not praise him. But
now----"

"Now? but now?" repeated the Queen proudly.

"I come now to beg from my friend, may I say my scholar----"

"You may," answered the Queen, softened.

"To beg great Theodoric's noble daughter to speak one single word, a
'yes.' If you can say this 'yes.'--and I pray to God that you can--then
I will serve you as faithfully as ever, so long as my grey hairs are
spared."

"And if not?"

"And if not, O Queen," answered the old man sadly--"oh, then farewell
to you, and to my last joy in this world!"

"What have you to ask?"

"Amalaswintha, you know that I was far away on the northern frontiers
of the realm, when the rebellion here broke out, when that terrible
rumour arose, and that fearful accusation was made. I believed
nothing--I hurried here from Tridentum--I arrived two days ago,
and not an hour passes, not a Goth do I meet, but a terrible doubt
falls heavily upon my heart. And you, too, are changed; restless,
inconstant--and yet I cannot believe it. One sincere word of yours will
dispel all these mists."

"Why use so many words?" she cried, supporting herself on the arm of
her chair. "Ask briefly what you have to ask."

"Say but one simple 'yes.' Are you guiltless of the death of the three
dukes?"

"And if I were not, have they not richly deserved their fate?"

"Amalaswintha--I beseech you--say 'yes.'"

"You take a very sudden interest in the Gothic rebels!"

"I beseech you," cried the old man, falling on his knees, "daughter of
Theodoric, say 'yes,' if you can!"

"Rise!" she cried, turning away with a frown. "You have no right to
question me thus."

"No," said the old man quietly, and rising from his knees. "No, not
now. From this moment I no longer belong to this world."

"Cassiodorus!" cried the Queen, alarmed.

"Here are the keys of my rooms in the palace. There you will find all
the gifts that I have received from you and Theodoric; the documents
which assert my dignities, and my seals of office. I go!"

"Whither, my old friend, oh, whither?"

"To the cloister which I founded at Squillacium, in Apulia.
Henceforward, far from kings and their deeds, I shall only do God's
work upon earth. My soul has long since panted for peace, and now I
have nothing left on earth that is dear to me. Accept once more my
advice at parting: put away the sceptre from your blood-stained hands.
You can bless this realm no longer, you can only bring a curse upon the
nation. Think of t