And she went back into the inner chamber, where she again took her old place. "The flask will last some time," old Dromon said to himself; "but we must save him soon, if he is to be saved at all. There comes Wachis. May he bring good news, else----" Wachis entered. Since his visit to the Queen he had exchanged his steel cap and mantle for clothes borrowed from Dromon. "I bring good news!" he cried, as he entered. "But where were you an hour ago? I knocked in vain." "We had both gone out to buy wine." "To be sure; that is the reason why the whole room smells so sweet. What do I see? Why, this is old and costly Falernian! How could you pay for it?" "Pay for it?" repeated the old man. "With the purest gold in the world! I told you that the Prefect had purposely let the King starve, in order to undermine his health. For many days I have received no rations for him. Against my conscience I have kept him alive by depriving the other prisoners. This Rauthgundis would no longer suffer. She fell into deep thought, and then asked me whether the rich Roman ladies still paid so dearly for the yellow locks of the Gothic women. Suspecting nothing, I said 'Yes.' She went away, and soon returned shorn of her beautiful auburn hair, but with a handful of gold. With this the wine was bought." Wachis went into the next room, and kissing the hand of Rauthgundis, exclaimed: "Good and faithful wife!" "What art thou doing, Wachis? Rise, and tell me thy news." "Yes, tell us," said Dromon, joining them. "What says my Paukis? What advice does he give?" "What matters his advice?" asked Rauthgundis. "I can manage alone." "We need him very much. The Prefect has formed nine cohorts, after the model of the Roman legionaries, of all the youth of Ravenna, and my Paulus is enrolled amongst them. Luckily, the Prefect has entrusted the guard of the city gates to these legionaries. The Byzantines are placed outside the city in the harbour; the Isaurians here in the palace." "Yes," continued Wachis; "and these gates are carefully closed at night; but the breach near the Tower of Ætius is not yet repaired. Only sentinels are placed there to guard it." "When has my son the watch?" "In two days. He will have the third night-watch." "Thanks be to the saints! It could not have lasted much longer. I feared----" He hesitated. "What? Speak!" cried Rauthgundis. "I can bear to hear everything."