With strong determination he went away from the house, which so powerfully attracted him, towards the entrance where the stone slabs lay about in confusion. As the store of stones had not been sufficient to fill up the entrance, the old slave had with the pick-axe taken up two slabs from the threshold, one of which bore the inscription. On this heap of stones Liuthari now sat in a deep reverie, just within the entrance, and looked at the stars and the soft light of the moon. He forced himself to think of his parents at home, of the past day and its victory, of the daughter of Agilolf with the fine-sounding name--what might she be like? All! it was of no use; he only deceived himself: through all the pictures of his thoughts, pushing them aside, so that they melted away as mist, appeared that noble, pale face, the rhythmic symmetry of that figure. "Felicitas!" breathed he lightly to himself. Long, long sat he thus. Suddenly the nightingale was silent. Liuthari was quickly awakened out of his thoughts and dreams: in hot haste, their iron hoofs resounding on the hard pavement of the road, several horses came galloping from Juvavum; the practised ear of the German clearly distinguished two, perhaps three horses. The young man sprang up, and seized the spear which was lying near him. "Those are not Alemannian horsemen," said he. "Who else can it be?--Fugitive Romans? or even--her husband?" He stepped behind the pier of the entrance to the right, where his form and also his shadow was hidden, while the moonlight revealed clearly to him the road and the footpath which led to the villa. The hoof-strokes were now silent. The watcher plainly saw how, at the turn o£ the footpath, three riders sprang from their horses, and fastened them to a milestone. The one, the tallest, wore a Roman helm, with a dark flowing plume, the two others the close-fitting headgear of the Moorish cavalry; their white mantles floated in the night wind. "That is scarcely her husband, and those are not slaves of this villa. And yet they are coming here. What may they be seeking? Shall I call Haduwalt? Bah! King Liutbert's son has often already stood against three enemies at once." At this moment the one in the helmet reached the entrance. "Wait here," he commanded, raising his short spear, "I alone will fetch the woman; if I need you, I will call. But I think"---- "Halt! stand, Roman!" cried Liuthari, with levelled spear, springing into the gateway in the full moonlight. "What seek you here?" "A German! Down with him!" cried the three voices at once. But at the same moment the leader stumbled two steps backwards, struck on the breast by the spear of Liuthari. If the armour-factory of Lorch had not supplied such excellent work, the point would have gone through and through the man. But it rebounded and--broke. The German angrily dropped the now useless shaft.