“Atleast，haditnotbeenforthisIdunayouwouldneverhavegivenbattletothegreatgodoftheNorthandthusbroughthiscurseuponyou。For，Olaf，thosegodslive；theyaredevils。“
“WhetherOdinisorisnot，Idonotfearhiscurse，Empress。“
“Yetitwillfindyououtbeforeallisdone，orsoIthink。Lookyou，paganbloodstillrunsinme，and，ChristianthoughIam，IwouldnotdareoneofthegreatgodsofGreeceandRome。I’dleavethattothepriests。Doyoufearnothing，Olaf？“
“Ithinknothingatall，sinceIhewedoffOdin’sheadandcameawayunscathed。“
“Thenyouareamantomyliking，Olaf。“
Shepaused，lookingatmeevenmorestrangelythanbefore，tillI
turnedmyeyes，indeed，andstaredoutatthesea，wishingthatIwereinit，oranywhereawayfromthislovelyandimperiouswomanwhomI
wassworntoobeyinallthings。
“Olaf，“shesaidpresently，“youhaveservedmewelloflate。Isthereanyrewardthatyouwouldask，andifso，what？AnythingthatIcangiveisyours，unless，“sheaddedhastily，“thegiftwilltakeyouawayfromConstantinopleandfrom——me。“
“Yes，Augusta，“Ianswered，stillstaringoutatthesea。“IntheprisonyonderisanoldbishopnamedBarnabasofEgypt，whowassetuponbyotherbishopsattheCouncilwhileyouwereawayandwellnighbeatentodeath。Iaskthathemaybefreedandrestoredtohisdiocesewithhonour。“
“Barnabas，“sherepliedsharply。“Iknowtheman。HeisanIconoclast，andthereforemyenemy。OnlythismorningIsignedanorderthatheshouldbekeptinconfinementtillhedied，hereorelsewhere。Still，“
shewenton，“thoughIwouldsoonergiveyouaprovince，haveyourgift，forIcanrefuseyounothing。Barnabasshallbefreedandrestoredtohisseewithhonour。Ihavesaid。“
NowIbegantothankher，butshestoppedme，saying:
“Havedone！Anothertimeyoucantalktomeofhereticswithwhomyouhavemadefriends，butI，whohearenoughofsuch，wouldhavenomoreofthemto-night。“
SoIgrewsilentandstillstaredoutatthesea。Indeed，IwaswonderinginmymindwhetherIdaredaskleavetodepart，forIfelthereyesburningonme，andgrewmuchafraid。SuddenlyIheardasound，agentlesoundofrustlingsilk，andinanotherinstantIfeltIrene’sarmsclaspedaboutmeandIrene’sheadlaiduponmyknee。Yes，shewaskneelingbeforeme，sobbing，andherproudheadwasrestingonmyknee。Thediademsheworehadfallenfromit，andhertresses，breakingloose，flowedtotheground，andlaytheregleaminglikegoldinthemoonlight。
Shelookedup，andherfacewasthatofaweepingsaint。
“Dostunderstand？“shewhispered。
Nowdespairtookme，whichIknewfullwellwouldsoonbefollowedbymadness。Thencameathought。
“Yes，“Isaidhoarsely。“IunderstandthatyougrieveoverthatmatteroftheAugustusandthepoisonedfigs，andwouldpraymetokeepsilence。Havenofear，mylipsaresealed，butforhisIcannotanswer，thoughperhapsashehaddrunksomuch——“
“Fool！“shewhispered。“IsitthusthatanEmpresspleadswithhercaptaintokeepsilence？“Thenshedrewherselfup，awonderfullookuponherfacethathadgrownsuddenlywhite，afireinherupturnedeyes，andforthesecondtimekissedmeuponthelips。
Itookherinmyarmsandkissedherback。Foraninstantmymindswam。TheninmysoulIcriedforhelp，andstrengthcametome。
Rising，Iliftedherasthoughshewereachild，andstoodheronherfeet。Isaid:
“Hearken，Empress，beforedestructionfalls。Idounderstandnow，thoughamomentagoIdidnot，whoneverthoughtitpossiblethatthequeenoftheworldcouldlookwithfavourupononesohumble。“
“Lovetakesnoaccountofrank，“shemurmured，“andthatkissofyoursuponmylipsismoretomethantheempireoftheworld。“
“Yethearken，“Ianswered。“Thereisanotherwallbetweenuswhichmaynotbeclimbed。“
“Man，whatisthiswall？Isitnamedwoman？AreyousworntothememoryofthatIduna，whoismorefairthanI？Orisit，perchance，herofthenecklace？“
“Neither。Idunaisdeadtome；sheofthenecklaceisbutadream。Thewallisthatofyourownfaith。OnthisnightsevendaysagoIwasbaptisedaChristian。“
“Well，whatofit？Thisdrawsusnearer。“
“Studythesayingsofyoursacredbook，Empress，andyouwillfindthatitthrustsusapart。“
Nowshecolouredtoherhair，andakindofmadnesstookher。
“AmItobepreachedtobyyou？“sheasked。
“Ipreachtomyself，Augusta，whoneeditgreatly，nottoyou，whomayhapdonotneedit。“
“Hatingmeasyoudo，whyshouldyouneedit？Youaretheworstofhypocrites，whowouldveilyourhateunderapriest’srobe。“
“Haveyounopity，Irene？WhendidIsaythatIhatedyou？Moreover，ifIhadhatedyou，shouldI——“andIceased。
“Idonotknowwhatyouwouldorwouldnothavedone，“sheansweredcoldly。“IthinkthatConstantineisright，andthatyoumustbewhatiscalledasaint；and，ifso，saintsarebestinheaven，especiallywhentheyknowtoomuchonearth。Givemethatswordofyours。“
Idrewthesword，salutedwithit，andgaveittoher。
“Itisaheavyweapon，“shesaid。“Whencecameit？“
“Fromthesamegraveasthenecklace，Augusta。“
“Ah！thenecklacethatyourdream-womanwore。Well，gotoseekherinthelandofdreams，“andsheliftedthesword。
“Yourpardon，Augusta，butyouareabouttostrikewiththebluntedge，whichmaywoundbutwillnotkill。“
Shelaughedalittle，verynervously，and，turningtheswordroundinherhand，said:
“Truly，youarethestrangestofmen！Ah！Ithankyou，nowIhaveitright。Doyouunderstand，Olaf，Imean，SirSaint，whatsortofastoryImusttellofyouafterIhavestruck？Doyouunderstandthatnotonlyareyouabouttodie，butthatinfamywillbepoureduponyournameandthatyourbodywillbedraggedthroughthestreetsandthrowntothedogswiththecityoffal？Answer，Isay，answer！“
“Iunderstandthatyoumustcausethesethingstobedoneforyourownsake，Augusta，andIdonotcomplain。Liesmatternothingtome，whojourneytotheLandofTruth，wheretherearesomewhomIwouldmeetagain。Beadvisedbyme。Strikehere，wheretheneckjoinstheshoulder，holdingtheswordslantwise，forthereevenawoman’sblowwillservetoseverthegreatartery。“
“Icannot。Killyourself，Olaf。“
“AweekagoI’dhavefallenonthesword；butnow，bytheruleofourfaith，insuchacauseImaynot。Mybloodmustbeuponyourhands，forwhichIgrieve，knowingthatnootherroadisopentoyou。
Augusta，ifitisworthanythingtoyou，takemyfullforgivenessforthedeed，andwithitmythanksforallthegoodnessyouhaveshowntome，butmostforyourwoman’sfavour。Inafteryears，perhaps，whendeathdrawsneartoyoualso，ifeveryourememberOlaf，yourfaithfulservant，youwillunderstandmuchitisnotfittingthatIshouldsay。
GivemeonemomenttomakemypeacewithHeavenastocertainkisses。
Thenstrikehardandswiftly，and，asyoustrike，screamforyourguardsandwomen。Yourwitwilldotherest。“
Sheliftedthesword，while，afteramoment’sprayer，Ibaredmyneckofthesilkrobe。Thensheletitfallagain，gasping，andsaid:
“Tellmefirst，forIamcurious。Areyounoman？Orhaveyouforswornwoman，asdothemonks？“
“NotI，Augusta。HadIlived，somedayImighthavemarried，whowouldhavewishedtoleavechildrenbehindme，sinceinourlawmarriageisallowed。ForgetnotyourpromiseastotheBishopBarnabas，who，I
fear，willweepoverthisseemingfallofmine。“
“Soyouwouldmarry，wouldyou？“shesaid，asonewhospeakstoherself；thenthoughtawhile，andhandedmebackthesword。
“Olaf，“shewenton，“youhavemademefeelasIneverfeltbefore——
ashamed，utterlyashamed，andthoughIlearntohateyou，asitwellmayhapIshall，knowthatIshallalwayshonouryou。“
Thenshesankdownuponthecouch，and，hidingherfaceinherhands，weptbitterly。
ItwasatthismomentthatIwentveryneartolovingIrene。
Ithinkshemusthavefeltsomethingofwhatwaspassinginmymind，forsuddenlyshelookedupandsaid:“Givemethatjewel，“andshepointedtothediademonthefloor，“andhelpmetoordermyhair；myhandsshake。“
