ildebrand, as thou
hast spoken to us. He is wise; he will devise means."

The old man shook his head:

"I have spoken to him twenty times. He listens no more. He is tired and
will die, and his soul is darkened, I know not by what shadows. What is
thy advice, Hildebad?"

"I think," answered Hildebad, proudly raising his head, "that as soon
as the old lion has closed his tired eyes, we arm two hosts. Witichis
and Teja lead the one before Byzantium and burn it down; with the other
I and my brother climb the Alps and destroy Paris, that dragon's nest
of the Merovingians, and make it a heap of stones for ever. Then there
will be peace in East and West."

"We have no ships against Byzantium," said Witichis.

"And the Franks are seven to one against us," said Hildebrand. "But thy
intentions are valiant, Hildebad. Say, what advisest thou, Witichis?"

"I advise a league--weighted with oaths, secured with hostages--of all
the Northern races against the Greeks."

"Thou believest in fidelity, because thou thyself art true. My friend,
only the Goths can help the Goths. But they must be reminded that they
_are_ Goths. Listen to me. You are all young, love all manner of
things, and have many pleasures. One loves a woman, another weapons, a
third has some hope or some grief which is to him as a beloved one. But
believe me, a time will come--it may be during your young days--when
all these joys and even pains will become worthless as faded wreaths
from yesterday's banquet.

"Then many will become soft and pious, forget that which is on earth,
and strive for that which is beyond the grave. But that neither you nor
I can do. I love the earth, with mountain and wood and meadow and
rushing stream; and I love life, with all its hate and long love, its
tenacious anger and dumb pride. Of the ethereal life in the wind-clouds
which is taught by the Christian priests, I know, and will know,
nothing. But there is one possession--when all else is gone--which a
true man never loses. Look at me. I am a leafless trunk. I have lost
all that rejoiced my life; my wife is dead long since; my sons, my
grandchildren are dead: except one, who is worse than dead--who has
become an Italian.

"All, all are gone, and now my first love and last pride, my great
King, descends tired into his grave. What keeps me still alive? What
gives me still courage and will? What drives _me_, an old man, up to
this mountain in this night of storm like a youth? What g