“ThenletherremaininthechargeoftheCaptainJodd，“Iexclaimedangrily，“andinyourcharge，Martina，whoareaccustomedtoattendinguponher，andknowthatyouarebothanswerableforhersafetywithyourlives。Sendthecaptainoftheshiptomeandprepareadischargeforhim。Iwillnotseethiswomantillhehassailed，sinceuntilthenIamcommandedtokeepallsecret。Sendalsotheheadofficeroftheguard。“
Threedayswentby。TheImperialshiphadsailed，takingwithhermyformalacknowledgmentoftheEmperor’sletter，andthetimehadcomewhenoncemoreImustmeetIrenefacetoface。
IsatintheaudiencechamberofmyGreatHouse，andtherewaspresentwithmeonlyJodd，mylieutenantinoffice。Beingblind，Idarednotreceiveadesperatewomanalone，fearinglestshemightstabmeordoherselfsomemischief。AtthedoorofthechamberJoddtookherfromtheguards，whomhebaderemainwithincall，andconductedhertowhereIsat。Hetoldmeafterwardsthatshewasdressedasanun，awhitehoodhalfhidingherstillbeautifulfaceandasilvercrucifixhanginguponherbreast。
AsIheardhercomeIroseandbowedtoher，andmyfirstwordstoherweretoprayhertobeseated。
“Nay，“sheansweredinthatrich，well-rememberedvoiceofhers，“aprisonerstandsbeforethejudge。Igreetyou，GeneralOlaf，Iprayyourpardon——Michael——afterlongyearsofseparation。Youhavechangedbutlittle，andIrejoicetoseethatyourhealthisgoodandthattherankandprosperitywhichIgavehavenotbeentakenfromyou。“
“Igreetyou，Madam，“almosthadIsaidAugusta，Ianswered，thencontinuedhurriedly:“LadyIrene，IhavereceivedcertaincommandsconcerningyoufromtheEmperorNicephoruswhichitisbestthatyoushouldhear，sothatyoushallholdmequitofblameinaughtthatitmaybemydutytoinflictuponyou。Readthem，CaptainJodd。Nay，I
forgot，youcannot。GivethecopyofthelettertotheLadyIrene；theoriginalshecanseeafterwardsifshewills。“
SothepaperwasgiventoherbyJodd，andshereaditaloud，weighingeachwordcarefully。
“Oh，whatadogisthis！“shesaidwhenitwasfinished。“Know，Olaf，thatofmyfreewillIsurrenderedthethronetohim，yes，andallmyprivatetreasure，heswearingupontheGospelsthatIshouldliveinpeaceandhonourtillmylife’send。Andnowhesendsmetoyoutobeblindedandthendonetodeath，forthatiswhathemeans。Oh！mayGodavengemeuponhim！Mayhebecomeabywordandascorn，andmayhisownendbeevenworsethanthatwhichhehaspreparedforme。Mayshamewraphismemoryasinagarment，mayhisbonesbedishonouredandhisburying-placeforgotten。Aye，andsoitshallbe。“[*]
[*]TheskullofthisNicephorusissaidtohavebeenusedasadrinkingcupbyhisvictoriousenemy，theKingKrum——Editor。
Shepausedinherfearfulcurse，thensaidinanewvoice，thatvoiceinwhichshewaswonttoplead，“Youwillnotblindme，Olaf。You’llnottakefrommemylastblessing，thelightofday。Thinkwhatitmeans——“
“TheGeneralOlafshouldknowwellenough，“interruptedJodd，butI
wavedhimtobesilent，andanswered，“Tellme，Madam，howcanIdootherwise？Itseemstomethatmylifeandthatofmywifeandchildrenhanguponthisdeed。Moreover，whyshouldIdootherwisenowthatbyGod’sjusticethewheelhascomeroundatlast？“Iadded，pointingtothehollowsbeneathmybrowswheretheeyesoncehadbeen。
“Oh！Olaf，“shesaid，“ifIharmedyou，youknowwellitwasbecauseI
lovedyou。“
“ThenGodsendthatnowomaneverlovesmeinsuchafashion，“brokeinJodd。
“Olaf，“shecontinued，takingnonoteofhim，“onceyouwentveryneartolovingmealso，onthatnightwhenyouwouldhaveeatenthepoisonedfigstosavemyson，theEmperor。Atleast，youkissedme。Ifyouforget，Icannot。Olaf，canyoublindawomanwhomyouhavekissed？“
“Kissingtakestwo，andIknowthatyoublindedhim，“mutteredJodd，“forIcrucifiedthebrutesyoucommandedtodothedeedtowhichtheyconfessed。“
“Olaf，IadmitthatItreatedyouill；IadmitthatIwouldhavekilledyou；but，believeme，itwasjealousyandnaughtbutjealousywhichdrovemeon。AlmostassoonwouldIhavekilledmyself；indeed，Ithoughtofit。“
“Andtherethematterended，“saidJodd。“ItwasOlafwhowalkedtheHallofthePit，notyou。Wefoundhimonthebrinkofthehole。“
“Olaf，afterIregainedmypower——“
“Byblindingyourownson，“saidJodd，“forwhichyouwillhaveanaccounttosettleoneday。“
“——Idealtwellwithyou。Knowingthatyouhadmarriedmyrival，forIkeptmyselfinformedofallyoudid，stillIliftednohandagainstyou——“
“WhatgoodwasamaimedmantoyouwhenyouwerecourtingtheEmperorCharlemagne？“askedJodd。
Nowatlastsheturnedonhim，saying，“Wellisitforyou，Barbarian，thatifonlyforawhileFatehasreftpowerfrommyhands。Oh！thisisthebitterestdropinallmycup，thatIwhoforascoreofyearsruledtheworldmustlivetosuffertheinsultsofsuchasyou。“
“Thenwhynotdieandhavedone？“askedtheimperturbableJodd。“Or，ifyoulackthecourage，whynotsubmittothedecreeoftheEmperor，assomanyhavesubmittedtoyourdecree，insteadoftroublingthegeneralherewithprayersformercy？Itwouldserveaswell。“
“Jodd，“Isaid，“Icommandyoutobesilent。Thisladyisintrouble；
attackthoseinpower，ifyouwill，notthosewhohavefallen。“
“TherespeaksthemanIloved，“saidIrene。“Whatperversefatekeptusapart，Olaf？HadyoutakenwhatIoffered，bynowyouandIwouldhaveruledtheworld。“
“Perhaps，Madam；yetitisrightIshouldsaythatIdonotregretmychoice，althoughbecauseofitIcannolonger——lookupontheworld。“
“Iknow，Iknow！Sheofthataccursednecklace，whichIseeyoustillwear，camebetweenusandspoiledeverything。NowI’mruinedforlackofyouandyouarenobodyforlackofme，asoldierwhowillrunhispettycourseanddepartintotheuniversaldarkness，leavingneveranamebehindhim。IntheagestobewhatmanwilltakecountofoneofascoreofgovernorsofthelittleIsleofLesbos，whomightyethaveheldtheearthinthehollowofhishandandshoneasecondC鎠arinitsannals？Oh！whatmarplotofadevilrulesourdestinies？Hewhofashionedthosegoldenshellsuponyourbreast，orsoIthink。Well，well，itissoandcannotbealtered。TheAugustaoftheEmpireoftheEastmustpleadwiththemanwhorejectedher，forsight，orratherforherlife。Youunderstand，doyounot，Olaf，thatletterisacommandtoyoutomurderme？“
“JustsuchacommandasyougavetothosewhoblindedyoursonConstantine，“mutteredJoddbeneathhisbreath。
“Thatiswhatismeant。Youaretomurderme，and，Olaf，I’mnotfittodie。Greatplacebringsgreattemptations，andIadmitthatIhavegreatlysinned；IneedtimeupontheearthtomakemypeacewithHeaven，andifyouslaymybodynow，youwillslaymysoulaswell。
Oh！bepitiful！Bepitiful！Olaf，youcannotkillthewomanwhohaslainuponyourbreast，itisagainstnature。Ifyoudidsuchathingyou’dneversleepagain；youwouldshudderyourselfovertheedgeoftheworld！Beingwhatyouare，nopomporpowerwouldeverpayyouforthedeed。Betruetoyourownhighheartandspareme。See，Iwhoforsolongwastherulerofmanykingdoms，kneeltoyouandprayyoutospareme，“and，castingherselfdownuponherknees，shelaidherheaduponmyfeetandwept。
Allthatscenecomesbacktomewithastrangeandterriblevividness，althoughIhadnosighttoaidmeinitsdetails，savethesightofmysoul。Irememberthatthewonderandhorrorofitpiercedmethroughandthrough；thestabofthedaggerinmyeyeswasnotmoresharp。
TherewasI，Olaf，ameregentlemanoftheNorth，seatedinmychairofoffice，andtherebeforeme，hermightyheadboweduponmyfeet，knelttheEmpressoftheEarthpleadingforherlife。Intruthallhistorycouldshowfewstrangerscenes。WhatwasItodo？IfIyieldedtoherpiteousprayers，itwasprobablethatmyownlifeandthoseofmywifeandchildrenwouldpaytheprice。YethowcouldIclapmyhandsintheirEasternfashionandsummontheexecutionerstopiercethosestreamingeyesofhers？“Rise，Augusta，“Isaid，forinthisextremityofhershameIgaveherbackhertitle，“andtellme，youwhoareaccustomedtosuchmatters，howIcanspareyouwhodealwiththelivesofothersaswellaswithmyown？“
“Ithankyouforthatname，“shesaidasshestruggledtoherfeet。
“I’vehearditshoutedbytensofthousandsinthecircusandfromthethroatsofarmies，butneveryethasitbeenhalfsosweettomeasnowfromlipsthathavenoneedtoutterit。IntimesbygoneI’dhavepaidyouforthisservicewithaprovince，butnowIreneissopoorthat，likesomehumblebeggar-woman，shecanbutgiveherthanks。
Still，repeatitnomore，fornexttimeitwillsoundbitter。Whatdidyouask？Howyoucouldsaveme，wasitnot？Well，thethingseemssimple。InallthatletterfromNicephorusthereisnodirectcommandthatyoushouldblindme。ThefellowsaysthatyouaretotreatmeasItreatedyou，andasItreatedConstantine，theEmperor——becauseI
must。Well，Iimprisonedbothofyou。Imprisonmeandyoufulfilthemandate。HesaysthatifIdieyouaretoreportit，whichshowsthathedoesnotmeanthatI/must/die。Oh！theroadofescapeiseasy，shouldyoudesiretotravelit。Ifyoudonotsodesire，then，Olaf，I
prayyouasalastfavournottohandmeovertocommonmen。IseethatbyyoursidestillhangsthatredswordofyourswherewithonceI
threatenedyouwhenyourefusedmeatByzantium。Drawit，Olaf，andthistimeI’llguideitsedgeacrossmythroat。SoyouwillpleaseNicephorusandwintherewardsthatIrenecannolongergive。Baptisedinherblood，whatearthlygloryistheretowhichyoumightnotyetattain，youwhohaddaredtolayhandsupontheanointedfleshthatevenherworstfoeshavefearedtotouchlestGod’ssuddencurseshouldstrikethemdead？“