knowwhethershewouldbewillingtotakeonewhoisblindandbeggaredforahusband，thoughIthinkthismaybeso。“
“Shameonherifshedoesnot，“mutteredMartinaasIpaused。
“Well，friends，thatismycase，“Iwenton；“lettheAugustadenyitifshecan。“
“Speak，Lady。Doyoudenyit？“saidJodd。
“Idonotdenythatthismanwasblindedbymyorderinpaymentofcrimesforwhichhemightwellhavesuffereddeath，“answeredIrene。
“ButIdodenythatIcommandedhimtobetrappedinyonderpit。Ifthosedeadmensaidso，thentheylied。“
“AndiftheladyMartinasaysso，whatthen？“askedJodd。
“Thensheliesalso，“answeredtheEmpresssullenly。
“Beitso，“repliedJodd。“Yetitisstrangethat，actingonthislieoftheladyMartina’s，wefoundtheGeneralOlafupontheveryedgeofyonderhole；yes，withnotthebreadthofabarleycornbetweenhimanddeath。Now，General，bothpartieshavebeenheardandyoushallpasssentence。Ifyousaythatyonderwomanistobeblinded，thismomentshelooksherlastuponthelight。Ifyousaythatsheistodie，thismomentshebidsfarewelltolife。“
AgainIthoughtawhile。ItcameintomymindthatIrene，whohadfallenfrompower，mightriseoncemoreandbringfresheviluponHeliodore。Nowshewasinmyhand，butifIopenedthathandandletherfree——！
Someonemovedtowardsme，andIheardIrene’svoicewhisperinginmyear。
“Olaf，“shesaid，“ifIsinnedagainstyouitwasbecauseIlovedyou。
Wouldyoubeavengedupononewhohasburnedhersoulwithsomuchevilbecauseshelovedtoowell？Oh！ifso，youarenolongerOlaf。
ForChrist’ssakehavepityonme，sinceIamnotfittomeetHim。
Givemetimetorepent。Nay！hearmeout！Letnotthosemendragmeawayastheythreatentodo。Iamfallennow，butwhoknows，Imaygrowgreatagain；indeed，IthinkIshall。Then，Olaf，maymysoulshriveleverlastinglyinhellifItrytoharmyouortheEgyptianmore——JesusbemywitnessthatIasknolesserdoomuponmyhead。Keepthemenback，Martina，forwhatIsweartohimandtheEgyptianI
sweartoyouaswell。Moreover，Olaf，Ihavegreatwealth。Youspokeofpoverty；itshallbefarfromyou。Martinaknowswheremygoldishid，andshestillholdsmykeys。Lethertakeit。Isayleavemealone，butonewordmore。IfeveritisinmypowerI’llforgeteverythingandadvanceyoualltogreathonour。Yourbrainisnotblinded，Olaf；youcanstillrule。Iswear，Iswear，IswearupontheHolyBlood！Ah！nowdragmeawayifyouwill。Ihavespoken。“
“Thenperchance，Lady，youwillallowOlaftospeak，sincewe，whohavemuchtodo，mustfinishthisbusinessquickly，beforetheEmperorcomeswiththeArmenians，“saidJodd。
“CaptainJoddandhiscomrades，“Isaid，“theEmpressIrenehasbeenpleasedtomakecertainsolemnvowstomewhichperchancesomeofyoumayhaveoverheard。Atleast，Godheardthem，andwhethershekeepsthemornoisamatterbetweenherandtheGodinWhomwebothbelieve。ThereforeIsetthesevowsaside；theydrawmeneitheronewaynortheother。Now，youhavemademejudgeinmyownmatterandhavepromisedtoabidebymyjudgment，whichyouwilldo。Hearit，then，andletitberemembered。ForlongIhavebeentheAugusta’sofficer，andoflatehergeneralandchamberlain。AssuchIhaveboundmyselfbygreatoathstoprotectherfromharminallcases，andthoseoathsheretoforeIhavekept，whenImighthavebrokenthemandnotbeenblamedbymen。Whateverhaschanced，itseemsthatsheisstillEmpressandIamstillherofficer，seeingthatmyswordhasbeenreturnedtome，althoughitistrueshesentitthatImightuseitonmyself。ItpleasedtheEmpresstoputoutmyeyes。Underoursoldier’slawthemonarchwhorulestheEmpirehasarighttoputouttheeyesofanofficerwhohasliftedswordagainstherforces，oreventokillhim。WhetherthisisdonejustlyorunjustlyagainisamatterbetweenthatmonarchandGodabove，toWhomanswermustbemadeatlast。
ThereforeitwouldseemthatIhavenorighttopronounceanysentenceagainsttheAugustaIrene，andwhatevermayhavebeenmyprivatewrongs，Ipronouncenone。Yet，asIamstillyourgeneraluntilanotherisnamed，IorderyoutofreetheAugustaIreneandtoworknovengeanceonherpersonforaughtthatmayhavebefallenmeatherhands，wereherdeedsjustorunjust。“
WhenIhadfinishedspeaking，inthesilencethatfollowedIheardIreneuttersomethingthatwashalfasobandhalfagaspofwonderment。ThenabovethemurmuringoftheNorthmen，towhomthisredewasstrange，rosethegreatvoiceofJodd。
“GeneralOlaf，“hesaid，“whileyouweretalkingitcameintomymindthatoneofthoseknifepointswhichpiercedyoureyeshadprickedthebrainbehindthem。Butwhenyouhadfinishedtalkingitcameintomymindthatyouareagreatmanwho，puttingasideyourprivaterightsandwrongsandthegloryofrevengewhichlaytoyourhand，havetaughtussoldiersalessonindutywhichI，atleast，nevershallforget。General，if，asItrust，wearetogetherinthefutureasinthepast，IshallaskyoutoinstructmeinthisChristianfaithofyours，whichcanmakeamannotonlyforgivebuthidehisforgivenessunderthemaskofduty，forthat，asweknowwell，iswhatyouhavedone。General，yourordershallbeobeyed。BesheEmpressornothing，thislady’spersonissafefromus。More，wewillprotecthertothebestofourpower，asyoudidintheBattleoftheGarden。YetItellhertoherfacethathaditnotbeenforthoseorders，hadyou，forexample，saidthatyouleftjudgmenttous，shewhohasspoiltsuchamanshouldhavediedadeathofshame。“
Iheardasoundasofawomanthrowingherselfuponherkneesbeforeme。IheardIrene’svoicewhisperthroughhertears，“Olaf，Olaf，forthesecondtimeinmylifeyoumakemefeelashamed。
Oh！ifonlyyoucouldhavelovedme！ThenIshouldhavegrowngoodlikeyou。“
Therewasastiroffeetandanothervoicespoke，avoicethatshouldhavebeenclearandyouthful，butsoundedasthoughitwerethickwithwine。ItdidnotneedMartina’swhispertotellmethatitwasthatofConstantine。
“Greeting，friends，“hesaid，andatoncetherecamearattleofsalutingswordsandanansweringcryof“Greeting，Augustus！“
“Youstruckbeforethetime，“wentonthethick，boyishvoice。“Yetasthingsseemtohavegoneratherwellforus，Icannotblameyou，especiallyasIseethatyouholdfastherwhohasusurpedmybirthright。“
NowIheardIreneturnwithaswiftandfuriousmovement。
“Yourbirthright，boy，“shecried。“Whatbirthrighthaveyousavethatwhichmybodygave？“
“IthoughtthatmyfatherhadmoretodowiththismatterofimperialrightthantheGreciangirlwhomitpleasedhimtomarryforherfairface，“answeredConstantineinsolently，adding:“Learnyourstation，mother。Learnthatyouarebutthelampwhichonceheldtheholyoil，andthatlampscanbeshattered。“
“Aye，“sheanswered，“andoilcanbespiltforthedogstolap，iftheirgorgedoesnotriseatsuchrancidstuff。Theholyoilforsooth！
Nay，thesourdregsofwinejars，theoutscouringsofthestews，thefilthofthestables，ofsuchistheholyoilthatburnsinConstantine，thedrunkardandtheliar。“
ItwouldseemthatbeforethistorrentofcoarseinvectiveConstantinequailed，whoatheartalwaysfearedhismother，andIthinknevermoresothanwhenheappearedtotriumphoverher。Orperhapshescornedtoanswerit。Atleast，addressingJodd，hesaid，“Captain，Iandmyofficers，standingyonderunseen，haveheardsomethingofwhatpassedinthisplace。Bywhatwarrantdoyouandyourcompanytakeuponyourselvestopassjudgmentuponthismotherofmine？ThatistheEmperor’sright。“
“Bythewarrantofcapture，Augustus，“answeredJodd。“WeNorthmentookthepalaceandopenedthegatestoyouandyourArmenians。Alsowetookherwhoruledinthepalace，withwhomwehadaprivatescoretosettlethathastodowithourgeneralwhostandsyonder，blinded。
Well，itissettledinhisownfashion，andnowwedonotyieldupthiswoman，ourprisoner，saveonyourroyalpromisethatnoharmshallcometoherinbody。Asfortherest，itisyourbusiness。Makeacook-maidofherifyouwill，onlythenIthinkhertonguewouldclearthekitchen。Butsweartokeephersoundinlifeandlimbtillhellcallsher，sinceotherwisewemustaddhertoourcompany，whichwillmakenomanmerrier。“
“No，“answeredConstantine，“inaweekshewouldcorruptyoueveryoneandbreedawar。Well，“headdedwithaboisterouslaugh，“I’mmasternowatlast，andI’llswearbyanysaintthatyoumayname，orallofthem，noharmshallcometothisEmpresswhoseruleisdone，andwho，beingwithoutfriends，neednotbefeared。Still，lestsheshouldspawnmoremischieformurder，shemustbekeptclosetillweandourcouncillorsdecidewheresheshalldwellinfuture。Ho！guards，takemyroyalfather’swidowtothedower-palace，andtherewatchherwell。
Ifsheescapes，youshalldiebeneaththerods。Awaywiththesnakebeforeitbeginstohissagain。“
“I’llhissnomore，“saidIrene，asthesoldiersformeduproundher，“yet，perchance，Constantine，youmaylivetofindthatthesnakestillhasstrengthtostrikeandpoisoninitsfangs，youandothers。
Doyoucomewithme，Martina？“
“Nay，Lady，sinceherestandsonewhomGodandyoutogetherhavegivenmetoguard。ForhissakeIwouldkeepmylifeinme，“andshetouchedmeontheshoulder。
“Thatwhelpwhoiscalledmysonspoketrulywhenhesaidthatthefallenhavenofriends，“exclaimedIrene。“Well，youshouldthankme，Martina，whomadeOlafblind，since，beingwithouteyes，hecannotseehowuglyisyourface。InhisdarknesshemayperchancemistakeyouforthebeauteousEgyptian，Heliodore，asIknowyouwholovehimmadlywouldhavehimdo。“
Withthisviletauntshewent。
“IthinkI’mcrazed，“saidtheEmperor，asthedoorsswungtobehindher。“Ishouldhavestruckthatsnakewhilethestickisinmyhand。I
