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