He drew aside the curtain which covered the window and again and again looked up at the sky, measuring the flight of time by the rising of the stars and the progress of the moon. The large garden before him lay bathed in its peaceful light. "But thou thyself art a servant of the unbelievers! Do I not see the warder's keys on the walls of thy chamber? Dost thou not keep them for these Goths, and openest the doors for their outgoing and incoming, and guardest the castle of their strength?" Han viittasi molemmat miehet poistumaan, veti vuoteen verhot eteen ja vaipui heti levottomaan uneen. The persons assembled also seemed not to have met there for the first time; the gloom of the place made little impression upon them. Indifferently they leaned against the walls of the dismal semi-circular room, which, scantily lighted by a hanging lamp of bronze, formed the termination of the low passage. Indifferently they heard the drops of damp fall from the roof to the floor, or, when their feet now and then struck against white and mouldering bones, they calmly pushed them to one side. Ahdistava mieliala vallitsi Ravennan kuninkaanpalatsissa, kolkon komeassa, epakodikkaassa. But the Prefect leaned back his head against the marble wall, and looked with a smile at the ambassador. Rasch, unaufhaltsam wie ein Brand in getrocknetem Heidegras, hatte sich das Heer der Byzantiner von der au?ersten Sudostspitze Italiens bis vor die Mauern der parthenopeischen Stadt gewalzt, ohne Widerstand zu finden. Denn, dank den Befehlen Theodahads, waren nicht hundert Gotenkrieger in jenen Gegenden zu finden. Corbulo oli ostanut Boethiuksen leskea varten. "Hyva on", sanoi Teoderik kasvonpiirrettakaan varayttamatta. "Se todistaa, ettet viela ole kokonaan paassyt lastentaudeista. Kun olet taman kestanyt, tulee sinusta aikamies. "Ei sanaakaan hanelle. Han ei sita sallisi. Hiljaa, han tulee." CHAPTER XXIV. Prefekti kiirehti kotiinsa Kapitoliumin juurelle, sulkeutui huoneisiinsa ja alkoi innokkaasti kirjoittaa kertomustaan hallitsijattarelle. - "Kirottu pellavapaa", huusi han. "Sina et siis hukkunutkaan?"