ou. Thus I risked life and
liberty, for your wolfish people are certainly wild beasts and
murderers. So: life for life. There we are equal. But," he went on
gravely, earnestly, and kindly, yet with a stern, strange tone, as if
testing her, "but we have not yet done with each other, little maid.
You wounded me deeply, very deeply by your fierce, rude, childish
refusal. Almost as deeply as the poisoning plan of--the dead man. The
terrible events of the past night first taught me how I love you: I
thought constantly of you, your fate, your safety. Duty called me, but
I sent you my most faithful----"

"To prevent my escape!"

"To protect you, ungrateful girl. When I fell from the wagon under the
missiles of the Barbarians and thought death would come the next
moment, even then I thought only of you. I have proved it by the most
terrible test; my love for you is genuine, no mere caprice; it will end
only with my life. And so once more, not as a reward for your act of
rescue (I have repaid that), not as a favor or a gift--if the word
offended you--once more, for the last time in life (and consider well,
I will never set you free again) I ask you: will you be my servant, or
my wife? I beseech you--do you hear? I, Ausonius, beseech you: become
my wife!"

"Never! Never!" cried the girl starting up.

"Insolent!" replied the rejected lover, offended and deeply incensed:
"You forget you are again my captive--again in my power."

A glance from Bissula into the waves of the lake, here very deep, was
her only reply. Ausonius continued, without understanding the meaning
of the look, "Now I know the cause of this defiant, senseless refusal.
You deceived me when you said you had no lover."

"I have no one who loves me," she answered with the deepest sadness;
tears filled her eyes as she gazed fixedly into vacancy.

"You lie!" cried Ausonius. "That Adalo!" Bissula started. "He must love
you madly."

Bissula listened intently, gazing at him in astonishment; glowing shame
and happy terror filled her heart.

But the Roman went on: "Or would he, a free Prince of the Alemanni,
have solemnly made the proposal to Saturninus and me: 'Let the maiden
go unhurt. Adalo will take her place as captive.' Do you know what that
means? A slave for life?"

"He--he did that? For me?" Passionate delight flashed from her eyes,
her soul.

Ausonius gazed silently into her face. Then he said: "How he loves you,
this offer shows: how you love him, y