laughing,
weeping girl in Adalgoth's arms.

Then he turned to the assembled Goths, and said:

"Permit me shortly to explain to you what this writing--the Latin of
which is rather rude, for Hildegisel was cleverer with the sword than
the pen--contains. Here is, besides, Duke Alaric's declaration of his
innocence."

"That has already been proved by his son," cried Duke Guntharis. "And I
never believed in his guilt."

"Duke Alaric," continued the King, "discovered his secret accuser too
late. Our Adalgoth, as you know, brought his innocence to light, when
he found the hidden documents in the broken statue of Caesar. Cethegus
the Prefect had kept a sort of diary in a secret cypher. But
Cassiodorus, with grief and amazement, deciphered the writing, and
found an entry at the commencement of the book, written about twelve
years ago, which ran thus: 'Duke Alaric condemned. That he was
innocent, is now only believed by himself and his accuser. He who
injures Cethegus shall not live. At the time when I woke from a
death-like swoon on the banks of the Tiber, I swore to be revenged. I
made a vow and it is now fulfilled.' The cause of this hatred is still
a secret. But it is connected in some way with our friend Julius
Montanus. Where is he?"

"He has already returned to St. Peter's with Cassiodorus," answered
Earl Teja; "excuse them. Every day at this hour they pray for peace
with Byzantium. And Julius," he added with a bitter smile, "prays also
for the Prefect's soul."

"King Theodoric," said the King, "was hardly to be persuaded of the
guilt of the brave duke, with whom he was on terms of intimate
friendship."

"Yes," observed Duke Guntharis, "he once gave him a broad gold bracelet
with a runic device."

The King now resumed his reading of the papers:

"'I took a bracelet given me by King Theodoric'--these are the words of
the duke--'when I fled with my child. Broken in two just in the centre
of the runic inscription. It will one day serve to prove the honourable
birth of my son.'"

"He bears the proof on his face," cried Duke Guntharis.

"But the golden proof is also not wanting!" exclaimed Adalgoth: "at
least old Iffa gave me a broken bracelet. Here it is," and he took out
the half of a broken bracelet, which he carried tied to a ribbon round
his neck; "I have never been able to explain the sense of these words:

"'The Amelung--
The eagle--
In need--
The friend--'