the son of Tagila.

"I am he. What would you, Roman?" asked Teja, turning.

"Nought, sir, except to deliver this vase to you. See, the seal, the
scorpion, is intact."

"What shall I do with the vase? I buy no such things."

"The vase is yours, sir. It is full of documents and rolls which belong
to you. My guest desired me to give it to you. I beg you, take it."

And he pressed the vase into Teja's hand, and disappeared amid the
crowd.

Teja broke the seal indifferently, and took the documents out.
Indifferently he looked at them.

But suddenly a vivid flush overspread his pale cheeks, his eyes
flashed, and he convulsively bit his lip. The vase fell to the ground
as he rushed up to Witichis, and said, in an almost toneless voice:

"My King! King Witichis, a favour!"

"What is it, Teja? For God's sake, what wilt thou?"

"Leave of absence! for six--three days! I must go!"

"Go? Where?"

"To revenge myself! Read--the devil who accused my parents, who drove
them to desperation, madness, and death--it is he--whom I long since
suspected. Here is his accusation, addressed to the Bishop of
Florentia, in his own handwriting--it is Theodahad!"

"It is, it is Theodahad," said Witichis, looking up from the letter.
"Go, then! But, doubt it not, thou wilt not find him in Rome. He has
certainly fled long since. He has had a great start. Thou canst not
overtake him!"

"I will overtake him, even if he rides on the wings of the
storm-eagle!"

"Thou wilt not find him!"

"I will find him, if I must pluck him from hell's deepest abyss, or
from out of the midst of the angels!"

"He will have fled with a strong escort," warned Witichis.

"I will reach him in the midst of a thousand demons! Hildebad, thy
horse! Farewell, King of the Goths. I go to fulfil the ban!"

BOOK IV.

WITICHIS.

"And the Goths chose Witichis for their King, a man of humble origin,
but a famous warrior."--_Procopius: Wars of the Goths_, i. 11.

PART I.

CHAPTER I.

Slowly sank the sun behind the green hills of Faesulae, and gilded the
columns in front of the simple country-house of which Rauthgundis was
the mistress.

The Gothic servants and Italian slaves were busy concluding the day's
work.

The stable-man was fetching the young horses from the pasture; two
other servants were bringing a herd