me?"

"What canst thou advise?"

"Come with us! Up, away! Mount my horse and ride away with Mistress
Rauthgundis. I will follow afterwards. Leave those who torture you till
the bright drops stand in your eyes; leave them, and all the rubbish of
crown and kingdom. It has brought you no happiness. They do not mean
well by you. Who would part man and wife for a dead crown? Up and away,
I say! And I know a rocky nest where no one can find you but an eagle
or a chamois."

"Shall thy master run away from his kingdom, like a bad slave from the
mill?"

"Farewell, Witichis. Here, take the locket with the blue ribbon; the
ringlet of our boy is in it, and one," she whispered, kissing him on
the forehead, and hanging the locket round his neck, "one of
Rauthgundis'. Farewell, thou, my heart's life!"

He raised himself to look into her eyes.

She suddenly struck her horse--"Forward, Wallada!"--and galloped away.
Wachis followed.

Witichis stood motionless, and looked after her.

She stopped before the road turned into the wood--once more she waved
her hand, and the next minute had disappeared.

Witichis listened to the tramp of the horses as if in a dream. When the
sound ceased he turned.

But he could not leave the place.

He stepped out of the road. At the other side of the ditch lay a large
mossy block of stone. There the King of the Goths seated himself,
rested his arms upon his knees, and buried his face in his hands. He
pressed them hard against his eyes, to shut out the whole world from
his grief.

Tears trickled through his fingers. He did not notice them.

Horsemen galloped past. He scarcely heard them.

So he sat motionless for hours; so motionless, that the birds of the
wood hopped close to him.

The sun stood in the south.

At last--he heard some one call his name.

He looked up. Earl Teja stood before him.

"I knew well," said Teja, "that thou hadst not fled like a coward. Come
back with me, and save thy kingdom. When, this morning, thou wert not
found in thy tent, the report spread through the camp that, despairing
of kingdom and happiness, thou hadst fled. It soon reached the city of
Ravenna and Guntharis. The Ravennese threaten a sally, and that they
will go over to Belisarius. Arahad tempts the army to give him the
crown. Two, three opposing Kings arise. Everything will fall to pieces
if thou comest not to save us!"

"I come!" cried Witichis. "Let them take care! The best heart in the
worl