CHAPTER LVIII.
The imperial galley was preparing to tow Saturninus's boat. This planseemed best for the wounded General, who could not easily be liftedupon the lofty deck of the ship. Engaged in this task, the other Romansdid not notice the young girl, who now sat up. Her first glance restedon the Prefect. "Ausonius!" she said feebly. "Again captured by you."
"Saved by me--by us Romans," he answered, more sternly than he wasaccustomed to speak, especially to her.
Strange changes had taken place in the character of the variable man.He was not yet absolutely sure of his own feelings--how everythingought to end between him and Bissula.
"True, you did not call my name or appeal to us for aid. You hadanother deliverer in your mind. Yet you were not saved by the Alemanni,but by us Romans."
"From your own nephew, he alone pursued me!" she answered vehemently.
"Punishment has overtaken him," replied the Prefect, shuddering. "Letthese thoughts pass. I saved you; I first recognized you and orderedthe boat to turn back, merely to rescue you. Thus I risked life andliberty, for your wolfish people are certainly wild beasts andmurderers. So: life for life. There we are equal. But," he went ongravely, earnestly, and kindly, yet with a stern, strange tone, as iftesting her, "but we have not yet done with each other, little maid.You wounded me deeply, very deeply by your fierce, rude, childishrefusal. Almost as deeply as the poisoning plan of--the dead man. Theterrible events of the past night first taught me how I love you: Ithought constantly of you, your fate, your safety. Duty called me, butI sent you my most faithful----"
"To prevent my escape!"
"To protect you, ungrateful girl. When I fell from the wagon under themissiles of the Barbarians and thought death would come the nextmoment, even then I thought only of you. I have proved it by the mostterrible test; my love for you is genuine, no mere caprice; it will endonly with my life. And so once more, not as a reward for your act ofrescue (I have repaid that), not as a favor or a gift--if the wordoffended you--once more, for the last time in life (and consider well,I will never set you free again) I ask you: will you be my servant, ormy wife? I beseech you--do you hear? I, Ausonius, beseech you: becomemy wife!"
"Never! Never!" cried the girl starting up.
"Insolent!" replied the rejected lover, offended and deeply incensed:"You forget you are again my captive--again in my power."
A glance from Bissula into the waves of the lake, here very deep, washer only reply. Ausonius continued, without understanding the meaningof the look, "Now I know the cause of this defiant, senseless refusal.You deceived me when you said you had no lover."
"I have no one who loves me," she answered with the deepest sadness;tears filled her eyes as she gazed fixedly into vacancy.
"You lie!" cried Ausonius. "That Adalo!" Bissula started. "He must loveyou madly."
Bissula listened intently, gazing at him in astonishment; glowing shameand happy terror filled her heart.
But the Roman went on: "Or would he, a free Prince of the Alemanni,have solemnly made the proposal to Saturninus and me: 'Let the maidengo unhurt. Adalo will take her place as captive.' Do you know what thatmeans? A slave for life?"
"He--he did that? For me?" Passionate delight flashed from her eyes,her soul.
Ausonius gazed silently into her face. Then he said: "How he loves you,this offer shows: how you love him, your radiant eyes betray. But," headded, slowly and searchingly, "know this. He will no longer separateus. You can become mine without breaking faith with him, for--" heclasped her hand.
"What is it? What has happened to him? Speak!"
"He is dead."
"Oh!" shrieked Bissula, and, before Ausonius could stop her, she hadwrenched herself from his hold, sprung on the thwart of the boat and,clasping her hands above her head with a gesture of silent anguish,flung herself forward toward the water.
A strong arm caught her; it was Rignomer's.
"Stay, hot-hearted child!" he exclaimed kindly. But the girl struggledfuriously in his grasp, she was resolved to plunge into the deep lake;the light boat rocked dangerously.
"Calm yourself," said Ausonius gravely and sorrowfully. "He lives."
"Oh, how cruelly you have played with me," cried the girl. The Bataviannow drew her gently down upon the thwart, and she burst into a flood oftears; but they were tears of joy.
"It was no play, only a test. I see with grief that you really love thefair-haired boy so fondly. If he had fallen, you would rather havefollowed him to death than lived as my wife in splendor and happiness?O Bissula, this is hard!"
"Father! Dear Father! Don't be angry. I cannot help it. But is itcertain? Does he live?"
"Yes. You cannot help it! That is true; I see it now. Be comforted. Heis alive. I saw him carried off the field by his followers. Saturninusand he exchanged blows."
"Yes. Be calm, little one," the Tribune interposed good humoredly. "Hisstroke was really no harder than mine. I am still alive, so he willdoubtless live too."
"Oh, Ausonius!" pleaded Bissula, raising both hands beseechingly. Buthe did not let her finish the sentence. Passing his hand across hiseyes he murmured unheard by the others: "It is over. This hour has mademe an old man." Then he asked: "Where do you wish to be put on shore?Opposite to Suomar's forest hut?"
"Thank you, my warmest thanks! But not there, farther to the left fromhere; yonder under the willows, where a nobleman's hall stands on theheight."
"His!" exclaimed Ausonius.
"Which you saved for him," added Saturninus. "All very beautiful andnoble--almost touching!" the Tribune continued, trying to seem unmoved,yet at the same time kindly stroking the hand of the young girl, inwhose eyes the dancing light of joy mingled with tears like May rain."Only I will not permit the Prefect Praetor of Gaul to return to thatshore full of murderous wolves. No, indeed I will not. Neither will Irisk the life of any Roman soldier. Who is to take her to the land?"
"I will go myself alone!" cried the eager girl.
"That some Roman murderous wolf may follow you again on your way to thehall; they are still worse!" cried the voice of some one, in German."No, illustrious Tribune," it continued in Latin, "I will take thechild to her friends."
Rignomer now stepped from behind the sail which had concealed him. Hisappearance was totally transformed: he had removed the Roman helmetlong before; now he had unbuckled the coat of mail and thrown aroundhim a brown Alemannic mantle which he had found in the boat. Instead ofthe Roman weapons he carried over his shoulder a long iron-shod pole,used for pushing and guiding boats while it could touch the bottom.
"You?" asked Saturninus. "You too will be a dead man if they catchyou--a warrior in the Roman service."
"Pardon me; I am one no longer. My time of service expired atmidnight--the last of the long seven years: what I did since--"
"It was----" replied Saturninus.
"Was done voluntarily. I shall not renew my oath of service. No, no! Ihave had enough--more than enough of it. The Emperor still owes my payfor the last month. I will let it go. I shall return to my mother, onthe Issala. But first I will take this runaway child to her people."
As he spoke he grasped her hand. "Jump over, little one. See, the otherboat is empty: they have all climbed up into the galley. Jump over!Happily, we are going home!"
"So be it!" said Ausonius, without resentment but gravely: "Farewell,Bissula! We part never to meet again."
He turned away. Bissula threw herself on his breast and, amid flowingtears, kissed his noble brow. His face had never been so handsome."Ausonius, farewell!"
She sprang into the second boat, where Rignomer was already standing;then she turned again toward the other one. This had been fastened by arope to the galley and now began to follow it as, propelled by manyoars, it swept toward the southwest.
"Father Ausonius, I thank you!" she called. But he did not hear. Withhis face averted from his young friend, and his gray head pressedagainst the mast, he was weeping bitterly.
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sp; The ship, dragging the boat in its wake, flew swiftly away.
* * * * *
The Batavian wielded the oars sturdily, and the light boat rapidlyapproached the shore.
Bissula no longer watched the disappearing Roman galley, but with athrobbing heart sprang into the bow of the boat, where Adalo'shouse-mark, the sixteen-branched antlers, rose proudly; she could nothelp stroking it tenderly. The next instant she turned, laughing andclapping her hands joyously, and exclaimed: "Now, Rignomer, you shallsee for once what rowing means. We are moving far too slowly for me!"
Lifting two oars from the bottom of the light boat she put themskilfully into the willow holders, seized them with both hands and,standing erect, her face turned toward the shore, rowed with suchstrength and skill that Rignomer exclaimed in wonder: "By Freya's eyes,girl, you might become a boatman on the Issala any day! You can do thistoo? A pity that you are not going with me to my mother!" The boat shotto the land among the marshes. Bissula reached the ground with a longleap before the Batavian could help her. The steersman had kept astraight course for the nobleman's hall: they saw the stately woodenmansion towering directly above them on the hill.
"Oh, Donar be thanked," cried the girl joyously. "He has saved hisfavorite beast, as the she-bear saved me."
"What? What are you looking at in the mire?"
"See! Bear tracks; very fresh ones! She was not drowned; she ran yonderto the right along the shore on the old path where Sippilo and I alwayswent to fish."
"Who is Sippilo?" asked the Batavian. "Another Adalo?"
"Oh, nonsense! A child. And just see; from here the tracks go directlyto the hall. Come! Don't walk! Leap! Spring up the hill!"
"No, little one," said the Batavian gravely. "You can run; I will not gowith you. You seem to know the way, to know it very well. There is nohuman being in sight far or near. You can reach the hall safe withoutme. Aha, there too, a huge stag's antlers tower from the roof. That isthe reason you were so pleased with the one on the boat's prow.Farewell, little one! I won't go to the meeting--I mean yours withAdalo and all the rest who belong to his clan."
"They would thank you for having done so much for me."
"Never mind the thanks. I did not do it for them."
"Where are you going?"
"Home. To the north and west. No, have no fear for me; I shall make myway through. Here in my breast, little one, I carry the pay and theprice of the booty won in seven years; and on my shoulder is this pole.One can go far with these two assistants. Farewell! And,"--he whisperedin her ear--"heed my words: never defy the man you call your Duke; forhe is--_he_!"
He patted her hair and her pretty round head with rough tenderness ashe spoke, and then sprang toward the west along the lake shore. Once hestopped to look after her--he wanted to wave another farewell. ButBissula did not see him. She was running, with glowing cheeks, up thehill.