"From Hilderic," he repeated, "the most ungrateful of human beings! What was the hero's reward for the new victory? Suspicion! Fear of rousing jealousy in Constantinople! The coward! My beautiful sister-in-law, you have more courage in your little finger than this King of the Vandals in his heart and his sword-hand. Give me a cup of wine to wash down my rage." Hilda quickly sprang up, filled the goblet, and offered it to him. "Drink, brave Zazo! Hail to you and all heroes, and--" "To hell with Hilderic!" cried the furious soldier, draining the beaker at a single draught. "Hush, brother! What sacrilege!" exclaimed Gelimer, with a clouded brow. "Well, for aught I care, to heaven with him! He'll suit that far better than the throne of the sea-king Genseric." "There you give him high praise," said Gelimer. "I don't mean it. As I stood there while he questioned you so ungraciously, I could have--But reviling him is useless. Something must be done. I remained at home this time for a good reason: it was hard enough for me to let you go forth to victory alone! But I secretly kept a sharp watch on this fox in the purple, and have discovered his tricks. Send away this pair of wedded lovers, I think they have much to say to each other alone; the child Ammata, too; and listen to my report, my suspicion, my accusation: not only against the King, but others also." Gibamund threw his arm tenderly around his slender wife, and the boy ran out of the hall in front of them. CHAPTER V Gelimer sat down on the couch; Zazo stood before him, leaning on his long sword, and began,-- "Soon after you went to the field, Pudentius came from Tripolis to Carthage." "Again?" "Yes, he is often at the palace and talks for hours, alone with the King. Or with Euages and Hoamer, the King's nephews, our beloved cousins. The latter, arrogant blockhead, can't keep silent after wine. In a drunken revel he told the secret." "But surely not to you?" "No! To red-haired Thrasaric." "The savage!" "I don't commend his morals," cried the other, laughing. "Yet he has grown much more sedate since he is honestly trying to win the dainty Eugenia. But he never lies. And he would die for the Vandal nation; especially for you, whom he calls his tutor. You begin education with blows. In the grove of Venus--" "The Holy Virgin, you mean," Gelimer corrected. "If you prefer?--yes! But it does the Virgin little honor, so long as the old customs remain. So, at a banquet in the shell grotto of that grove, Thrasaric was praising you, and said you would restore the warlike fame of the Vandals as soon as you were king, when Hoamer shouted angrily: 'Never! That will never be! Constantinople has forbidden it. Gelimer is the Emperor's foe. When my uncle dies, _I_ shall be king; or the Emperor will appoint Pudentius Regent of the kingdom. So it has been discussed and settled among us.'" "That was said in a fit of drunkenness."