not stay long in this place, and I am now safely
disguised--better than in armour."

After a time, as all remained still, he became uncomfortable in the
damp air of the vault; he carefully half-raised the slab, mounted the
ladder and looked into the empty church.

His eye fell on the glittering gold pieces, which shone in the light of
the altar-lamp.

A few had been picked up by his pursuers, but they thirsted more for
blood than gold. Already the miser repented having promised the priest
so much.

"He, moreover, rejected the gold; so I am no longer bound to give it.
And these scattered pieces--they shall not fall to the scoundrels."

He now lifted the slab quite up, and listened again anxiously. All was
silent.

Then he deliberately placed money-bag and purse of jewels in the chest,
closed the lid, climbed quickly out and picked up the solidi--at first
those that lay nearest, then those by the altar; he then saw to the
right of the altar a whole heap lying together, as they had fallen out
of the burst bag.

He went now from the left of the altar towards the right, stooped
down--oh, horror! he heard steps approaching from the priest's house!
Only one man, certainly, but that was not Johannes--there was the clang
of metal!

He quickly attempted to regain his hiding-place, but before he could
pass the altar, a black shadow fell across his path. Zeno could not,
unnoticed, spring into the vault.

His knees failed him; so, drawing the hood quickly over his head, he
threw himself into the position in which he had found Johannes, with
his arms encircling the relic shrine on the altar. At the same moment
cold steel penetrated his neck. He was dead before he had heard the
words, "Die, priest!"

CHAPTER XIII.

But the murderer now thought it was not the high-towering form of the
Presbyter. He bent down so that the black horse-tail of his high helmet
fell forwards, and drew back the hood, and with it the head of the
murdered man.

With a short scream he let it again fall.

"Irony of fate! The usurer! How comes he here? How in this disguise?
Where is the priest?"

But before the Tribune could think about these questions, his whole
attention was drawn towards the chief entrance of the church, by a
noise of the most startling kind.

Leo had stationed his troops in the Forum of Hercules; had left them
with the command there to await his return. He had dismounted, and put
his