“TheAugustusispleasedtothreaten，whichisunnecessary，“I
　　remarked。“IfIeatthefig，willtheAugustussweartoleavetherestofthemuneaten？“
　　“Aye，“heansweredwithahiccough，“forthenIshallknowthetruth，andforthetruthIlive，though，“headded，“Ihaven’tfoundityet。“
　　“AndifIdonoteatit，willtheAugustusdoso？“
　　“BytheHolyBlood，yes。I’lleatadozenofthem。AmIonetobehectoredbyawomanandabarbarian？Eat，orIeat。“
　　“Good，Sire。ItisbetterthatabarbarianshoulddiethanthattheworldshouldloseitsgloriousEmperor。Ieat，andwhenyouareasI
　　soonshallbe，aswillhappeneventoanemperor，maymybloodlieheavyonyoursoul，thebloodwhichIgivetosaveyourlife。“
　　ThenIliftedthefigtomylips。
　　Beforeeverittouchedthem，withamotionswiftasthatofapantherspringingonitsprey，Irenehadleaptfromhercouchanddashedthefruitfrommyhand。Sheturneduponherson。
　　“Whatkindofathingareyou，“sheasked，“whowouldsufferabravemantopoisonhimselfthathemaysaveyourworthlesslife？Oh！God，whathaveIdonethatIshouldhavegivenbirthtosuchahound？
　　Whoeverpoisonedthem，thesefruitsarepoisoned，ashasbeenprovedandcanbeprovedagain，yes，andshallbe。ItellyouthatifOlafhadtastedoneofthembynowhewouldhavebeendeadordying。“
　　Constantinedrankanothercupofwine，which，oddlyenough，seemedtosoberhimforthemoment。
　　“Ifindallthisstrange，“hesaidheavily。“You，mymother，wouldhavesufferedmetoeatthefigwhichyoudeclareispoisoned；amatterwhereofyoumayknowsomething。ButwhentheGeneralOlafofferstoeatitinmyplace，withyourownroyalhandyoudashitfromhislips，ashedasheditfrommine。Andthereisanotherthingwhichisstillmorestrange。ThisOlaf，whoalsosaysthefigsarepoisoned，offeredtoeatoneofthemifIpromisedIwouldnotdoso，whichmeans，ifheisright，thatheofferedtogivehislifeformine。YetIhavedonenothingforhimexceptcallhimhardnames；andasheisyourservanthehasnothingtolookforfrommeifIshouldwinthefightwithyouatlast。NowIhaveheardmuchtalkofmiracles，butthisistheonlyoneIhaveeverseen。EitherOlafisaliar，orheisagreatmanandasaint。Hesays，Iamtold，thatthemonkeywhichateoneofthosefigsdied。Well，Ineverthoughtofitbefore，buttherearemoremonkeysinthepalace。Indeed，onelivesontheterracenearby，forIfeditthisafternoon。We’llputthemattertotheproofandlearnofwhatstuffthisOlafisreallymade。“
　　Onthetablestoodasilverbell，andashespokehestruckit。A
　　chamberlainenteredandwasorderedtobringinthemonkey。Hedeparted，andwithincredibleswiftnessthebeastanditskeeperarrived。Itwasalargeanimalofthebaboontribe，famousthroughoutthepalaceforitstricks。Indeed，onentering，atawordfromthemanwholedit，itbowedtoallofus。
　　“Giveyourbeastthese，“saidtheEmperor，handingthekeeperseveralofthefigs。
　　Thebaboontookthefruitsand，havingsniffedatthem，putthemaside。Thenthekeeperfeditwithsomesweetmeats，whichitcaughtanddevoured，andpresently，whenitsfearswereallayed，threwitoneofthefigs，whichitswallowed，doubtlessthinkingitasweetmeat。A
　　minuteortwolateritbegantoshowsignsofdistressandshortlyafterwardsdiedinconvulsions。
　　“Now，“saidIrene，“nowdoyoubelieve，myson？“
　　“Yes，“heanswered，“IbelievethatthereisasaintinConstantinople。SirSaint，Isaluteyou。Youhavesavedmylifeandifitshouldcomemyway，byyourbrothersaints！I’llsaveyours，althoughyouaremymother’sservant。“
　　Sospeaking，hedrankoffyetanothercupofwineandreeledfromtheroom。
　　Thekeeper，atasignfromIrene，liftedupthebodyofthedeadapeandalsoleftthechamber，weepingashewent，forhehadlovedthisbeast。
　　TheEmperorhadgone，drunk；theapehadgone，dead；anditskeeperhadgone，weeping。IreneandIalonewereleftinthatbeautifulplacewiththewine-stainedtableonwhichstoodthejarofpoisonedfigsandthebentgoldencuplyingonthemarblefloor。
　　Shesatuponthecouch，lookingatmewithakindofamazementinhereyes，andIstoodbeforeheratattention，asdoesasoldieronduty。
　　“Iwonderwhyhedidnotsendforoneofmyservantstoeatthosefigs——Stauracius，forinstance，“shemused，addingwithalittlelaugh，“Well，ifhehad，therearesomewhomIcouldhavesparedbetterthanthatpoorape，whichattimesIusedtofeed。Itwasanhonestcreature，thatape；theonlycreatureinthepalacethatwouldnotrubitsheadinthedustbeforetheAugusta。Ah！nowIremember，italwayshatedConstantine，forwhenhewasachildheusedtoteaseitwithastick，gettingbeyondthelengthofitschainandstrikingit。Butoneday，ashepassedtoonear，itcaughthimandbuffetedhimonthecheekandtoreoutsomeofhishair。Hewantedtokillitthen，butI
　　forbadehim。Yethehasneverforgottenit，hewhoneverdoesforgetanythinghehates，andthatiswhyhesentforthepoorbeast。“
　　“TheAugustawillrememberthattheAugustusdidnotknowthatthefigswerepoisoned。“
　　“TheAugustaissurethattheAugustusknewwellenoughthatthosefigswerepoisoned，atanyratefromthemomentthatIdashedoneofthemfromyourlips，Olaf。Well，Ihavemadeabittererenemythanbefore，that’sall。TheysaythatbyNature’srulemotherandchildmustloveeachother，butitisalie。Itellyouit’salie。FromthetimehewastinyIhatedthatboy，thoughnothalfasmuchashehashatedme。Youarethinkingtoyourselfthatthisisbecauseourambitionsclashlikemeetingswords，andthatfromthemspringthesefiresofhate。Itisnotso。Thehateisnativetoourhearts，andwillonlyendwhenoneofusliesdeadattheother’shand。“
　　“Terriblewords，Augusta。“
　　“Yes，buttrue。Truthisalwaysterrible——inByzantium。Olaf，takethosedruggedfruitsandsettheminthedrawerofyondertable；lockitandguardthekey，lesttheyshouldpoisonotherhonestanimals。“
　　Iobeyedandreturnedtomystation。
　　Shelookedatmeandsaid:
　　“IgrowwearyofthesightofyoustandingtherelikeastatueoftheRomanMars，withyourswordhalfhidbeneathyourcloak；and，what’smore，Ihatethishall；itreeksofConstantineandhisdrinkandlies。Oh！he’svile，andformysinsGodhasmademehismother，unless，indeed，hewaschangedatbirth，asI’vebeentold，thoughI
　　couldneverproveit。Givemeyourhandandhelpmetorise。So，I
　　thankyou。Nowfollowme。We’llsitawhileinmyprivatechamber，wherealoneIcanbehappy，sincetheEmperornevercomesthere。Nay，talknotofduty；youhavenoguardstosetorchangeto-night。Followme；IhavesecretbusinessofwhichIwouldtalkwithyou。“
　　SoshewentandIfollowedthroughdoorsthatopenedmysteriouslyatourapproachandshutmysteriouslybehindus，tillIfoundmyselfinalittleroomhalf-lightedonly，thatIhadneverseenbefore。Itwasascentedandabeautifulplace，inonecornerofwhichawhitestatuegleamed，thatofaVenuskissingCupid，whofoldedonewingaboutherhead，andthroughtheopenwindow-placethemoonlightshoneandfloatedthemurmurofthesea。
　　Thedoubledoorswereshut，foraughtIknewlocked，andwithherownhandsIrenedrewthecurtainsoverthem。Neartheopenwindow，towhichtherewasnobalcony，stoodacouch。
　　“Sityonder，Olaf，“shesaid，“forherethereisnoceremony；herewearebutmanandwoman。“
　　Iobeyed，whileshebusiedherselfwiththecurtains。Thenshecameandsatherselfdownonthecouchalso，leaningagainsttheendofitinsuchafashionthatshecouldwatchmeinthemoonlight。
　　“Olaf，“shesaid，aftershehadlookedatmeawhile，ratherstrangely，asIthought，forthecolourcameandwentuponherface，whichinthatlightseemedquiteyoungagainandwonderfullybeautiful，“Olaf，youareaverybraveman。“
　　“Therearehundredsinyourservicebraver，Empress；cowardsdonottaketosoldiering。“
　　“Icouldtellyouadifferentstory，Olaf；butitwasnotofthiskindofcouragethatItalked。ItwasofthatwhichmadeyouoffertoeatthepoisonedfiginplaceofConstantine。Whydidyoudoso？Itistruethat，asthingshavehappened，he’llrememberitinyourfavour，forI’llsaythisofhim，heneverforgetsonewhohassavedhimfromharm，anymorethanheforgetsonewhohasharmedhim。Butifyouhadeatenyouwouldhavedied，andthenhowcouldhehaverewardedyou？“
　　“Empress，whenItookmyoathofofficeIsworetoprotectboththeAugustusandtheAugusta，evenwithmylife。Iwasfulfillingmyoath，thatisall。“
　　“Youareastrangemanaswellasabravemantointerpretoathssostrictly。Ifyouwilldoasmuchasthisforonewhoisnothingtoyou，andwhohasneverpaidyouagoldpiece，howmuch，Iwonder，wouldyoudoforonewhomyoulove。“
　　“Icouldoffernomorethanmylifeforsuchaone，Empress，couldI？“
　　“Someonetoldme——itmayhavebeenyou，Olaf，oranother——thatonceyoudidmore，challengingaheathengodforthesakeofoneyouloved，anddefeatinghim。Itwasaddedthatthiswasforaman，butthatIdonotbelieve。DoubtlessitwasforthesakeofIdunatheFair，ofwhomyouhavespokentome，whomitseemsyoucannotforgetalthoughshewasfaithlesstoyou。Itissaidthatthebestwaytoholdloveistobefaithlesstohimwholoves，andintruthIbelieveit，“sheaddedbitterly。
　　“Youaremistaken，Empress。ItwastobeavengedonhimforthelifeofSteinar，myfoster-brother，whichhehadtakeninsacrifice，thatI
　　daredOdinandhewedhisholystatuetopieceswiththissword；ofSteinar，whomIdunabetrayedasshebetrayedme，bringingonetodeathandtheothertoshame。“