at with fever. The fearful conviction came over
me that my kingdom would fall and my nation decay, because of this my
bloody deed."

This time, after a short pause, Hildebrand, looking up defiantly, said:

"King, why dost thou fret like a woman? Hast thou not struck down
hundreds with thine own arm, and thy people thousands at thy behest?
Have we not descended from the mountains into this land in more than
thirty battles, wading ankle-deep in blood? What is the blood of _one_
man to all this? And remember the circumstances. For four years he had
defied thee as the ure-ox defies the bear. Twice he had driven thee and
thy folk to the brink of destruction. Hunger, sword, and pestilence
carried off thy Goths. At last, at last, stubborn Ravenna fell, forced
by famine. The deadly enemy lay at thy feet. Then a warning came that
he contemplated treason; that he would renew the fearful strife; that
he would attack thee and thine that night. What couldest thou do? Call
him openly to account? If he were guilty, that could do no good,
therefore thou wert beforehand with him, and did that to him in the
evening which he intended doing to thee at night. That _one_ deed saved
thy people, and prevented the renewal of a fearful strife. Thou
forgavest all his followers, and for thirty years caused Goths and
Italians to live as if in Paradise. And now thou wilt torment thyself
with vain remorse? Two nations will ever thank thee for this deed! I--I
would have killed him seven times over!"

The old man ceased; his eyes flashed; he looked like an angry giant.
But the King shook his head.

"That is nothing, old warrior! I have repeated the same thing to myself
a hundred times, and put it into more flattering forms than is possible
to thy rude tongue. All in vain! He was a hero--the only one of my
kind--and I murdered him without proof of his guilt, for I was jealous,
suspicious, aye, it must be said, I was _afraid_--afraid that I should
be compelled again to strive with him. It was, and is, and ever will
be a sin! I have found no peace in self-excuses. Since that night
his image has followed me unceasingly. At the banquet and in the
council-chamber; at the hunt, in the church, waking and sleeping. Then
Cassiodorus sent the priests and bishops to me. They could not help me.
They heard my confession, saw my grief and my faith, and absolved me
from all my sins. But peace came not, and though they forgave me, I
could not forgive myself. I know