CHAPTER XVI.
Early the next morning the prisoner, with his head covered, was led toa meadow on the north, the "cold corner" of the camp, where wereassembled the leaders of the army and a great part of the troops.
"Listen," said the prisoner to one of his escort; "is old Hildebrand onthe Ting-place?"
"He is the head of the Ting."
"They are and will ever remain barbarians! Do me a favour, friend--Iwill give thee this purple belt for it. Go to the old man; tell himthat I know that I must die, but I beg him to spare me, and still moremy family--dost thou hear? my _family_--the shame of the gallows. Beghim to send me a weapon secretly."
The Goth, Gunthamund, went to seek Hildebrand, who had already openedthe court.
The proceedings were very simple. The old man first caused the law ofRegeta to be read aloud; then witnesses proved the taking of theprisoner, and afterwards he was led forward. A woolsack still coveredhis head and shoulders.
It was just about to be taken off, when Gunthamund reached Hildebrandand whispered in his ear.
"No," cried Hildebrand, frowning; "tell him that the shame of hisfamily is his _deed_, not his punishment," And he called aloud: "Showthe face of the traitor! It is Hildebrand, son of Hildegis!"
A cry of astonishment and horror ran through the crowd.
"His own grandchild!"
"Old man, thou shalt not preside! Thou art cruel to thy flesh andblood!" cried Hildebad, starting up.
"Only just; but to every one alike," answered Hildebrand, striking hisstaff upon the ground.
"Poor Witichis!" whispered Earl Teja.
But Hildebad hurried away to the camp.
"What canst thou say for thyself, son of Hildegis?" asked Hildebrand.
The young man hastily stepped forward; his face was red, but withanger, not with shame. He showed not a trace of fear. His long yellowhair waved in the wind.
The crowd was moved with compassion.
The mere report of his brave resistance, the discovery of his name, andnow his youth and beauty, spoke powerfully in his favour.
With flashing eyes, he looked around at the crowd, and then fixed themwith a proud expression on the old man's face.
"I protest against this court-martial!" he cried, "Your laws do notconcern me. I am a Roman--no Goth! My father died before my birth; mymother was a Roman, the noble Cloelia. I have never felt as if thisbarbarous old man was my kinsman. I despised his severity as I did hislove. He forced his name upon me, the child, and took me away from mymother. But I ran away from him as soon as I could. I have alwayscalled myself Flavius Cloelius, never Hildebrand. My friends wereRomans; Roman was my every thought; Roman my life! All my friendsjoined Belisarius and Cethegus; could I remain behind? Kill me--you canand you will! But confess that it is a murder, and not an act ofjustice! You judge no Goth; you murder a conquered Roman, for Roman ismy soul!"
The crowd had listened to his defence silently and with mixed feelings.
But the old man rose furiously from his seat; his eyes flashed fire;his hands trembled with rage.
"Miserable boy," he cried, "thou hast confessed that thou art the sonof a Goth! Then art thou a Goth thyself; and if thy heart is Roman,thou deservest death for that alone. Soldiers, away with him to thegallows!"
Once more the prisoner advanced to the foot of the judgment-seat.
"Then be accursed," he cried, "you rude and savage people! May yournation be accursed! And, most of all, thou, old man with the wolf'sheart! Do not think that your savagery and cruelty will do you anyservice! You shall be wiped away from the surface of this lovely land,and not a trace of you shall be left behind!"
At a sign from Hildebrand, the ban-officers again threw the cover overthe prisoner's head, and led him away to a hill upon which stood asturdy yew-tree, deprived of its boughs and leaves.
At this moment the eyes of the crowd were diverted towards the camp,whence the sound of horses' hoofs were heard. Soon a troop of riderswith the royal banner was seen approaching, Witichis and Hildebad attheir head.
"Stop!" cried the King from a distance. "Spare the grandchild ofHildebrand! Pardon, pardon!"
But the old man pointed to the hill.
"Too late, King," he cried; "it is all over with the traitor. So mayall perish who forget their nation! The kingdom comes first. KingWitichis, and afterwards wife and child and grandchild!"
This act of Hildebrand made a great impression upon the army, and astill greater one upon the King. He felt the weight which was given toany demand of the old man by his sacrifice. And with the convictionthat resistance had now become much more difficult, he returned to histent.
Hildebrand did not fail to take advantage of the King's humour.
In the evening he entered the royal tent with Teja.
The husband and wife were sitting silent, hand in hand, on the campbed; upon a table before them stood the black urn; near it lay a smallgolden locket, something like an amulet, appended to a blue ribbon; abronze lamp shed a faint light.
As Hildebrand gave his hand to the King, the latter looked into hisface, and saw at one glance that he had entered the tent with the fixedresolve to carry out his intentions at whatever cost.
All present seemed silently moved by the impending conflict of feeling.
"Mistress Rauthgundis," began the old man, "I have to speak of sadthings with the King. It will hurt thee to hear them!"
Rauthgundis rose, but not to go. Deep pain and earnest love for herhusband gave to her fair and regular features a noble and elevatedexpression.
Without removing her right hand from that of her husband, she laid herleft gently upon his shoulder.
"Speak freely, Hildebrand. I am his wife, and demand the half of thesesad words!"
"Mistress," the old man repeated.
"Let her remain," said the King. "Dost thou fear to tell thy thoughtsbefore her face?"
"Fear? no! And though I were forced to tell a god that the people ofthe Goths was dearer to me than he, I should do it without fear. Knowthen----"
"What! Thou wilt? Spare her, spare her!" cried Witichis, throwing hisarms around his wife.
But Rauthgundis looked at him quietly and said:
"I know all, my Witichis. Yesterday, as I was walking through the camp,unrecognised, in the twilight, I heard the soldiers by the watch-firesblaming thee, and praising this old man to the skies. I listened andheard all. What he demands and what thou refusest!"
"And thou didst not tell me?"
"There was no danger. Do I not know that thou wouldst never put awaythy wife? Not for a crown, and not for that wonderfully beautifulmaiden. Who can part us? Let this old man threaten; I know that no starhangs more safely in heaven than I in thy heart."
This security made an impression on the old man. He frowned.
"I have not to argue with thee! Witichis, I ask thee before Teja--thouknowest how things stand: without Ravenna we are lost: Mataswintha'shand alone can open its gates--wilt thou take this hand or not?"
Witichis sprang from his seat.
"Yes, our enemies are right! We are barbarians! Before this heartlessold man stands a splendid woman, unparalleled for her griefs as for herfidelity; here stand the ashes of her murdered child; and he would dragher husband away from this wife and these ashes to form another union!Never--nevermore!"
"An hour ago representatives of all the thousands of the army were ontheir way to this tent," said the old man. "They would have forced theeto do that which I only ask. I kept them back with difficulty."
"Let them come!" cried Witichis. "They can only deprive me of mycrown--not of my wife!"
"Who wears the crown belongs to his people--not to himself!"
"Here"--Witichis took the coroneted helmet and laid it upon the tablebefore Hildebrand--"once more and for the last time I give thee backthe crown. I did not desire it, God knows! It has brought me nothingbut this urn of ashes. Take it back; let who will be King, and wooMataswintha."
&nbs
p; But Hildebrand shook his head.
"Thou knowest that that would lead to certain destruction. We arealready split into three parties. Many thousands would neveracknowledge Arahad. Thou alone canst still uphold the kingdom. Wertthou gone, we should be dissolved. We shall become a bundle of separatesticks, which Belisarius will break as if in sport. Wouldst thou havethat?"
"Mistress Rauthgundis, canst thou make no sacrifice for thy people?"asked Teja, drawing nearer.
"Thou too, haughty Teja, against me? Is this thy friendship!" criedRauthgundis.
"Mistress Rauthgundis," replied Teja quietly, "I honour thee more thanany other woman on earth, and therefore I ask of thee the greatest ofsacrifices----"
But Hildebrand interrupted him.
"Thou art the Queen of this nation. I know of a Gothic Queen who livedin the heathen times of our forefathers. Hunger and plague lay heavy onher people. Their swords were useless. The gods were angry with theGoths. Then Swanhilde asked counsel of the oaks of the woods, and thewaves of the sea, and they answered: 'If Swanhilde dies, the Goths willlive. If Swanhilde lives, her people die.' And Swanhilde never returnedhome. She thanked the gods, and sprang into the flood. But truly, thatwas in the hero-time."
Rauthgundis was not unmoved.
"I love my people," she said; "and since these golden locks are allthat remain of my Athalwin"--she pointed to the locket--"I believe Icould gladly give my life for my people. I will die--yes!" she cried;"but to live and know the man of my heart loving another--no!"
"Loving another!" cried Witichis; "how canst speak thus? Knowest thounot, that my tortured heart beats ever and only at the sound of thyname? Hast thou then never felt, never yet, not even at the sight ofthis urn, that we are eternally one? What am I without thy love? Tearmy heart out of my bosom, place another in its place; then perhaps Icould forget thee! Yes, truly," he cried, turning to the two men, "youknow not what you do; you little know your own interest. You know notthat my love for this woman and this woman's love for me is the bestthat poor Witichis possesses. She is my good genius. You know not thatyou have to thank her, and her alone, if in anything I please you. Ithink of her in the tumult of battle, and the thought strengthens myarm. Of her I think when noble decisions must be made in the council;of her clear and serene soul, of her unblemished fidelity! Oh, thiswife is the soul of my life! Deprive me of her, and your King is ashadow, without fortune and without strength!"
And he passionately folded Rauthgundis in his arms.
She was surprised and startled; overcome with a world of bliss. Neveryet had the calm and reserved man, who habitually controlled hisfeelings, spoken so of her or of his love.
Never even when he had wooed her, had he spoken with such passion asnow, when he was asked to leave her. Overpowered, she sank upon hisbreast.
"Thanks, thanks, O God, for this hour of pain," she whispered. "Yes,now I know that thy heart and soul are mine for ever!"
"And will remain thine," said Teja in a low tone, "even if another iscalled his Queen. She would only share his crown, never his heart!"
These words penetrated Rauthgundis's soul. She looked at Teja, moved byhis words, with wide eyes.
Hildebrand saw it, and now considered how he should strike his finalblow.
"Who would, who could, tamper with your hearts!" he said. "A shadowwithout fortune or strength! That thou wilt only become if thourefusest to listen to my words, or break thy sacred, solemn oath. For a_perjurer_ is more hollow than a shadow!"
"His oath?" asked Rauthgundis hastily. "What hast thou sworn?"
But Witichis sank down upon his seat and buried his face in his hands.
"What has he sworn?" repeated Rauthgundis.
Then Hildebrand, aiming every word at the hearts of the husband andwife, spoke:
"A few years ago a man concluded a mighty bond with four friends at themidnight hour. The sod was raised under a sacred oak, and they swore bythe ancient earth and welling water, by the flickering flame andethereal air. They mixed their living blood and swore a solemn oath; tosacrifice all that they possessed, son and kindred, life, weapons andwives and glory, to the welfare of the Goths! And if any one of themshould refuse to keep the oath, when reminded by a brother in time ofnecessity, his red blood should run unavenged, like the water under thewood-sod. Upon his head heaven should fall and crush him, and he shouldbe for ever subject to all the dark powers under the earth. His soulshould be condemned to eternal torture; good men should trample overhis grave, and his memory be dishonoured and covered with curseswherever Christians ring bells or heathens offer sacrifices; whereverthe wind blows over the wide world, and mothers caress their children.This oath was sworn by five men: by Hildebrand and Hildebad, by Tejaand Totila. But who was the fifth? Witichis, son of Waltaris."
And he suddenly drew back Witichis's left-hand sleeve.
"Look here, Rauthgundis, the scar has not yet vanished. But the oathhas vanished from his soul. Thus he swore before he was made King. Andwhen the thousands of Goths, on the field of Regeta, lifted him on theshield, he swore a second oath: 'My life, my happiness, all that Ihave, do I dedicate to you, the people of the Goths. I swear it by theGod of heaven and by my faith.' Well, Witichis, son of Waltaris, Kingof the Goths, I now remind thee of that double oath. I ask thee whetherthou wilt sacrifice, as thou hast sworn to do, thy wife and thyhappiness to the people of the Goths? See, I too have lost three sonsfor this people, and, without shrinking, I have sacrificed andcondemned my grandchild, the last scion of my race. Speak, wilt thou dothe like? Wilt thou keep thine oath? or wilt thou break it and liveaccursed? cursed by the living and cursed amongst the dead?"
Witichis was convulsed with pain at the words of the old man.
Then Rauthgundis rose. She laid her left hand on her husband's breast,and stretched forth her right as if to protect him from Hildebrand.
"Cease," she said, "leave, him alone. It is enough! He will do whatthou desirest. He will not dishonour and perjure himself for the sakeof his wife."
But Witichis sprang up, and held her fast in both his arms as if theywere about to tear her from him at once.
"Now go," she said to the two men; "leave me alone with him."
Teja turned to go; Hildebrand hesitated.
"Go, go!" she cried, laying her hand upon the marble urn; "I swear tothee by the ashes of my child, that at sunrise he shall be free!"
"No," cried Witichis, "I will not put away my wife! never!"
"Thou shalt not. It is not thou who sendest me away--I turn away fromthee. Rauthgundis goes to save her people and her husband's honour.Thou canst never tear away thy heart from me; I know that mine it willremain, now more than ever! Go, Hildebrand and Teja, what we two havenow to go through, will admit of no witness."
The two men silently left the place; silently they went together downthe lane of tents; at the corner the old man stopped.
"Good-night, Teja," he said; "it is now done!"
"Yes; who knows if well done? A noble, noble sacrifice! Many more willfollow, and, meseems there, in the stars, it stands written--in vain!But for honour then, if not for victory! Farewell."
He drew his dark mantle closely round his shoulders, and disappearedlike a shadow into the night.