rs decide where she shall dwell in future. Ho! guards, take my
royal father's widow to the dower-palace, and there watch her well. If
she escapes, you shall die beneath the rods. Away with the snake before
it begins to hiss again."

"I'll hiss no more," said Irene, as the soldiers formed up round her,
"yet, perchance, Constantine, you may live to find that the snake still
has strength to strike and poison in its fangs, you and others. Do you
come with me, Martina?"

"Nay, Lady, since here stands one whom God and you together have given
me to guard. For his sake I would keep my life in me," and she touched
me on the shoulder.

"That whelp who is called my son spoke truly when he said that the
fallen have no friends," exclaimed Irene. "Well, you should thank me,
Martina, who made Olaf blind, since, being without eyes, he cannot see
how ugly is your face. In his darkness he may perchance mistake you
for the beauteous Egyptian, Heliodore, as I know you who love him madly
would have him do."

With this vile taunt she went.

"I think I'm crazed," said the Emperor, as the doors swung to behind
her. "I should have struck that snake while the stick is in my hand. I
tell you I fear her fangs. Why, if she could, she'd make me as that
poor man is, blind, or even butcher me. Well, she's my mother, and I've
sworn, so there's an end. Now, you Olaf, you are that same captain,
are you not, who dashed the poisoned fig from my lips that this tender
mother of mine would have let me eat when I was in liquor; yes, and
would have swallowed it yourself to save me from my folly?"

"I am that man, Augustus."

"Aye, you are that man, and one of whom all the city has been talking.
They say, so poor is your taste, that you turned your back upon the
favours of an Empress because of some young girl you dared to love. They
say also that she paid you back with a dagger in the eyes, she who was
ready to set you in my place."

"Rumour has many tongues, Augustus," I answered. "At least I fell from
the Empress's favour, and she rewarded me as she held that I deserved."

"So it seems. Christ! what a dreadful pit is that. Is this another of
her gifts? Nay, answer not; I heard the tale. Well, Olaf, you saved my
life and your Northmen have set me on the throne, since without them we
could scarcely have won the palace. Now, what payment would you have?"

"Leave to go hence, Augustus," I answered.

"A small boon that you might have taken without ask