sir, stoop! dive! They take aim again!"

The Huns had finished praying. They rode a short way into the water,
fixing their arrows and taking aim.

"Leave me, Witichis. Fly! I will die here."

"No; I will never leave thee again!"

He lifted her out of the saddle, and tried to hide her on the rock. The
group stood in the full light of the moon.

"Yield, Witichis!" cried Cethegus, spurring his horse up to its
haunches in the water.

"A curse upon thee, thou traitor!" was the reply of Witichis.

Twelve arrows whizzed at once. The charger of Theodoric leaped wildly
forward, and sank for ever into the flood.

But Witichis also was mortally wounded.

"With thee!" sighed Rauthgundis. She held him closely with both arms.

"With thee!"

And, locked in a fast embrace, husband and wife sank into the river.

In bitter grief, Wachis, on the farther shore, called their names. In
vain. Three times he called, and then galloped away into the night.

"Get the bodies out," ordered Cethegus grimly, turning his horse to the
bank.

And the Huns rode and swam to the rock, and sought for the bodies. But
they sought in vain.

The rapid current had carried man and wife, united now for ever, into
the free and open sea.

The same day Prince Germanus had returned from Ariminum to the harbour
of Ravenna, ready to take Mataswintha to Byzantium.

The latter was only roused from the faint into which she had fallen
when left by Witichis and Rauthgundis, by the noise of the hammers with
which the work-people broke open the passage to liberate the soldiers.

The Princess was found crouching upon the steps of the prison. She was
carried up to her chamber in a high fever. She lay for hours upon her
purple cushions without moving or speaking, her eyes fixed in a wild
stare.

Towards noon Cethegus asked for admission.

His look was dark and threatening; his expression cold as ice.

He went up to Mataswintha's couch.

"He is dead!" she quietly said.

"He would not have it otherwise. He--and you. It is useless to reproach
you. But you see what ensues when you oppose me. The report of his
death will inevitably rouse the barbarians to new fury. You have
created a difficult task for me; for you only are the cause of his
flight and death. The least that you can do to atone for this is to
fulfil my second wish. Prince Germanus has landed. He comes to fetch
you. You will follow him."

"Where is the corpse?"

"It has not been found. T