What
can have led thee to me?"

"Duty--compassion--" Mataswintha answered quickly; "otherwise I had
not---- I have a favour to ask of thee."

"It is the first," said Witichis.

"It does not concern me," she added hastily. "I beg for food for some
poor people, who----"

The King silently stretched out his right hand.

It was the first time he had ever offered it. She did not dare to clasp
it, and yet how gladly she would have done so.

Then the King took her hand himself, and pressed it gently.

"I thank thee, Mataswintha, and regret my injustice. I never believed
that thou hadst a heart for thy people. I have thought unkindly of
thee."

"If thy thoughts had been more just from the beginning, perhaps many
things might be better now."

"Scarcely! Misfortune dogs my heels. Just now--thou hast a right to
know it--my last hopes have been destroyed. The Franks, upon whose aid
I depended, have betrayed us. Relief is impossible; the superiority of
the enemy has become too great, by reason of the rebellion of the
Italians. Only one thing remains to me--death!"

"Let me share it with thee," cried Mataswintha, her eyes sparkling.

"Thou? No. The granddaughter of Theodoric will be honourably received
at the Court of Byzantium. It is known that she became my wife against
her will. Thou canst appeal to that fact."

"Never!" exclaimed Mataswintha with enthusiasm.

Witichis, without noticing her, went on:

"But the others! The thousands, the tens of thousands of women and
children! Belisarius will keep his word. There is only one hope for
them, one single hope! For--all the powers of nature are in league
against me. The Padus has suddenly become so shallow, that two hundred
ships with grain, which I had expected, could not be brought down the
river, and fell into the hands of the enemy. I have now written for
assistance to the King of the Ostrogoths; I have asked him to send a
fleet; for ours is lost. If the ships can force their way into the
harbour, then all who cannot fight may take refuge in them. And, if
thou wilt, thou canst fly to Spain."

"I will die with thee--with the others!"

"In a few weeks the Ostrogothic sails may appear off the city. Until
then my magazines will not be exhausted. That is my only com