."

"And without my knowledge!" cried the Queen-regent.

"It was done without your knowledge, because otherwise it must have
been done against your will."

He ceased. All the Romans were confounded by the suddenly developed
energy of the young King. Only Cethegus was at once resolved to prevent
the review at any price. He saw the foundations of all his plans
tottering. Gladly would he have come to the help of the regency, which
was thus sinking before his very eyes, with all the weight of his
oratory; he would have long since gladly crushed the bold efforts of
the youth with his calm superiority, but a strange circumstance held
his thoughts and tongue enchained as if in magic bonds.

He fancied he heard a noise behind the curtain, and fixed a keen look
upon it. He soon remarked beneath it, for the fringes did not quite
reach the ground, the feet of a man. But only as far up as the ankles.

Upon these ankles, however, were steel greaves of peculiar
construction. He knew these greaves; he knew that they belonged to a
full suit of armour of the same make; he knew also, by an instinctive
connection of ideas, that the wearer of this armour was hateful and
dangerous to him. But still it was impossible for him to say who this
enemy was. If he could only have seen the greaves as far up as the
knee!

His eyes wandered again and again to the same spot. Against his will
his mind was occupied in guessing. And this circumstance kept his
attention fixed, at a moment when everything was at stake. He was angry
with himself, but he could not tear his thoughts and looks away from
the niche.

Meanwhile the King continued without contradiction: "Further, we have
recalled the noble Dukes Thulun, Ibba and Pitza, who have left our
court in ill-will, from Gaul and Spain. We find that too many Romans
and too few Goths surround us. These three brave warriors, together
with Earl Witichis, will examine the defences of our kingdom, the
fortresses and ships, and will discover and remedy all deficiencies. We
expect them to arrive shortly."

"They must at once leave the place again," said Cethegus to himself;
but his thoughts repeated, "not without reason is that man concealed
behind the curtain."

"Further," resumed Athalaric, "we have ordered Mataswintha, our
beautiful sister, to return to court. She was banished to Tarento
because she refused to become the wife of an aged Roman. She shall
return, the loveliest flower of our realm and an