have you ravished and
vanquished Brittany. You may ravage and vanquish her over again--but
subjugate her, never. And now, Charles, I have spoken. You shall hear
not another word from me on that subject. I am your prisoner, your
hostage. Dispose of me."

The Emperor, who more than once was on the point of allowing his
indignation to break loose, turned to Eginhard and, after a moment of
silence, said to him in a calm voice: "You, who are engaged in writing
the history and deeds of Charles, the august Emperor of Gaul, Caesar of
Germany, Patrician of Rome, Protector of the Suevians, the Bulgarians
and the Hungarians, I command you to write down that an old man held to
Charles a language of unheard-of audacity, and that Charles could not
prevent himself from esteeming the frankness and the courage of the man
who had thus spoken to him." And suddenly changing his tone, the
Emperor, whose features, for a moment stern in anger, now assumed an
expression of joviality shaded with shrewdness, said to Amael: "So,
then, Breton seigneurs of Armorica, whatever I may do, you want none of
me at any price for your Emperor. Do you so much as know me?"

"Charles, we know you in Brittany by the unjust wars that your father
and yourself have waged against us."

"So that, to you, gentlemen of Armorica, Charles is only a man of
conquest, of violence, and of battle?"

"Yes, you reign only through terror."

"Well, then, follow me. I may perhaps cause you to change your mind,"
said the Emperor after a moment's reflection. He rose, took his cane and
put on his cap. His eyes then fell upon Vortigern, whom, standing
silently at a distance, he had not noticed before. "Who is that young
and handsome lad?" he asked.

"My grandson."

"Octave," the Emperor remarked, turning to the young Roman, "this is
rather a young hostage."

"August Prince, this lad was chosen for several reasons. His sister
married Morvan, a common field laborer, but one of the most intrepid of
the Breton chieftains. During this last war he commanded the cavalry."

"And why, then, was not that Morvan brought here? That would have been
an excellent hostage."

"August Prince, in order to bring him we would have first had to catch
him. Although severely wounded, Morvan, thanks to his heroine of a wife,
succeeded in making his escape with her. It has been impossible to reach
them in the inaccessible mountains whither they both fled. For that
reason two other chiefs and infl