s."

Cornelius had glanced through the composition. He tamed pale and
silently gave it to Severus, who read it trembling.

"There is no doubt!" said he, almost voiceless. "I know the man; he has
served under me. Odoacer does not lie."

"And we do not lie!" cried the gray-bearded companion of Liuthari. He
urged on his horse and took the letter from the hand of Severus. "To
split shields, not to falsify Runes, have I taught King Liutbert's
son."

One could well believe that of the old man. Before he put the roll into
his girdle he looked into it with an important air; it did not disturb
him that the letters were upside down.

Severus supported himself on his spear. Cornelius looked darkly before
him. "I knew it," he then said. "I had almost wished for it when I saw
it was unavoidable; and now it is come it crushes me."

"No longer an Imperator in Rome!" groaned Severus.

"Italy in the hands of the barbarians!" sighed Cornelius.

"You awake my deepest pity, gallant heroes," said the king's son, in a
grave tone. "But now you see well: the battle must come to an end
before it begins. For whom, for what will you yet fight?"

"For the future!" cried Severus.

"For the past--for honour!" cried Cornelius.

"For immortal Rome!" said both.

"Byzantium yet rules--soon will Byzantium send another Emperor,"
threatened Severus.

"Perhaps!" said Liuthari, shrugging his shoulders. "But in the meantime
we want a settling-place, fields, and pasturage, we Germans. And
therefore I bring you a message in my father's name: 'So speaks
Liutbert, the King of the Alemanni, in his own name and in that of his
allies'"----

"Who are these allies?" interrupted Cornelius.

"You will find out quicker than you will like," answered gruffly
Liuthari's companion.

Liuthari continued: "'Let him stay in the land who will do so
peaceably; he who will not stay let him peaceably retire. The
fortresses to be vacated; they must be destroyed. Two-thirds of the
land remain to you; one-third is for us.' That is a reasonable
division."

But Severus started up angrily, raising his spear. "Bold barbarian!
Darest thou thus to speak, with eighty barbarians against the host of
Juvavum's burghers? Thou hast learnt to speak as a Latin, but not to
think as a Roman!"

"I should think," interposed Cornelius, "that your country was large
enough for you, ye Alemanni, when you can only send eighty horsemen to
conquer Juvavum. Do you think I can yield to _