"But Athalaric had not spoken and suffered in vain," continued Cassiodorus. "The next evening, while at table, the King sorely missed his darling. He remembered with what noble 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 petition 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 Cassiodorus, "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. Longer and longer stretched the shadows of the towers across the court of the palace, into which she was gazing. All at once she was roused by the firm footsteps of a man; Cethegus stood before her. His countenance was cold and dark, but icily calm. "Cethegus!" cried the distressed woman, hurrying towards him; and would have taken his hand, but his coldness repulsed her. "All is lost!" she sighed, stopping short. "Nothing is lost. Calmness is all that is wanting--and promptness," he added, looking round the room. When he saw that he was alone with her, he put his hand into the folds of his toga. "Your love-philtre has done no good, Rusticiana. Here is another; more potent. Take it," and he thrust into her hand a small phial made of dark-coloured lava-stone. She looked into his face with anxious suspicion. "Do you all at once believe in magic and charms? Who has mixed it?" "I," he answered, "and _my_ potions work." "You!" a cold shudder ran through her frame. "Ask no questions, do not delay," he commanded. "It must be done this day! Do you hear? This very day!" But Rusticiana still hesitated, and looked doubtfully at the bottle in her hand. Then Cethegus went close to her and lightly touched her shoulder. "You hesitate?" he said slowly. "Do you know what is at stake? Not only our whole plan! No, blind mother. Still more. Camilla _loves_, loves the King; with all the power of her young soul. Shall the daughter of Boëthius become the paramour of the tyrant?" With a loud cry Rusticiana started back. That which, during the last few days, had crossed her mind with a terrible suspicion, now became a certainty; she cast one glance at the man who had spoken the cruel word, and hurried away, angrily grasping the phial. Cethegus looked quietly after her.