bject to the eternal and infernal
powers which reign under the green grass of the earth; good men shall
tread with their feet over the perjurer's head, and his name shall be
without honour wherever Christian folk ring bells and heathen folk
offer sacrifices, wherever mothers caress their children and the wind
blows over the wide world. Say, companions, shall it be thus with the
vile perjurer?"

"Thus shall it be with him," repeated the four men.

After a grave pause, Hildebrand loosened the chain of their hands, and
said:

"That you may know why I bade you come hither, and how sacred this
place is to me, come and see."

With this he lifted the torch and went before them behind the mighty
trunk of the oak, in front of which they had taken the oath. Silently
his friends followed, and saw with astonishment, that, exactly in a
line with the turfy ditch in which they had stood, there yawned a wide
and open grave, from which the slab of stone had been rolled away. At
the bottom, shining ghastly in the light of the torch, lay three long
white skeletons; a few rusty pieces of armour, lance-points, and
shield-bosses lay beside them.

The men looked with surprise; now into the grave, now at Hildebrand. He
silently held the torch over the chasm for some minutes. At last he
said quietly:

"My three sons. They have lain here for more than thirty years. They
fell on this mountain in the last battle for the city of Ravenna. They
fell in the same hour; to-day is the day. They rushed with joyous
shouts against the enemies' spears--for their people."

He ceased. The men looked down with emotion. At last the old man drew
himself up and glanced at the sky.

"It is enough," said he, "the stars are paling. Midnight is long since
past. You three return into the city. Thou, Teja, wilt surely remain
with me; to thee, more than to any other, is given the gift of sorrow,
as of song; and keep with me the guard of honour beside the dead."

Teja nodded, and sat down without a word at the foot of the grave, just
where he was standing. The old man gave Totila the torch, and leaned
opposite Teja against the stone slab. The other three signed to him
with a parting gesture. Gravely, and buried in deep thought, they
descended to the city.

CHAPTER III.

A few weeks after this midnight meeting near Ravenna an assembly took
place in Rome; just as secret, also under protection of night, but held
by very differ