does him honor. He is talking with Gibamund. They are looking
up; he is saluting me. Oh dear, how pale and sad the poor giant looks!"

"Is that true?" The little brown head flew up again.

"Stoop, little one! He must not see that we are far less able to bear
the yearning than he. My husband is waving his hand to me. He is coming
upstairs; Thrasaric seems to be following him."

Eugenia had already vanished in the next room.

CHAPTER XXIV

Hilda flew to the threshold to meet her husband, and the young couple
tenderly embraced.

"Are you alone?" asked Gibamund, glancing around him. "I thought I saw
your little antelope at the window."

Hilda pointed silently to the curtains at the door of the adjoining
room; her husband nodded. "You will have a visitor presently," he said,
raising his voice. "Thrasaric wishes to speak to you. He has all sorts
of important things to say."

"He will be welcome."

"Have you finished the banner?"

"Oh, yes."

Seizing the pole, she raised the heavy standard aloft; the scarlet
cloth, more than five feet long and two and a half feet wide, flowed in
long heavy folds around the two slender figures. It was a beautiful,
solemn sight.

Gibamund took the banner from her. "I will place it on the battlements
of the loftiest tower, that it may wave a bloody welcome to our foes.
Oh, thou choicest jewel, shield of the Vandal fame, Genseric's
victorious standard, never shalt thou fall into the hands of the foe so
long as I draw breath!" he cried enthusiastically. "I swear it by the
head of the beloved wife over which thy folds are floating."

"Neither your eyes nor mine shall ever witness that. I, too, swear it,"
said Hilda, with deep earnestness, and a slight shiver ran through her
limbs as a gust of wind blew the scarlet cloth closely around her
shoulders and breast.

Gibamund kissed the fair brow and the beautiful eyes which were lifted
with a radiant light to his own, and hurried out of the room with the
banner. On the threshold he met Thrasaric. Hilda sat down again beside
the window.

"Welcome, Thrasaric!" she said loudly, as the curtain in the doorway of
the adjoining room waved to and fro. "I commend you. In full armor! It
suits you better than--other costumes. I hear that you have been made
commander of many thousand men. You are to fill Zazo's place until his
return. What brings you to me?"

These friendly words evidently soothed the embarrassm