s his advice?" asked Rauthgundis. "I can manage alone."

"We need him very much. The Prefect has formed nine cohorts, after the
model of the Roman legionaries, of all the youth of Ravenna, and my
Paulus is enrolled amongst them. Luckily, the Prefect has entrusted the
guard of the city gates to these legionaries. The Byzantines are placed
outside the city in the harbour; the Isaurians here in the palace."

"Yes," continued Wachis; "and these gates are carefully closed at
night; but the breach near the Tower of AEtius is not yet repaired. Only
sentinels are placed there to guard it."

"When has my son the watch?"

"In two days. He will have the third night-watch."

"Thanks be to the saints! It could not have lasted much longer. I
feared----"

He hesitated.

"What? Speak!" cried Rauthgundis. "I can bear to hear everything."

"Perhaps it is well that you should know it; for you are cleverer than
we two, and will better find out what is to be done. I fear they have
something wicked in their heads. As long as Belisarius had the command
here, it went well with the King. But since Belisarius has gone and the
Prefect--that silent demon!--is master of the palace, things look
dangerous. He visits the King every day, and speaks to him for a long
time, earnestly and threateningly. I have often listened in the
passage. But it seems to have little effect, for the King, I believe,
never answers him; and when the Prefect comes out, he looks as black as
thunder. For six days I have received no wine for the King, and only a
little piece of bread; and the air down there is as mouldy and damp as
the grave."

Rauthgundis sighed deeply.

"Yesterday," continued Dromon, "when the Prefect came up, he looked
blacker than ever. He asked me----"

"Well? Tell me, whatever it may be!"

"He asked me whether the instruments of torture were in good order!"

Rauthgundis turned pale, but remained silent.

"The wretch!" cried Wachis. "What did you----"

"Do not be afraid; all is safe for a time. 'Clarissimus,' I said--and
it is the pure truth--'the screws and pincers, the weights and spikes,
and the whole delightful apparatus lie all together as safe as
possible.' 'Where?' he asked. 'In the deep sea,' I answered; 'I myself,
at the order of King Theodoric, threw them in!' For you must know,
Mistress Rauthgundis, that when your master was a simple Earl, he once
saved me from being tortured. At his request, the horrible practice was
fully a