Scolding and disputing, they reproached each other with being the cause of the civil war. The besiegers complained that the garrison had closed the gates of his royal fortress upon the King during the greatest distress of the nation. The Ravennese blamed Witichis for depriving the daughter of the Amelungs of her rights. As old Earl Grippa was making the round of the walls, he listened, unobserved, to one of these conversations. He suddenly came forward, and called to Witichis's soldiers who were standing below, praising their King. "Indeed?" he cried; "is it acting nobly and rightly to attack us like a madman, instead of giving an answer to our moderate demand? And he could so easily spare the blood of the Goths! We only want Mataswintha for our Queen! Well, can he not remain King? Is it so hard to share throne and couch with the most beautiful woman in the world, with the Princess Beautiful-hair,' of whose charms the singers sing in the streets? Must so many thousand brave Goths die, rather than that? Well then, let him continue to attack. We will see which breaks down first; his obstinacy or these walls!" These words of the old commander made an immense impression on all the Goths before the walls. They knew of nothing to say in defence of their King. They also knew as little of his marriage as the rest of the army. In this the presence of Rauthgundis in the camp had altered little, for truly she had not come like a queen. They hastened back to the camp in great excitement, and told what they had heard; how that the obstinacy of the King had sacrificed their brethren. "'Twas for this reason he kept the object of the embassy a secret!" they cried. Soon groups were formed in every lane of the camp, all much excited, speaking of the affair, and blaming the King in tones which grew ever louder. The Germans of those times treated their kings with a freedom of speech which horrified the Byzantines. In this case, vexation at the retreat from Rome; the shame of the defeat before Ravenna; regret for their sacrificed comrades, and anger at this secrecy; all worked together to excite the Goths to a storm of indignation against the King, which was not the less violent, because it was still restrained. This temper of the army did not escape the notice of the leaders. As they passed through the camp, the words of blame were scarcely restrained. But they would only have let loose the mischief if they had angrily rebuked it. And often, when Earl Teja or Hildebad would have interposed a word in mitigation, old Hildebrand kept them back. "Let the tide swell a little more," he said; "when it is high enough I will control it. The only danger would be--" he added, half to himself. "If those in the rebel camp opposite were beforehand with us," said Teja. "Right, thou guesser of riddles! But things go well for us there. Deserters relate that the princess steadfastly refuses. She threatens to kill herself rather than give her hand to Arahad."