“TheAugustusispleasedtothreaten，whichisunnecessary，“I
remarked。“IfIeatthefig，willtheAugustussweartoleavetherestofthemuneaten？“
“Aye，“heansweredwithahiccough，“forthenIshallknowthetruth，andforthetruthIlive，though，“headded，“Ihaven’tfoundityet。“
“AndifIdonoteatit，willtheAugustusdoso？“
“BytheHolyBlood，yes。I’lleatadozenofthem。AmIonetobehectoredbyawomanandabarbarian？Eat，orIeat。“
“Good，Sire。ItisbetterthatabarbarianshoulddiethanthattheworldshouldloseitsgloriousEmperor。Ieat，andwhenyouareasI
soonshallbe，aswillhappeneventoanemperor，maymybloodlieheavyonyoursoul，thebloodwhichIgivetosaveyourlife。“
ThenIliftedthefigtomylips。
Beforeeverittouchedthem，withamotionswiftasthatofapantherspringingonitsprey，Irenehadleaptfromhercouchanddashedthefruitfrommyhand。Sheturneduponherson。
“Whatkindofathingareyou，“sheasked，“whowouldsufferabravemantopoisonhimselfthathemaysaveyourworthlesslife？Oh！God，whathaveIdonethatIshouldhavegivenbirthtosuchahound？
Whoeverpoisonedthem，thesefruitsarepoisoned，ashasbeenprovedandcanbeprovedagain，yes，andshallbe。ItellyouthatifOlafhadtastedoneofthembynowhewouldhavebeendeadordying。“
Constantinedrankanothercupofwine，which，oddlyenough，seemedtosoberhimforthemoment。
“Ifindallthisstrange，“hesaidheavily。“You，mymother，wouldhavesufferedmetoeatthefigwhichyoudeclareispoisoned；amatterwhereofyoumayknowsomething。ButwhentheGeneralOlafofferstoeatitinmyplace，withyourownroyalhandyoudashitfromhislips，ashedasheditfrommine。Andthereisanotherthingwhichisstillmorestrange。ThisOlaf，whoalsosaysthefigsarepoisoned，offeredtoeatoneofthemifIpromisedIwouldnotdoso，whichmeans，ifheisright，thatheofferedtogivehislifeformine。YetIhavedonenothingforhimexceptcallhimhardnames；andasheisyourservanthehasnothingtolookforfrommeifIshouldwinthefightwithyouatlast。NowIhaveheardmuchtalkofmiracles，butthisistheonlyoneIhaveeverseen。EitherOlafisaliar，orheisagreatmanandasaint。Hesays，Iamtold，thatthemonkeywhichateoneofthosefigsdied。Well，Ineverthoughtofitbefore，buttherearemoremonkeysinthepalace。Indeed，onelivesontheterracenearby，forIfeditthisafternoon。We’llputthemattertotheproofandlearnofwhatstuffthisOlafisreallymade。“
Onthetablestoodasilverbell，andashespokehestruckit。A
chamberlainenteredandwasorderedtobringinthemonkey。Hedeparted，andwithincredibleswiftnessthebeastanditskeeperarrived。Itwasalargeanimalofthebaboontribe，famousthroughoutthepalaceforitstricks。Indeed，onentering，atawordfromthemanwholedit，itbowedtoallofus。
“Giveyourbeastthese，“saidtheEmperor，handingthekeeperseveralofthefigs。
Thebaboontookthefruitsand，havingsniffedatthem，putthemaside。Thenthekeeperfeditwithsomesweetmeats，whichitcaughtanddevoured，andpresently，whenitsfearswereallayed，threwitoneofthefigs，whichitswallowed，doubtlessthinkingitasweetmeat。A
minuteortwolateritbegantoshowsignsofdistressandshortlyafterwardsdiedinconvulsions。
“Now，“saidIrene，“nowdoyoubelieve，myson？“
“Yes，“heanswered，“IbelievethatthereisasaintinConstantinople。SirSaint，Isaluteyou。Youhavesavedmylifeandifitshouldcomemyway，byyourbrothersaints！I’llsaveyours，althoughyouaremymother’sservant。“
Sospeaking，hedrankoffyetanothercupofwineandreeledfromtheroom。
Thekeeper，atasignfromIrene，liftedupthebodyofthedeadapeandalsoleftthechamber，weepingashewent，forhehadlovedthisbeast。
TheEmperorhadgone，drunk；theapehadgone，dead；anditskeeperhadgone，weeping。IreneandIalonewereleftinthatbeautifulplacewiththewine-stainedtableonwhichstoodthejarofpoisonedfigsandthebentgoldencuplyingonthemarblefloor。
Shesatuponthecouch，lookingatmewithakindofamazementinhereyes，andIstoodbeforeheratattention，asdoesasoldieronduty。
“Iwonderwhyhedidnotsendforoneofmyservantstoeatthosefigs——Stauracius，forinstance，“shemused，addingwithalittlelaugh，“Well，ifhehad，therearesomewhomIcouldhavesparedbetterthanthatpoorape，whichattimesIusedtofeed。Itwasanhonestcreature，thatape；theonlycreatureinthepalacethatwouldnotrubitsheadinthedustbeforetheAugusta。Ah！nowIremember，italwayshatedConstantine，forwhenhewasachildheusedtoteaseitwithastick，gettingbeyondthelengthofitschainandstrikingit。Butoneday，ashepassedtoonear，itcaughthimandbuffetedhimonthecheekandtoreoutsomeofhishair。Hewantedtokillitthen，butI
forbadehim。Yethehasneverforgottenit，hewhoneverdoesforgetanythinghehates，andthatiswhyhesentforthepoorbeast。“
“TheAugustawillrememberthattheAugustusdidnotknowthatthefigswerepoisoned。“
“TheAugustaissurethattheAugustusknewwellenoughthatthosefigswerepoisoned，atanyratefromthemomentthatIdashedoneofthemfromyourlips，Olaf。Well，Ihavemadeabittererenemythanbefore，that’sall。TheysaythatbyNature’srulemotherandchildmustloveeachother，butitisalie。Itellyouit’salie。FromthetimehewastinyIhatedthatboy，thoughnothalfasmuchashehashatedme。Youarethinkingtoyourselfthatthisisbecauseourambitionsclashlikemeetingswords，andthatfromthemspringthesefiresofhate。Itisnotso。Thehateisnativetoourhearts，andwillonlyendwhenoneofusliesdeadattheother’shand。“
“Terriblewords，Augusta。“
“Yes，buttrue。Truthisalwaysterrible——inByzantium。Olaf，takethosedruggedfruitsandsettheminthedrawerofyondertable；lockitandguardthekey，lesttheyshouldpoisonotherhonestanimals。“
Iobeyedandreturnedtomystation。
Shelookedatmeandsaid:
“IgrowwearyofthesightofyoustandingtherelikeastatueoftheRomanMars，withyourswordhalfhidbeneathyourcloak；and，what’smore，Ihatethishall；itreeksofConstantineandhisdrinkandlies。Oh！he’svile，andformysinsGodhasmademehismother，unless，indeed，hewaschangedatbirth，asI’vebeentold，thoughI
couldneverproveit。Givemeyourhandandhelpmetorise。So，I
thankyou。Nowfollowme。We’llsitawhileinmyprivatechamber，wherealoneIcanbehappy，sincetheEmperornevercomesthere。Nay，talknotofduty；youhavenoguardstosetorchangeto-night。Followme；IhavesecretbusinessofwhichIwouldtalkwithyou。“
SoshewentandIfollowedthroughdoorsthatopenedmysteriouslyatourapproachandshutmysteriouslybehindus，tillIfoundmyselfinalittleroomhalf-lightedonly，thatIhadneverseenbefore。Itwasascentedandabeautifulplace，inonecornerofwhichawhitestatuegleamed，thatofaVenuskissingCupid，whofoldedonewingaboutherhead，andthroughtheopenwindow-placethemoonlightshoneandfloatedthemurmurofthesea。
Thedoubledoorswereshut，foraughtIknewlocked，andwithherownhandsIrenedrewthecurtainsoverthem。Neartheopenwindow，towhichtherewasnobalcony，stoodacouch。
“Sityonder，Olaf，“shesaid，“forherethereisnoceremony；herewearebutmanandwoman。“
Iobeyed，whileshebusiedherselfwiththecurtains。Thenshecameandsatherselfdownonthecouchalso，leaningagainsttheendofitinsuchafashionthatshecouldwatchmeinthemoonlight。
“Olaf，“shesaid，aftershehadlookedatmeawhile，ratherstrangely，asIthought，forthecolourcameandwentuponherface，whichinthatlightseemedquiteyoungagainandwonderfullybeautiful，“Olaf，youareaverybraveman。“
“Therearehundredsinyourservicebraver，Empress；cowardsdonottaketosoldiering。“
“Icouldtellyouadifferentstory，Olaf；butitwasnotofthiskindofcouragethatItalked。ItwasofthatwhichmadeyouoffertoeatthepoisonedfiginplaceofConstantine。Whydidyoudoso？Itistruethat，asthingshavehappened，he’llrememberitinyourfavour，forI’llsaythisofhim，heneverforgetsonewhohassavedhimfromharm，anymorethanheforgetsonewhohasharmedhim。Butifyouhadeatenyouwouldhavedied，andthenhowcouldhehaverewardedyou？“
“Empress，whenItookmyoathofofficeIsworetoprotectboththeAugustusandtheAugusta，evenwithmylife。Iwasfulfillingmyoath，thatisall。“
“Youareastrangemanaswellasabravemantointerpretoathssostrictly。Ifyouwilldoasmuchasthisforonewhoisnothingtoyou，andwhohasneverpaidyouagoldpiece，howmuch，Iwonder，wouldyoudoforonewhomyoulove。“
“Icouldoffernomorethanmylifeforsuchaone，Empress，couldI？“
“Someonetoldme——itmayhavebeenyou，Olaf，oranother——thatonceyoudidmore，challengingaheathengodforthesakeofoneyouloved，anddefeatinghim。Itwasaddedthatthiswasforaman，butthatIdonotbelieve。DoubtlessitwasforthesakeofIdunatheFair，ofwhomyouhavespokentome，whomitseemsyoucannotforgetalthoughshewasfaithlesstoyou。Itissaidthatthebestwaytoholdloveistobefaithlesstohimwholoves，andintruthIbelieveit，“sheaddedbitterly。
“Youaremistaken，Empress。ItwastobeavengedonhimforthelifeofSteinar，myfoster-brother，whichhehadtakeninsacrifice，thatI
daredOdinandhewedhisholystatuetopieceswiththissword；ofSteinar，whomIdunabetrayedasshebetrayedme，bringingonetodeathandtheothertoshame。“