"Saako naisen tilalle tulla mies, joka on heikompi naista? "Mutta te ette saa minua, lahes satavuotiasta, toisenlaiseksi. �Geht,� sagte sie, �la?t mich allein mit meinem Gluck.� Die Sklavinnen gehorchten. Mataswintha eilte ans Fenster, das sie rasch offnete, wie um ihren Gedanken zu entfliehen. Ihr erster Blick fiel auf Witichis, der unten vom Schein der Hangelampen im Garten voll beleuchtet war. "Ja epailykseni haihtuivat kokonaan, kun tullessani kahdeksannella tunnilla kotiin, taas nain kauniin tuntemattomani, talla kertaa ilman seuraa, rientavan ohitseni kantotuoliinsa. Koska en jaksanut kulkea nopsajalkaisten orjien perassa, menin talooni paa taynna iloisia ajatuksia. Doch weckte ihn gleich wieder ein wohlbekannter Ton, der seine Seele entzuckte: es war die Tuba seiner Legionare, das Feldgeschrei seiner Isaurier, die jetzt � endlich � im Sturmschritt eintrafen und, von den Liciniern gefuhrt, in dichten Scharen sich auf die durch den Fall ihres Konigs erschutterten Goten sturzten. Sie drangten sie siegreich zu [pg 289]einer (einstweilen von den eingedrungenen Goten von Innen hinausgebrochenen) Bresche der ersten Mauer unter gro?em Blutvergie?en hinaus. "She could not without our presence to sustain her," answered Faith. One day, their faithful servant, Corbulo, came to Rusticiana with a strangely embarrassed expression of countenance, and explained to her "how, having long since noticed how much the 'Patrona' suffered under his unworthy roof, and had to endure much annoyance from his handiwork--he being a mason--he had bought a small, a very small, estate, with a still smaller house, in the mountains near Tifernum. However, she must not compare it with the villa near Florentia; but still there ran a little brook near it, which never dried up, even under the dog-star; oaks and cornel-trees gave broad and pleasant shade; ivy grew luxuriantly over a ruined Temple of Faunus; and in the garden he had planted roses, lilies, and violets, such as Donna Camilla loved; and so he hoped that they would mount their mules or litter, and go to their villa like other noble dames." �Auch dort?� fragte sich Cethegus unglaubig. Han huokasi ja vaikeni. "You will lose your life, wretch!" cried Theodora. "Oh, you think you are safe, because I burnt the forged documents before your eyes! You fool! they were false! Look here; here I hold your life in my hands!" Dismissing the two men, she drew close the curtains of the couch, and soon sank into an uneasy slumber. The old temple and the bronze of the statues shone in the rosy light; and from the east a broad path of trembling gold was laid upon the smooth flood. Zweiundzwanzigstes Kapitel. "Silloin kuningas hyppasi pystyyn, kutsui meidat kokoon, esitti meille nama ehdot tulisessa puheessa ja kysyi lopuksi, tahdommeko mieluummin hylata kansamme kielen, tavat ja elaman vai kuolla hanen kanssaan.