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he spring. "Athalaric!" cried Camilla, and threw herself upon him. The old servant Corbulo sprang to her from the group of domestics. "Help!" he cried; "she is dying--the King!" "Water, quick! water!" called Cethegus, and he resolutely went to the table, took the silver cup, stooped, rinsed it quickly but thoroughly in the spring, and then bent over the King, who lay in Cassiodorus' arms, while Corbulo laid Camilla's head upon his knee. Helpless and horrified, the courtiers surrounded the two apparently lifeless forms. "What has happened? My child!" With this cry Rusticiana, who had just landed, rushed to her daughter's side. "Camilla!" she screamed desperately, "what ails you?" "Nothing," said Cethegus quietly, examining the two bodies. "It is only a fainting-fit. But his heart-disease has carried off the young King! He is dead!" BOOK II. AMALASWINTHA. "Amalaswintha did not despair like a woman, but vigorously defended her royalty."--_Procopius: Wars of the Goths_, i. 2. CHAPTER I. Athalaric's sudden death fell like lightning from a clear sky upon the Gothic party, whose hopes, just at this very time, had been raised to such a high pitch. All the measures which the King had taken at their suggestion were paralysed, and the national party was left without a representative in the State; at the head of which the Queen-regent was now placed alone. Early in the morning of the next day Cassiodorus went to the Prefect of Rome. He found him in a sound and tranquil sleep. "And you can sleep as quietly as a child after such a blow?" "I sleep," answered Cethegus, raising himself on his elbow, "in the feeling of renewed security." "Security! yes, for you; but the kingdom!" "The kingdom was in more danger through this boy than I. Where is the Queen?" "She sits speechless beside the open coffin of her son! She has sat there the whole night." Cethegus sprang up. "That must not be! It does no good. She belongs to the State, not to this corpse. So much the less because I have heard whispers concerning poison. The young tyrant had many enemies. How about that matter?" "Very uncertain. The Grecian physician, Elpidios, who examined the corpse, certainly speaks of some striking appearances. But he thinks that if poison has been used it must be a very secret one, quite unknown to him. In the cup
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