A Struggle For Rome Volume I Part 18

"Justice shall be done, doubt it not. We charge all Romans present with the examination, and leave the sentence to the Roman Senate. Choose a defender."

"I defend myself," said Cethegus coolly. "What is the accusation? Who is my accuser? Where is he?"

"Here!" cried the King, and threw back the curtain.

A Gothic warrior, in a full suit of black armour, stepped forth. We already know him. It was Teja.

The Prefect turned away his eyes in deadly hatred.

Teja spoke.

"I, Teja, son of Tagila, accuse thee, Cethegus Caesarius, of treason against the Goths. I accuse thee of having hidden the banished traitor, Albinus, in thy house in Rome. Death is the penalty. And, besides this, thou art plotting to subject this country to the Emperor of Byzantium."

"That least of all," said Cethegus coolly, "Prove your accusation."

"I saw Albinus, with my own eyes, entering thy garden fourteen days ago," continued Teja, turning to the a.s.sembly. "He came from the Via Sacra, enveloped in a mantle, a wide-brimmed hat upon his head. I had seen him on two former occasions; this time I recognised him. As I went towards him, he disappeared through a door, which closed behind him."

"Since when does my colleague, the brave Commandant of Rome, play the nightly spy?"

"Since he had a Cethegus at his side," retorted Teja. "But as the fugitive escaped, this roll fell from his mantle. It contains the names of distinguished Romans, and opposite to each name notices in an unknown cipher. Here is the roll."

He gave it to the King, who read:

"The names are Silverius, Cethegus, Licinius, Scaevola, Calpurnius, Pomponius. Canst thou swear, Teja, that the disguised man was Albinus?"

"I will swear it."

"Prefect of Rome, Earl Teja is a free, unblemished, honourable man. Can you deny it?"

"I deny it. He is not unblemished. His parents lived in an illegal, incestuous marriage; they were sister's children. The Church has cursed their connection and its fruit. He is a b.a.s.t.a.r.d, and can not bear witness against a n.o.ble Roman of senatorial rank."

A murmur of anger burst from all the Goths present. Teja's pale face became still paler. He grasped his sword.

"Then I will defend my word with my sword," he said, in a voice stifled by rage. "I challenge thee to mortal combat! G.o.d shall judge between us!"

"I am a Roman, and do not act according to your barbaric customs. But even if I were a Goth, I would refuse to fight a b.a.s.t.a.r.d!"

"Patience," said Teja, and quietly returned his sword to its sheath.

"Patience, my sword; thy day will come!"

The Romans in the room breathed again.

The King resumed:

"However that may be, the accusation is sufficiently well founded to justify the arrest of the said Roman. You, Ca.s.siodorus, will decipher the secret writing. You, Earl Witichis, will hasten to Rome and make sure of the five suspected men; search their houses, and that of the Prefect. Hildebrand, arrest the accused, and take his sword."

"Hold!" said Cethegus. "I will guarantee not to leave Ravenna until this question be settled, with the forfeiture of all my property. I demand an examination upon a free footing; such is the right of a senator."

"Trouble not thyself about that, my son," cried old Hildebrand to the King. "Let me arrest him!"

"Let him alone," answered the King. "He shall have strict justice.

Leave him. The accusation has taken him by surprise. He shall have time to prepare his defence. To-morrow at this hour we will meet here again.

I dissolve the a.s.sembly."

He made a sign with his sceptre. Amalaswintha hurried away in the greatest excitement.

The Goths surrounded Teja, greatly pleased; but the Romans pa.s.sed quickly by Cethegus, avoiding any speech with him.

Ca.s.siodorus alone stepped firmly up to him, laid his hand upon his shoulder, looking searchingly into his eyes, and then asked:

"Cethegus, can I help you?"

"No; I will help myself," answered Cethegus, shaking him off, and went out alone with a proud step.

CHAPTER XVI.

The heavy blow which the young King had so unexpectedly aimed at the whole system of the Regency soon filled the palace and the city with astonishment, fright, or joy. Ca.s.siodorus took the first decided news to the family of Boethius, at the same time sending Rusticiana to comfort the agitated Queen.

Overwhelmed with questions, he circ.u.mstantially related the whole proceeding; and disturbed and indignant though he was, his admiration of the decision and courage of the young King shone unmistakably through his unfriendly report.

Camilla listened with eagerness to every word; pride in the beloved--love's happiest feeling--filled her whole soul.

"There is no doubt," concluded Ca.s.siodorus, sighing, "that Athalaric is our most decided adversary. He sticks to the Gothic party--to Hildebrand and his friends. He will undo the Prefect. Who would have believed it? I cannot help remembering, Rusticiana, how differently he conducted himself with regard to the process against your husband."

Camilla listened attentively.

"At that time we were convinced that he would be the most ardent friend, the most zealous advocate of the Romans."

"I know nothing of it," said Rusticiana.

"It was hushed up. The sentence of death had been p.r.o.nounced upon Boethius and his sons. In vain had we all, Amalaswintha foremost, appealed to the clemency of the King: his ire was unappeasable. As I again and again besieged him with pet.i.tions, he started up in anger and swore by his crown, that he who again dared to pet.i.tion for the traitors, should repent it in the deepest dungeon of the palace. At that we were all dumb, except one. Athalaric, the boy, would not be repulsed; he wept and prayed, and clung to his grandfather's knees."

Camilla trembled and held her breath.

"And he did not desist," Ca.s.siodorus went on, "until Theodoric, starting up in a rage, pushed him violently away, and delivered him to the guards. The King kept his oath. Athalaric was led into the castle dungeon, and Boethius was at once executed."

Camilla tottered, felt herself sinking, and caught at a slender pillar near which she was standing.

"But Athalaric had not spoken and suffered in vain," continued Ca.s.siodorus. "The next evening, while at table, the King sorely missed his darling. He remembered with what n.o.ble courage the youth had begged for his friend's life, when all men were dumb with fear. At last he rose from his repast, at which he had sat reflecting for some time, and descended in person to the prison, opened the doors, embraced his grandson, and granted his pet.i.tion to spare the lives of your sons, Rusticiana."

"Away! away to him!" exclaimed Camilla, and hurried, unnoticed, out of the hall.

"At that time," concluded Ca.s.siodorus, "Romans and their friends believed that in the young King they had found their best support; and now--my unfortunate mistress, unhappy mother!" and with this lament upon his lips, he departed.

Rusticiana sat for some time as if stunned. She saw the foundations, upon which she had built her plans of revenge, totter; she sank into a moody reverie.