haveotherbusinesstoattendtojustnowthansuchdeath-bedgossip。
　　Thesethingsdonotcometomyears。“
　　IlookedatIreneandIrenelookedatme。
　　“Augusta，“Isaid，“Idonotbelieveyourstory。NospearwoundedHeliodorewhileIwasnearher，andwhenIwasnotnearheryourGreeksweretoofarawayforanyspearstobethrown。Indeed，unlessyoustabbedhersecretly，shewasnotwounded，andIamsurethat，howevermuchyouhavehatedher，thisyouwouldnothavedaredtodoforyourownlife’ssake。Augusta，foryourownpurposesyouaretryingtodeceiveme。Iwillnotmarryyou。Doyourworst。YouhaveliedtomeaboutthewomanwhomIlove，andthoughIforgiveyoualltherest，thisIdonotforgive。YouknowwellthatHeliodorestilllivesbeneaththesun。“
　　“Ifso，“answeredtheEmpress，“youhavelookedyourlastuponthesunand——her。NeveragainshallyoubeholdthebeautyofHeliodore。Haveyouaughttosay？Thereisstilltime。“
　　“Nothing，Augusta，atpresent，exceptthis。OflateIhavelearnedtobelieveinaGod。IsummonyoutomeetmebeforethatGod。TherewewillargueoutourcaseandabideHisjudgment。IfthereisnoGodtherewillbenojudgment，andIsaluteyou，Empress，whotriumph。If，asIbelieveandasyousayyoubelieve，thereisaGod，thinkwhom/you/willbecalledupontosalutewhenthatGodhasheardthetruth。
　　MeanwhileIrepeatthatHeliodoretheEgyptianstilllivesbeneaththesun。“
　　Irenerosefromthestoolonwhichshesatandthoughtamoment。I
　　gazedthroughthebarsofthewindow-placeinmycelloutatthenightabove。Ayoungmoonwasfloatinginthesky，andneartoithungastar。Alittlepassingcloudwithadentededgedriftedoverthestarandthelowerhornofthemoon。Itwentby，andtheyshoneoutagainuponthebackgroundoftheblueheavens。Alsoanowlflittedacrossthewindow-placeofmycell。Ithadamouseinitsbeak，andtheshadowofitandofthewrithingmouseforamomentlayuponIrene’sbreast，forIturnedmyheadandsawthem。Itcameintomymindthatherewasanallegory。Irenewasthenight-hawk，andIwasthewrithingmousethatfeditsappetite。Doubtlessitwasdecreedthattheowlmustbeandthemousemustbe，butbeyondthemboth，hiddeninthoseblueheavens，stoodthatJusticewhichwecallGod。
　　ThesewerethelastthingsthatIsawinthislifeofmine，andthereforeIrememberthemwell，orrather，almostthelast。TheverylastofwhichItooknotewasIrene’sface。Ithadgrownliketothatofadevil。Thegreateyesinitstaredoutbetweenthepuffedandpurpleeyelids。Thepaintedcheekshadsunkinandwerepallidbeneathandroundthepaint。Theteethshowedintwowhitelines，thechinworked。Shewasnolongerabeautifulwoman，shewasafiend。
　　Ireneknockedthriceuponthedoor。Boltswerethrownback，andmenentered。
　　“Blindhim！“shesaid。
　　Thedaysandthenightswentby，butwhichwasdayandwhichwasnightIknewnot，saveforthevisitsofthejailerswithmymeals——Iwhowasblind，Iwhoshouldneverseethelightagain。AtfirstIsufferedmuch，butbydegreesthepaindiedaway。Alsoaphysiciancametotendmyhurts，askilfulman。SoonIdiscovered，however，thathehadanotherobject。Hepitiedmystate，somuch，indeed，hesaid，thatheofferedtosupplymewithadrugthat，ifIwerewillingtotakeit，wouldmakeanendofmepainlessly。NowIunderstoodatoncethatIrenedesiredmydeath，and，fearingtocauseit，setthemeansofself-murderwithinmyreach。
　　Ithankedthemanandbeggedhimtogivemethedrug，whichhedid，whereonIhiditawayinmygarments。WhenitwasseenthatIstilllivedalthoughIhadaskedforthemedicine，IthinkthatIrenebelievedthiswasbecauseithadfailedtowork，orthatsuchameansofdeathdidnotpleaseme。Soshefoundanother。Oneeveningwhenajailerbroughtmysupperhepressedsomethingheavyintomyhand，whichIfelttobeasword。
　　“Whatweaponisthis？“Iasked，“andwhydoyougiveittome？“
　　“Itisyourownsword，“answeredtheman，“whichIwascommandedtoreturntoyou。Iknownomore。“
　　Thenhewentaway，leavingtheswordwithme。
　　Idrewthefamiliarbladefromitssheath，theredbladethattheWandererhadworn，andtouchingitskeenedgewithmyfingers，weptfrommyblindedeyestothinkthatneveragaincouldIholditaloftinwarorseethelightflashfromitasIsmote。Yes，Iweptinmyweakness，tillIrememberedthatIhadnolongeranywishtobethedeathofmen。SoIsheathedthegoodswordandhiditbeneathmymattresslestsomejailershouldstealit，which，asIcouldnotseehim，hemightdoeasily。AlsoIdesiredtoputawaytemptation。
　　Ithinkthatthishourafterthebringingofthesword，whichstirredupsomanymemories，wasthemostfearfulofallmyhours，sofearfulthat，haditbeenprolonged，deathwouldhavecometomeofitsownaccord。Ihadsunktomisery’slowestdeep，whodidnotknowthateventhenitstidewasturning，whocouldnotdreamofalltheblessedyearsthatlaybeforeme，theyearsofloveandofsuchpeacefuljoyaseventheblindmaywin。
　　ThatnightMartinacame——Martina，whowasHope’sharbinger。Iheardthedoorofmyprisonopenandclosesoftly，andsatstill，wonderingwhetherthemurderershadenteredatlast，wondering，too，whetherI
　　shouldsnatchtheswordandstrikeblindlytillIfell。NextIheardanothersound，thatofawomanweeping；yes，andfeltmyhandliftedandpressedtoawoman’slips，whichkisseditagainandyetagain。A
　　thoughtstruckme，andIbegantodrawitback。Asoftvoicespokebetweenitssobs。
　　“Havenofear，Olaf。IamMartina。Oh，nowIunderstandwhyyondertigresssentmeonthatdistantmission。“
　　“Howdidyoucomehere，Martina？“Iasked。
　　“Istillhavethesignet，Olaf，whichIrene，whobeginstomistrustme，forgets。OnlythismorningIlearnedthetruthonmyreturntothepalace；yetIhavenotbeenidle。WithinanhourJoddandtheNorthmenknewitalso。Withinthreetheyhadblindedeveryhostagewhomtheyheld，aye，andcaughttwoofthebruteswhodidthedeedonyou，andcrucifiedthemupontheirbarrackwalls。“
　　“Oh！Martina，“Ibrokein，“Ididnotdesirethatotherswhoareinnocentshouldsharemywoes。“
　　“NordidI，Olaf；buttheseNorthmenareilltoplaywith。Moreover，inasenseitwasneedful。YoudonotknowwhatIhavelearned——thatto-morrowIreneproposedtoslityourtonguealsobecauseyoucantelltoomuch，andafterwardstocutoffyourrighthandlestyou，whoarelearned，shouldwritedownwhatyouknow。ItoldtheNorthmen——nevermindhow。Theysentaherald，aGreekwhomtheyhadcaptured，and，coveringhimwitharrows，madehimcalloutthatifyourtonguewasslittheywouldknowofitandslitthetonguesofallthehostagesalso，andthatifyourhandwascutofftheycouldcutofftheirhands，andtakeanothervengeancewhichforthepresenttheykeepsecret。“
　　“Atleasttheyarefaithful，“Isaid。“But，oh！tellme，Martina，whatofHeliodore？“
　　“This，“shewhisperedintomyear。“Heliodoreandherfathersailedanhouraftersunsetandarenowsafeuponthesea，boundforEgypt。“
　　“ThenIwasright！WhenIrenetoldmeshewasdeadshelied。“
　　“Aye，ifshesaidthatshelied，thoughthriceshehasstriventomurderher，Ihavenotimetotellyouhow，butwasalwaysbaffledbythosewhowatched。Yetshemighthavesucceededatlast，so，althoughHeliodorefoughtagainstit，itwasbestthatsheshouldgo。Thosewhoarepartedmaymeetagain；buthowcanwemeetonewhoisdeaduntilwetooaredead？“
　　“Howdidshego？“
　　“Smuggledfromthecitydisguisedasaboyattendingonapriest，andthatpriestherfathershornofhisbeardandtonsured。TheBishopBarnabaspassedthemoutinhisfollowing。“
　　“ThenblessingsontheBishopBarnabas，“Isaid。
　　“Aye，blessingsonhim，sincewithouthishelpitcouldneverhavebeendone。Thesecretagentsattheportstaredhardatthosetwo，althoughthegoodbishopvouchedforthemandgavetheirnamesandoffices。Still，whentheysawsomerough-lookingfellowsdressedlikesailorsapproach，playingwiththehandlesoftheirknives，theagentsthoughtwelltoasknomorequestions。Moreover，nowthattheshiphassailed，fortheirownsakesthey’llswearthatnosuchpriestandboywentaboardofher。SoyourHeliodoreisawayunharmed，asisherfather，thoughhismissionhascometonaught。Still，hislifeisleftinhim，forwhichhemaybethankful，whoonsuchabusinessshouldhavebroughtnowoman。Ifhehadcomealone，Olaf，youreyeswouldhavebeenlefttoyou，andsetbynowupontheorbofempirethatyourhandhadgrasped。“
　　“YetIamgladthathedidnotcomealone，Martina。“
　　“Trulyyouhaveahighandfaithfulheart，andthatwomanshouldbehonouredwhomyoulove。Whatisthesecret？Theremustbemoreinitthanthemeredesireforawoman’sbeauty，thoughIknowthatattimesthiscanmakemenmad。Insuchabusinessthesoulmustplayitspart。“
　　“Ithinkso，Martina。Indeed，Ibelieveso，sinceotherwisewesuffermuchinvain。Nowtellme，howandwhendoIdie？“
　　“Ihopeyouwillnotdieatall，Olaf。CertainplansarelaidwhichevenhereIdarenotwhisper。To-morrowIheartheywillleadyouagainbeforethejudges，who，byIrene’sclemency，willchangeyoursentencetooneofbanishment，withsecretorderstokillyouonthevoyage。Butyouwillnevermakethatvoyage。Otherschemesareafoot；
　　you’lllearnofthemafterwards。“
　　“Yet，Martina，ifyouknowtheseplotstheAugustaknowsthemalso，sinceyouandsheareone。“