haveotherbusinesstoattendtojustnowthansuchdeath-bedgossip。
Thesethingsdonotcometomyears。“
IlookedatIreneandIrenelookedatme。
“Augusta，“Isaid，“Idonotbelieveyourstory。NospearwoundedHeliodorewhileIwasnearher，andwhenIwasnotnearheryourGreeksweretoofarawayforanyspearstobethrown。Indeed，unlessyoustabbedhersecretly，shewasnotwounded，andIamsurethat，howevermuchyouhavehatedher，thisyouwouldnothavedaredtodoforyourownlife’ssake。Augusta，foryourownpurposesyouaretryingtodeceiveme。Iwillnotmarryyou。Doyourworst。YouhaveliedtomeaboutthewomanwhomIlove，andthoughIforgiveyoualltherest，thisIdonotforgive。YouknowwellthatHeliodorestilllivesbeneaththesun。“
“Ifso，“answeredtheEmpress，“youhavelookedyourlastuponthesunand——her。NeveragainshallyoubeholdthebeautyofHeliodore。Haveyouaughttosay？Thereisstilltime。“
“Nothing，Augusta，atpresent，exceptthis。OflateIhavelearnedtobelieveinaGod。IsummonyoutomeetmebeforethatGod。TherewewillargueoutourcaseandabideHisjudgment。IfthereisnoGodtherewillbenojudgment，andIsaluteyou，Empress，whotriumph。If，asIbelieveandasyousayyoubelieve，thereisaGod，thinkwhom/you/willbecalledupontosalutewhenthatGodhasheardthetruth。
MeanwhileIrepeatthatHeliodoretheEgyptianstilllivesbeneaththesun。“
Irenerosefromthestoolonwhichshesatandthoughtamoment。I
gazedthroughthebarsofthewindow-placeinmycelloutatthenightabove。Ayoungmoonwasfloatinginthesky，andneartoithungastar。Alittlepassingcloudwithadentededgedriftedoverthestarandthelowerhornofthemoon。Itwentby，andtheyshoneoutagainuponthebackgroundoftheblueheavens。Alsoanowlflittedacrossthewindow-placeofmycell。Ithadamouseinitsbeak，andtheshadowofitandofthewrithingmouseforamomentlayuponIrene’sbreast，forIturnedmyheadandsawthem。Itcameintomymindthatherewasanallegory。Irenewasthenight-hawk，andIwasthewrithingmousethatfeditsappetite。Doubtlessitwasdecreedthattheowlmustbeandthemousemustbe，butbeyondthemboth，hiddeninthoseblueheavens，stoodthatJusticewhichwecallGod。
ThesewerethelastthingsthatIsawinthislifeofmine，andthereforeIrememberthemwell，orrather，almostthelast。TheverylastofwhichItooknotewasIrene’sface。Ithadgrownliketothatofadevil。Thegreateyesinitstaredoutbetweenthepuffedandpurpleeyelids。Thepaintedcheekshadsunkinandwerepallidbeneathandroundthepaint。Theteethshowedintwowhitelines，thechinworked。Shewasnolongerabeautifulwoman，shewasafiend。
Ireneknockedthriceuponthedoor。Boltswerethrownback，andmenentered。
“Blindhim！“shesaid。
Thedaysandthenightswentby，butwhichwasdayandwhichwasnightIknewnot，saveforthevisitsofthejailerswithmymeals——Iwhowasblind，Iwhoshouldneverseethelightagain。AtfirstIsufferedmuch，butbydegreesthepaindiedaway。Alsoaphysiciancametotendmyhurts，askilfulman。SoonIdiscovered，however，thathehadanotherobject。Hepitiedmystate，somuch，indeed，hesaid，thatheofferedtosupplymewithadrugthat，ifIwerewillingtotakeit，wouldmakeanendofmepainlessly。NowIunderstoodatoncethatIrenedesiredmydeath，and，fearingtocauseit，setthemeansofself-murderwithinmyreach。
Ithankedthemanandbeggedhimtogivemethedrug，whichhedid，whereonIhiditawayinmygarments。WhenitwasseenthatIstilllivedalthoughIhadaskedforthemedicine，IthinkthatIrenebelievedthiswasbecauseithadfailedtowork，orthatsuchameansofdeathdidnotpleaseme。Soshefoundanother。Oneeveningwhenajailerbroughtmysupperhepressedsomethingheavyintomyhand，whichIfelttobeasword。
“Whatweaponisthis？“Iasked，“andwhydoyougiveittome？“
“Itisyourownsword，“answeredtheman，“whichIwascommandedtoreturntoyou。Iknownomore。“
Thenhewentaway，leavingtheswordwithme。
Idrewthefamiliarbladefromitssheath，theredbladethattheWandererhadworn，andtouchingitskeenedgewithmyfingers，weptfrommyblindedeyestothinkthatneveragaincouldIholditaloftinwarorseethelightflashfromitasIsmote。Yes，Iweptinmyweakness，tillIrememberedthatIhadnolongeranywishtobethedeathofmen。SoIsheathedthegoodswordandhiditbeneathmymattresslestsomejailershouldstealit，which，asIcouldnotseehim，hemightdoeasily。AlsoIdesiredtoputawaytemptation。
Ithinkthatthishourafterthebringingofthesword，whichstirredupsomanymemories，wasthemostfearfulofallmyhours，sofearfulthat，haditbeenprolonged，deathwouldhavecometomeofitsownaccord。Ihadsunktomisery’slowestdeep，whodidnotknowthateventhenitstidewasturning，whocouldnotdreamofalltheblessedyearsthatlaybeforeme，theyearsofloveandofsuchpeacefuljoyaseventheblindmaywin。
ThatnightMartinacame——Martina，whowasHope’sharbinger。Iheardthedoorofmyprisonopenandclosesoftly，andsatstill，wonderingwhetherthemurderershadenteredatlast，wondering，too，whetherI
shouldsnatchtheswordandstrikeblindlytillIfell。NextIheardanothersound，thatofawomanweeping；yes，andfeltmyhandliftedandpressedtoawoman’slips，whichkisseditagainandyetagain。A
thoughtstruckme，andIbegantodrawitback。Asoftvoicespokebetweenitssobs。
“Havenofear，Olaf。IamMartina。Oh，nowIunderstandwhyyondertigresssentmeonthatdistantmission。“
“Howdidyoucomehere，Martina？“Iasked。
“Istillhavethesignet，Olaf，whichIrene，whobeginstomistrustme，forgets。OnlythismorningIlearnedthetruthonmyreturntothepalace；yetIhavenotbeenidle。WithinanhourJoddandtheNorthmenknewitalso。Withinthreetheyhadblindedeveryhostagewhomtheyheld，aye，andcaughttwoofthebruteswhodidthedeedonyou，andcrucifiedthemupontheirbarrackwalls。“
“Oh！Martina，“Ibrokein，“Ididnotdesirethatotherswhoareinnocentshouldsharemywoes。“
“NordidI，Olaf；buttheseNorthmenareilltoplaywith。Moreover，inasenseitwasneedful。YoudonotknowwhatIhavelearned——thatto-morrowIreneproposedtoslityourtonguealsobecauseyoucantelltoomuch，andafterwardstocutoffyourrighthandlestyou，whoarelearned，shouldwritedownwhatyouknow。ItoldtheNorthmen——nevermindhow。Theysentaherald，aGreekwhomtheyhadcaptured，and，coveringhimwitharrows，madehimcalloutthatifyourtonguewasslittheywouldknowofitandslitthetonguesofallthehostagesalso，andthatifyourhandwascutofftheycouldcutofftheirhands，andtakeanothervengeancewhichforthepresenttheykeepsecret。“
“Atleasttheyarefaithful，“Isaid。“But，oh！tellme，Martina，whatofHeliodore？“
“This，“shewhisperedintomyear。“Heliodoreandherfathersailedanhouraftersunsetandarenowsafeuponthesea，boundforEgypt。“
“ThenIwasright！WhenIrenetoldmeshewasdeadshelied。“
“Aye，ifshesaidthatshelied，thoughthriceshehasstriventomurderher，Ihavenotimetotellyouhow，butwasalwaysbaffledbythosewhowatched。Yetshemighthavesucceededatlast，so，althoughHeliodorefoughtagainstit，itwasbestthatsheshouldgo。Thosewhoarepartedmaymeetagain；buthowcanwemeetonewhoisdeaduntilwetooaredead？“
“Howdidshego？“
“Smuggledfromthecitydisguisedasaboyattendingonapriest，andthatpriestherfathershornofhisbeardandtonsured。TheBishopBarnabaspassedthemoutinhisfollowing。“
“ThenblessingsontheBishopBarnabas，“Isaid。
“Aye，blessingsonhim，sincewithouthishelpitcouldneverhavebeendone。Thesecretagentsattheportstaredhardatthosetwo，althoughthegoodbishopvouchedforthemandgavetheirnamesandoffices。Still，whentheysawsomerough-lookingfellowsdressedlikesailorsapproach，playingwiththehandlesoftheirknives，theagentsthoughtwelltoasknomorequestions。Moreover，nowthattheshiphassailed，fortheirownsakesthey’llswearthatnosuchpriestandboywentaboardofher。SoyourHeliodoreisawayunharmed，asisherfather，thoughhismissionhascometonaught。Still，hislifeisleftinhim，forwhichhemaybethankful，whoonsuchabusinessshouldhavebroughtnowoman。Ifhehadcomealone，Olaf，youreyeswouldhavebeenlefttoyou，andsetbynowupontheorbofempirethatyourhandhadgrasped。“
“YetIamgladthathedidnotcomealone，Martina。“
“Trulyyouhaveahighandfaithfulheart，andthatwomanshouldbehonouredwhomyoulove。Whatisthesecret？Theremustbemoreinitthanthemeredesireforawoman’sbeauty，thoughIknowthatattimesthiscanmakemenmad。Insuchabusinessthesoulmustplayitspart。“
“Ithinkso，Martina。Indeed，Ibelieveso，sinceotherwisewesuffermuchinvain。Nowtellme，howandwhendoIdie？“
“Ihopeyouwillnotdieatall，Olaf。CertainplansarelaidwhichevenhereIdarenotwhisper。To-morrowIheartheywillleadyouagainbeforethejudges，who，byIrene’sclemency，willchangeyoursentencetooneofbanishment，withsecretorderstokillyouonthevoyage。Butyouwillnevermakethatvoyage。Otherschemesareafoot；
you’lllearnofthemafterwards。“
“Yet，Martina，ifyouknowtheseplotstheAugustaknowsthemalso，sinceyouandsheareone。“