ith
astonishment. They had hoped that the strong fortress would voluntarily
open its gates.

Contrary to all Gothic custom and his own usually frank manner, King
Witichis imparted to no one, not even to his friends, the object of the
embassy, or the reason of his angry attack.

Silently, but with doubting shakes of the head and little hope of
success, the army prepared for the assault.

They were repulsed with great loss.

In vain the King urged his Goths again and again to storm the
precipitous and rocky walls.

In vain he himself was the first, three several times, to climb the
scaling-ladders. From early morning to sunset the assaulters stormed
the place without making the least progress; the fortress well
preserved its old reputation of invincibility.

And when at last the King, stunned by a stone, was carried out of the
turmoil, Teja and Hildebrand ceased their efforts and led the weary
troops back to the camp.

The temper of the army during the following night was very sad and
depressed. They had to complain of great losses, and had now nothing
but the conviction that the city could not be taken by force.

The Gothic garrison of Ravenna had fought side by side with the
citizens on the walls. The King of the Goths lay encamped before his
own residence, before the stronghold of his kingdom, in which he had
hoped to find protection and the time to arm against Belisarius!

But the worst was, that the army laid the whole blame of the unhappy
struggle and the necessity of civil war upon the King. Why had the
negotiations with the city been so abruptly broken off? Why was not the
cause of this breach, if it were a just one, made known to the troops?
Why did the King shun the light?

The soldiers sat dejected by their watch-fires, or lay in their tents
nursing their wounds and mending their weapons; no ancient heroic songs
sounded, as usual, from the mess-tables of the camp; and when the
leaders walked through the lanes of tents, they heard many a word of
anger and vexation directed against the King.

Towards morning Hildebad arrived in the camp from Florentia with his
thousands. He heard with indignation of the news of the bloody defeat,
and wished to go at once to the King; but as the latter still lay
unconscious under Hildebrand's care. Earl Teja took Hildebad into his
tent to answer his impatient questions.

Some time after the old master-at-arms joined them; with such an
expression on his features tha