Volume Ii Part 70 (1/2)

When she again looked up and glanced towards the woman in the brown mantle, she perceived that the place by the sarcophagus was empty. The woman had disappeared.

She had not observed, while filling the basket, that a man, clad in a buffalo-skin and a steel cap, who had been standing behind the woman, had caught her arm and drawn her away with gentle violence.

”Come,” he had said; ”this is no place for thee.”

And, as if in a dream, the woman had answered:

”By G.o.d, she is wonderfully lovely!”

”I thank thee, Mataswintha,” said the King, in a friendly manner, when the rations for the day had been distributed.

The look, the tone, the words, penetrated her heart.

Never before had he called her by her name; he had ever met and spoken to her only as the ”Queen.”

How happy those few words from his mouth had made her; and yet how heavily his kindness weighed upon her guilty soul!

Evidently she had earned his more affectionate feeling by her active compa.s.sion for the poor.

”Oh, he is good!” she cried to herself, half weeping with emotion. ”I also will be good!”

As, occupied by this thought, she entered the court of the left wing of the palace, which was a.s.signed to her--the King inhabited the right wing--Aspa hurried to meet her.

”A messenger from the camp,” she eagerly whispered. ”He brings a secret message from the Prefect--a letter, in Syphax's handwriting--in our language. He waits for a reply.”

”Leave me!” cried Mataswintha, frowning. ”I will hear and read nothing.--But who are these?” And she pointed to the steps leading from the court to her apartments.

There, upon the cold stones, crouched women, children, and sick people, clothed in rags--a group of misery.

”Beggars,” said Aspa; ”poor people. They have lain there the whole morning. They will not be driven away.”

”They shall not be driven away,” said Mataswintha, drawing near.

”Bread, Queen! Bread, daughter of the Amelungs!” cried many voices.

”Give them gold, Aspa. All that thou hast with thee; and fetch----”

”Bread, bread. Queen--not gold! No more bread is to be had for money in all the city.”

”It is dispensed freely outside the King's magazines. I have just come thence. Why were you not there?”

”Queen! we could not get through the crowd,” said a haggard woman. ”I am aged, and my daughter here is sick, and that old man is blind. The strong and young push us away. For three days we tried to go in vain.

We could not get through.”

”Yes, and we starve,” grumbled the old man. ”O Theodoric! my lord and King, where art thou? Under thy rule we had enough and to spare!

Then the poor and sick were not deprived of bread. But this unhappy King----”

”Be silent,” said Mataswintha. ”The King, my husband”--and a lovely flush rose into her cheeks--”does more than you deserve. Wait here. I will bring you bread. Follow me, Aspa.” And she hastened away.