第16章
“So！“sheexclaimed，“didInottellyouthat，eastorwestornorthorsouth，there/is/someotherwoman？“
“Therewasonce，Augusta，quiteathousandyearsagoormore，andtheremaybeagainnow，orathousandyearshence。ThatiswhatIamtryingtofindout。YousaytheworkisEgyptian。Augusta，atyourconvenience，willyoubepleasedtomakeanothercaptaininmyplace？
IwouldvisitEgypt。“
“IfyouleaveByzantiumwithoutexpresspermissionundermyownhand——
nottheEmperor’soranybodyelse’shand；mine，Isay——andarecaught，youreyesshallbeputoutasadeserter！“shesaidsavagely。
“AstheAugustapleases，“Ianswered，saluting。
“Olaf，“shewentoninamoregentlevoice，“youareclearlymad；but，totelltruth，youarealsoamadmanwhopleasesme，sinceIwearyoftheroguesandlick-spittleswhocallthemselvessaneinByzantium。
Why，there’snotamaninallthecitywhowoulddaretospeaktomeasyouhavespokento-night，andlikethatbreezefromthesea，itisrefreshing。Lendmethatnecklace，Olaf，tillto-morrowmorning。I
wanttoexamineitinthelamplight，andIsweartoyouthatIwillnottakeitfromyouorplayyouanytricksaboutit。“
“Willyoupromisenottowearit，Augusta？“
“Ofcourse。IsitlikelythatIshouldwishtowearitonmybarebreastafterithasbeenrubbingagainstyoursoiledarmour？“
WithoutanotherwordIunhookedthenecklaceandhandedittoher。Sherantoalittledistance，and，withoneofthoseswiftmovementsthatwerecommontoher，fasteneditaboutherownneck。Thenshereturned，andthrewthegreatstringsofpearls，whichshehadremovedtomakeplaceforit，overmyhead。
“Nowhaveyoufoundthewomanofthatdream，Olaf？“sheasked，turningherselfaboutinthemoonlight。
Ishookmyheadandanswered:
“Nay，Augusta；butIfearthat/you/havefoundmisfortune。Whenitcomes，Iprayyoutorememberthatyoupromisednottowearthenecklace。Alsothatyoursoldier，Olaf，Thorvald’sson，wouldhavegivenhisliferatherthanthatyoushouldhavedoneso，notforthesakeofanydream，butforyoursake，Augusta，whomitishisbusinesstoprotect。“
“Would，then，itwereyourbusinesseithertoprotectmealittlemore，oralittleless！“sheexclaimedbitterly。
Havingutteredthisdarksaying，shevanishedfromtheterracestillwearingthestringofgoldenshells。
OnthefollowingmorningthenecklacewasreturnedtomebyIrene’sfavouritelady，whosmiledasshegaveittome。Shewasadark-eyed，witty，andablegirlnamedMartina，whohadbeenmyfriendforalongwhile。
“TheAugustasaidthatyouweretoexaminethisjeweltoseethatithasnotbeenchanged。“
“IneversuggestedthattheAugustawasathief，“Ireplied，“thereforeitisunnecessary。“
“ShesaidalsothatIwastotellyou，incaseyoushouldthinkthatithasbeenbefouledbyherwearingofit，thatshehashaditcarefullycleaned。“
“Thatisthoughtfulofher，Martina，foritneededwashing。Now，willyoutaketheAugusta’spearls，whichsheleftwithmeinerror？“
“Ihavenoorderstotakeanypearls，CaptainOlaf，althoughIdidnoticethattwoofthefineststringsintheEmpirearemissing。Oh！
yougreatnorthernchild，“sheaddedinawhisper，“keepthepearls，theyareagift，andworthaprince’sransom；andtakewhateverelseyoucanget，andkeepthattoo。“[*]
[*]Ihavenofurthervisionconcerningthesepricelesspearlsanddonotknowwhatbecameofthem。PerhapsIwasrobbedofthemduringmyimprisonment，orperhapsIgavethemtoHeliodoreortoMartina。Wherearetheynow，Iwonder？——Editor。
Then，beforeIcouldanswerher，shewasgone。
ForsomeweeksafterthisIsawnomoreoftheAugusta，whoappearedtoavoidme。Oneday，however，Iwassummonedtoherpresenceinherprivateapartmentsbythewaiting-ladyMartina，andwent，tofindheralone，saveforMartina。ThefirstthingthatInoticedwasthatsheworeaboutherneckanexactcopyofthenecklaceofgoldenshellsandemeraldbeetles；further，thataboutherwaistwasagirdleandonherwristabraceletofsimilardesign。Pretendingtoseenothing，I
salutedandstoodtoattention。
“Captain，“shebegan，“yonder“——andshewavedherhandtowardsthecity，sothatIcouldnotfailtoseetheshellbracelet——“theunclesofmyson，theEmperor，lieinprison。Haveyouheardofthematter，and，ifso，whathaveyouheard？“
“Ihaveheard，Augusta，thattheEmperorhavingbeendefeatedbytheBulgarians，someofthelegionsproposedtosethisuncle，Nicephorus——hewhohasbeenmadeapriest——uponthethrone。IhaveheardfurtherthatthereontheEmperorcausedtheC鎠arNicephorustobeblinded，andthetonguesofthetwootherC鎠arsandoftheirtwobrothers，the/Nobilissimi/，tobeslit。“
“Doyouthinkwellofsuchadeed，Olaf？“
“Augusta，“Ianswered，“inthiscityImakeitmybusinessnottothink，forifIdidIshouldcertainlygomad。“
“Still，onthismatterIcommandyoutothink，andtospeakthetruthofyourthoughts。Noharmshallcometoyou，whatevertheymaybe。“
“Augusta，Iobeyyou。Ithinkthatwhoeverdidthiswickedthingmustbeadevil，eitherreturnedfromthathellofwhicheveryoneissofondoftalkinghere，orontheroadthither。“
“Oh！youthinkthat，doyou？SoIwasrightwhenItoldMartinathattherewasonlyonehonestopiniontobehadinConstantinopleandI
knewwheretogetit。Well，mostsevereandindignantjudge，supposeI
tellyouitwasIwhocommandedthatthisdeedshouldbedone。Thenwouldyouchangeyourjudgment？“
“Notso，Augusta。IshouldonlythinkmuchworseofyouthaneverI
didbefore。IfthesegreatpersonsweretraitorstotheState，theyshouldhavebeenexecuted。Buttotormentthem，totakeawaythesightofheavenandtobringthemtothelevelofdumbbeasts，allthattheiractualbloodmaynotbeonthetormentors’hand——why，theactisvile。So，atleast，itwouldbeheldinthosenorthernlandswhichyouarepleasedtocallbarbarian。“
NowIrenesprangfromherseatandclappedherhandsforjoy。
“Youhearwhathesays，Martina，andtheEmperorshallhearittoo；
aye，andsoshallmyministers，StauraciusandAetius，whosupportedhiminthismatter。Ialonewithstoodhim；Iprayedhimforhissoul’ssaketobemerciful。Heansweredthathewouldnolongerbegovernedbyawoman；thatheknewhowtosafeguardhisempire，andwhatconscienceshouldallowandwhatrefuse。So，inspiteofallmytearsandprayers，theviledeedwasdone，asIthinkfornogoodcause。
Well，itcannotbeundone。Yet，Olaf，Ifearthatitmaybeaddedto，andthattheseroyal-bornmenmaybefoullymurdered。Therefore，Iputyouinchargeoftheprisonwheretheylie。Hereisthesignedorder。
Takewithyouwhatmenyoumaythinkneedful，andholdthatplace，evenshouldtheEmperorhimselfcommandyoutoopen。Seealsothattheprisonerswithinarecaredforandhavealltheyneed，butdonotsufferthemtoescape。“
Isalutedandturnedtogo，whenIrenecalledmeback。
Atthatmoment，too，inobediencetosomesignwhichshemade，Martinaleftthechamber，lookingatmeoddlyasshedidso。IcameandstoodbeforetheEmpress，who，Inoted，seemedsomewhattroubled，forherbreastheavedandhergazewasfixeduponthefloornow。Itwasofmosaic，andrepresentedaheathengoddesstalkingtoayoungman，whostoodbeforeherwithhisarmsfolded。Thegoddesswasangrywiththeman，andheldinherlefthandadaggerasthoughshewouldstabhim，althoughherrightarmwasstretchedouttoembracehimandherattitudewasoneofpleading。
Ireneliftedherhead，andIsawthatherfineeyeswerefilledwithtears。
“Olaf，“shesaid，“Iaminmuchtrouble，andIknownotwheretofindafriend。“
Ismiledandanswered:
“NeedanEmpressseekfarforfriends？“
“Aye，Olaf；fartherthananyonewhobreathes。AnEmpresscanfindflatterersandpartisans，butnotasinglefriend。Suchloveheronlyforwhatshecangivethem。But，iffortunewentagainsther，Isaythattheywouldfallawaylikeleavesfromatreeinawinterfrost，sothatshestoodnakedtoeverybitterblastofheaven。Yes，andthenwouldcomethefoeandrootupthattreeandburnittogivethemwarmthandtocelebratetheirtriumph。SoIthink，Olaf，itwillbewithmebeforeallisdone。Evenmysonhatesme，Olaf，myonlychildforwhosetruewelfareIstrivenightandday。“
“Ihaveheardasmuch，Augusta，“Isaid。
“Youhaveheard，likealltheworld。Butwhatelseofillhaveyouheardofme，Olaf？Speakout，man；I’mheretolearnthetruth。“
“Ihaveheardthatyouareveryambitious，Augusta，andthatyouhateyoursonasmuchashehatesyou，becauseheisarivaltoyourpower。
Itisrumouredthatyouwouldbegladifheweredeadandyoulefttoreignalone。“