All were silent, awed more by the personality than convinced by the reasons of the speaker. But the jurist still objected: "Rusticiana, the influential woman, the widow of Boëthius, the daughter of Symmachus, is favourable to our league. Will she remain so if this man enters it? Can she ever forget and forgive? Never!" "She can. Do not believe me, believe your eyes." With these words Cethegus quickly turned and entered one of the side-passages, whose opening had been hidden until now by his own person. Close to the entrance a veiled figure stood listening; he caught her hand: "Come," whispered he, "come now." "I cannot! I will not!" was the almost inaudible answer of the resisting woman. "I curse him! I cannot look at him, the wretch!" "It must be. Come; you can and you shall--for I will have it so." He threw back her veil; one look, and she followed as if deprived of the power of will. They turned the corner of the entrance: "Rusticiana!" cried the whole assembly. "A woman in our meeting!" exclaimed the jurist. "It is against the statutes, the laws." "Yes, Scævola; but the laws are made for the league, not the league for the laws. And you would never have believed from _me_, that which you now see with your own eyes." He laid the widow's hand within the trembling right hand of Albinus. "Look! Rusticiana forgives! Who will now resist?" Vanquished and overruled, all remained silent. For Cethegus all further proceedings seemed to have lost interest. He retired into the background with Rusticiana. But the priest now said: "Albinus is a member of the league." "And the oath that he swore to the tyrant?" hesitatingly asked Scævola. "Was forced, and he is absolved from it by Holy Church. But now it is time to depart. Let us only conclude the most pressing business. Here, Licinius, is the plan of the fortress of Neapolis: you must have it copied by to-morrow; it goes to Belisarius. Here, Scævola, letters from Byzantium, from Theodora, the pious wife of Justinian: you must answer them. Here, Calpurnius, is an assignment of half a million _solidi_ from Albinus: you will send them to the Frankish major domus; he has great influence with his king. Here, Pomponius, is a list of the patriots in Dalmatia; you know men and things there, take notice if important names are omitted. And be it known to all of you, that, according to news received to-day from Ravenna, the hand of the Lord lies heavy on the tyrant. Deep melancholy, too tardy remorse for all his sins, oppresses him, and the consolations of the true faith have not yet penetrated into his soul. Have patience but a little while; the angry voice of the Judge will soon summon him; then comes the day of freedom. At the next Ides, at the same hour, we shall meet here again. The blessing of the Lord be with you!"