Volume I Part 52 (2/2)
”'Fourthly: the Emperor leaves to the King of the Goths not only all the lands and treasures which the latter possesses as private property, but the whole of the royal Gothic treasury, which alone is valued at forty thousand pounds of minted gold. Further, the Emperor a.s.signs to Theodahad, as his property and inheritance, the whole of Tuscany, from Pistoria to Caere, from Populonia to Clusium; and lastly, he makes over to him for life the half of all the public revenues of the kingdom thus restored to its rightful sovereign.' Tell me, Petros, do not you think that I might demand three-fourths?”
”You might certainly ask it, but I doubt exceedingly that Justinian would grant it. I have already overstepped the utmost limits of my power.”
”We will demand it, at all events,” said the King, altering the figures, ”then Justinian must either bargain for less, or grant additional privileges.”
A false smile played over the thin lips of the amba.s.sador.
”You are a clever negotiator, O King,” he said. ”But in this case you reckon wrongly,” he added to himself.
Just at this moment the rustle of trailing garments was heard in the marble corridor, and Amalaswintha entered, dressed in a long black mantle and a black veil sowed with silver stars. She was deadly pale, but composed and dignified; a Queen in spite of having lost her crown.
Intense sorrow enn.o.bled the expression of her countenance.
”King of the Goths,” she began, ”forgive if a dark shadow suddenly rises from the realm of the dead to dim your joyous feast. It is for the last time.”
Both the men were struck by her appearance.
”Queen,” stammered Theodahad.
”'Queen!' oh, would that I had never borne the name. I come, cousin, from the grave of my n.o.ble son, where I have acknowledged my infatuation, and repented of all my sins. I come to you, King of the Goths, to warn you against similar infatuation and similar guilt.”
Theodahad's unsteady eyes avoided her grave and searching looks.
”It is an evil guest,” she continued, ”that I find here as your confidant at the hour of midnight. There is no safety for a prince except in his people. Too late I have found this out; too late for myself; not too late, I hope, for my people. Do not trust Byzantium; it is a s.h.i.+eld that crushes him whom it should protect.”
”You are unjust,” said Petros, ”and ungrateful.”
”I beg you, my royal cousin,” continued Amalaswintha, unheeding the remark, ”not to consent to what this man demands. Do not grant him that which I refused. We were to surrender Sicily, and furnish three thousand warriors to the Emperor for each of his wars. I rejected the shameful proposal. I see,” she went on, pointing to the doc.u.ment on the table, ”that you have already concluded your business. Retreat before it is too late; they will deceive you always.”
Theodahad uneasily drew the doc.u.ment towards him, and cast a suspicious look at Petros. The latter went up to Amalaswintha.
”What do you want here, you queen of yesterday? Would you control the ruler of this realm? Your time is past and your power at an end.”
”Leave us,” said Theodahad, taking courage. ”I will do what I think good. You shall not succeed in parting me from my friends at Byzantium.
Look here, before your very eyes our treaty shall be concluded,” And he signed his name.
”Well,” said Petros with a smile, ”the Princess comes just at the right moment to sign as a witness.”
”No!” cried Amalaswintha, ”I have come at the right moment to frustrate your plan. I will go straightway to the army, to the National a.s.sembly, which will soon take place at Regeta. There, before all the nation, I will expose your proposals, the plans of the Emperor, and the treachery of this feeble man.”
”That will do no good,” said Petros quietly, ”unless you accuse yourself.”
”I _will_ accuse myself. I will confess all my folly, all my guilt, and gladly suffer the death I have deserved. But my self-accusation shall warn and alarm the whole nation from Etna to the Alps. A world in arms shall be opposed to you, and I will save my Goths by my death, from the dangers to which my life has exposed them!” And, filled with n.o.ble enthusiasm, she hurried out of the room.
Theodahad looked with dismay at the amba.s.sador. For some time he could not find a word to say.
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