Volume I Part 54 (2/2)

All at once the neighing of a horse struck upon her ear.

She turned; around the corner of a wall a man approached with hasty steps.

It was Dolios. He looked sharply about him, and then beckoned to her to come.

The Princess hastened to follow him round the corner; there stood Ca.s.siodorus's well-known Gallic travelling carriage, the comfortable and elegant _carruca_, closed on all sides with movable latticed shutters of polished wood, and to which were harnessed three swift-footed Flemish horses.

”We must hasten, Princess,” whispered Dolios, as he lifted her into the soft cus.h.i.+ons. ”The litter was too slow for the hatred of your enemies.

Quiet and speed; so that no one may notice us.”

Amalaswintha looked back once more.

Dolios opened the garden-gate and led the horses out. Two men stepped out of the bushes near. One took the driver's seat on the carriage, the other mounted one of two saddle-horses which stood outside the gate.

Amalaswintha recognised the men as confidential slaves belonging to Ca.s.siodorus. Like Dolios, they were provided with weapons.

The latter carefully closed the garden-gate, and let down the shutters of the carriage. Then he mounted the remaining horse and drew his sword.

”Forward!” he cried.

And the little company galloped away as if Death himself were at their heels.

CHAPTER V.

Amalaswintha at first revelled in the feeling of grat.i.tude, freedom, and safety. She made happy plans of reconciliation. She saw her people saved from Byzantium by her warning voice--saved from the treachery of their own King.

She already heard the enthusiastic shouts of the valiant army, announcing death to the enemy, and pardon to herself.

Lost in such dreams, the hours, days, and nights pa.s.sed rapidly.

The party hurried on without pause. Three or four times a day the horses were changed, so that mile after mile was pa.s.sed with the utmost velocity.

Dolios carefully watched over the Princess. He stood at the door of the carriage with drawn sword, while his companions fetched meat and drink from the stations which they pa.s.sed.

The speed at which they went, and the faithful attention of Dolios, freed the Princess from an anxiety which she had not been able for some time to get rid of--it seemed to her that they were pursued.

Twice, at Perusia and Clusium, where the carriage stopped, she had thought she heard the rattle of wheels and the sound of horses' hoofs close behind.

And, at Clusium, she had even fancied, as she looked through the lattices, that she saw a second _carruca_, likewise accompanied by outriders, turn into the gate of that town.

But when she had spoken of this to Dolios, he had at once galloped back to the gate, and shortly returned with the a.s.surance that there was nothing to be seen.

From that time she had noticed nothing more; and the mad haste with which she was being carried to the wished-for island, encouraged the hope that her enemies, even if they had discovered her flight and had followed her for a time, had soon become tired and remained behind.

An accident, insignificant in itself, but fraught with dread because of accompanying circ.u.mstances, suddenly darkened the brightening hopes of the fugitive Princess.

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