“Thengiveitme，“saidHeliodorefaintly。“Iwilldrinkatonceandhavedone。“
　　ThenitwasthatIcameoutfrombehindmycurtainandgropedmywaytowardsthem。
　　“SirPhysician，orSirEnvoyoftheCaliphHarun，“Isaid；butforthemomentwentnofurther，since，withalowcry，Heliodorecastherselfuponmybreastandstoppedmylipswithhers。
　　“HushtillIhavespoken，“Iwhispered，placingmyarmabouther；thencontinued。“IsworetoyoujustnowthatIwouldnotrevealmyselfunlessIheardaughtwhichwouldbringdisgraceonmyheadorname。Tostandstillbehindyondercurtainwhilemybetrothedispoisonedatyourhandswouldbringdisgraceuponmyheadandnamesoblackthatnotalltheseasofalltheworldcouldwashitaway。Say，Physician，doesyondercupholdenoughofdeathforbothofus？“
　　“Yes，GeneralOlaf，andifyouchoosetoshareitIthinktheCaliphwillbeglad，sincehelovesnotthekillingofbravemen。Onlyitmustbenowandwithoutmorewords。Youcantalkforalittleafterwardsbeforethesleeptakesyou。“
　　“Sobeit，“Isaid。“SinceImustdie，asIheardyoudecreebutnow，itisnocrimetodiethus，oratleastI’llriskitwhohaveonetoguarduponthatroad。Drink，beloved，alittlelessthanhalfsinceI
　　amthestronger。Thengivemethecup。“
　　“Husband，Ipledgeyou，“shesaid，anddrank，thrustingthecupintomyhand。
　　I，too，liftedittomylips。Lo！itwasempty。
　　“Oh！mostcruelofthieves，“Icried，“youhavestolenall。“
　　“Aye，“sheanswered。“ShallIseeyouswallowpoisonbeforemyeyes？I
　　die，butperchanceGodmaysaveyouyet。“
　　“Notso，Heliodore，“Icriedagain，and，turning，begantogropemywaytothewindow-place，whichIknewwasfarfromtheground，sinceI
　　hadnoweaponthatwouldservemyturn。
　　Inaninstant，asIthrustthelatticeopen，Ifelttwostrongarmscastaboutmeandheardthephysicianexclaim，“Come，Lady，helpmewiththismadman，lesthedohimselfamischief。“
　　Sheseizedmealso，andwestruggledtogetherallthreeofus。Thedoorsburstopen，andIwasdraggedbackintothecentreoftheroom。
　　“OlafRed-Sword，theblindGeneraloftheChristians，“saidthephysicianinanewvoice，onethatwasfullofmajestyandcommand，“I
　　whospeaktoyouamnodoctorofmedicineandnoenvoy。IamHarun-al-
　　Rashid，CaliphoftheFaithful。Isitnotso，myservants？“
　　“Itisso，Caliph，“pealedtheanswerfrommanythroats。
　　“Hearken，then，tothedecreeofHarun-al-Rashid。LearnbothofyouthatallwhichhaspassedbetweenuswasbutaplaythatIhaveplayedtotesttheloveandfaithfulnessofyoutwain。LadyHeliodore，beatease。Youhavedrunknothingsavewaterdistilledwithroses，andnosleepshallfallonyousavethatwhichNaturebringstohappiness。
　　Lady，Itellyouthat，havingseenwhatIhaveseenandheardwhatI
　　haveheard，ratherwouldIstandintheplaceofthatblindmanto-nightthanbeSovereignoftheEast。Truly，Iknewnotthatlovesuchasyourswastobemetwithintheworld。IsaythatwhenIsawyoudrainthecupinalastpoorstruggletodrivebackthedeaththatthreatenedthisOlafmyownheartwentoutinloveforyou。Yethavenofear，sincemyloveisofakindthatwouldnotrobyouofyourlove，butratherwouldbringittoarichandgloriousblossominthesunshineofmyfavour。Wondrousisthetaleofthewooingofyoutwainandhappyshallbeitsend。GeneralOlaf，youconqueredmeinwaranddealtwiththoseofmyservantswhofellintoyourhandsaccordingtothenoblenessofyourheart。ShallI，then，beoutdoneingenerositybyonewhomawhileagoIshouldhavenamedaChristiandog？Notso！
　　LetthehighpriestoftheChristians，Politian，bebroughthither。Hestandswithout，andwithhimtheladynamedMartina，whowastheEmpressIrene’swaiting-woman。“
　　Themessengerswentandtherefollowedasilence。Therearetimeswhentheheartistoofullforwords；atleast，HeliodoreandIfoundnothingtosaytoeachother。Weonlyclaspedeachother’shandandwaited。
　　Atlengththedooropened，andIheardtheeager，bustlingstepofPolitian，alsoanotherglidingstep，whichIknewforthatofMartina。
　　Shecametome，shekissedmeonthebrow，andwhisperedintomyear，“Soalliswellatlast，asIknewitwouldbe；andnow，Olaf——andnow，Olaf，youareabouttobemarried。Yes，atonce，and——Iwishyoujoy。“
　　Herwordsweresimpleenough，yettheykindledinmyheartalightbywhichitsawmanythings。
　　“Martina，“Isaid，“ifIhavelivedtoreachthishour，underGoditisthroughyou。Martina，theysaythateachofushasaguardianangelinheaven，andifthatbeso，minehascometoearth。YetinheavenaloneshallIlearntothankherasIought。“
　　ThensuddenlyMartinawassobbingonmybreast；afterwhichIrememberonlythatHeliodorehelpedmetowipeawayhertears，whileinthebackgroundIheardtheCaliphsaytohimselfinhisdeepvoice，“Wondrous！Wondrous！ByAllah！theseChristiansareastrangefolk。
　　Howfarwiserisourlaw，forthenhecouldhavemarriedbothofthem，andallthreewouldhavebeenhappy。TrulyhewhodecreedthatitshouldbesoknewtheheartofmanandwomanandwasaprophetsentbyGod。Nay，answermenot，friendPolitian，sinceonmattersofreligionwehaveagreedthatwewillneverargue。Doyourofficeaccordingtoyourunholyrites，andIandmyservantswillwatch，prayingthattheEvilOnemaybeabsentfromtheservice。Oh！silence，silence！HaveI
　　notsaidthatwewillnotargueonsubjectsofreligion？Toyourbusiness，man。“
　　SoPolitiandrewustogethertotheotherendofthechamber，andtherewedusasbesthemight，withMartinaforwitnessandthesolemnMoslemsforcongregation。
　　Whenitwasover，Haruncommandedmywifetoleadmebeforehim。
　　“Hereisamarriagegiftforyou，GeneralOlaf，“hesaid；“one，I
　　think，thatyouwillvaluemorethananyother，“andhehandedmesomethingsharpandheavy。
　　Ifeltit，hiltandblade，andknewitfortheWanderer’ssword，yes，myownredswordfromwhichItookmyname，thattheCommanderoftheFaithfulnowrestoredtome，andwithitmyplaceandfreedom。Itookit，and，sayingnoword，withthatsameswordgavetohimthetriplesaluteduetoasovereign。
　　InstantlyIheardHarun’sscimitar，thescimitarthatwasfamousthroughouttheEast，rattleasitleftitsscabbard，asdidthescimitarsofallthosewhoattendedonhim，andknewthattherewasbeingreturnedtomethesalutewhichasovereigngivestoageneralinhighcommand。ThentheCaliphspokeagain。
　　“Aweddinggifttoyou，LadyHeliodore，childofanancientandmightyrace，andnew-madewifeofagallantman。Forthesecondtimeto-nighttakethiscupofgold，butletthatwhichlieswithinitadornyourbreastinmemoryofHarun。Queensofoldhavewornthosejewels，butneverhavetheyhungaboveanoblerheart。“
　　Heliodoretookthecup，andinhertremblinghandIheardthepricelessgemsthatfilleditclinkagainstitssides。OncemoretheCaliphspoke。
　　“Agiftforyoualso，LadyMartina。Takethisringfrommyhandandplaceitonyourown。Itseemsasmallthing，doesitnot？Yetsomethinglieswithinitscircle。InthiscityIsawto-dayaverybeauteoushousebuiltbyoneofyourGrecianfolk，andbehinditlandsthataswifthorsecouldscarcelycircletwicewithinanhour，mostfruitfullandsfedbythewaters。Thathouseandthoselandsareyours，togetherwithruleoverallwhodwelluponthem。Thereyoumaylivecontentwithwhomeveryoumayplease，evenifhebeaChristian，freeoftaxortribute，providedonlythatneitheryounorheshallplotagainstmypower。Now，toallthreeofyoufarewell，perchanceforever，unlesssomeofusshouldmeetagaininwar。GeneralOlaf，yourshipliesintheharbour；useitwhenyouwill。IpraythatyouwillthinkkindlyofHarun-al-Rashid，ashedoesofyou，OlafRed-
　　Sword。Come，letusleavethesetwo。LadyMartina，Iprayyoutobemyguestthisnight。“
　　Sotheyallwent，leavingHeliodoreandmyselfaloneinthegreatroom，yes，aloneatlastandsafe。
　　Yearshadgoneby，Iknownothowmany，butonlythatmuchhadhappenedinthem。ForawhileIreneandyoungConstantinewerejointrulersoftheEmpire。Thentheyquarrelledagain，andConstantine，afraidoftreachery，fledwithhisfriendsinashipafteranattempthadbeenmadetoseizehisperson。HepurposedtojoinhislegionsinAsia，orsoitwassaid，andmakewaruponhismother。Butthosefriendsofhisupontheshipweretraitors，who，fearingIrene’svengeanceorperhapshisown，sinceshethreatenedtotellhimallthetruthconcerningthem，seizedConstantineanddeliveredhimuptoIrene。She，themotherwhoborehim，causedhimtobetakentothepurplePorphyryChamberinthepalace，thatchamberinwhich，asthefirst-bornofanemperor，hesawthelight，andthererobbedhimoflightforever。
　　Yes，StauraciusandhisbutchersblindedConstantineasIhadbeenblinded。Onlyitwastoldthattheydrovetheirknivesdeepersothathedied。Butotherssaythathelivedon，aprisoner，unknown，unheeded，asthoseunclesofhiswhom/he/hadblindedandwhooncewereinmychargehadlived，tillinGreecetheassassin’sdaggersfoundtheirhearts。Ifso，oh！whatafatewashis。
　　AfterwardsforfiveyearsIrenereignedaloneinglory，whileStauracius，mygod-father，andhisbrothereunuch，Aetius，stroveagainsteachothertobefirstMinisteroftheCrown。Aetiuswon，and，notcontentwithallhehad，plottedthathisrelativeNicetas，whoheldtheplaceofCaptainoftheGuard，whichonceIfilled，shouldbenamedsuccessortothethrone。Thenatlastthenoblesrebelled，and，electingoneoftheirnumber，Nicephorus，asemperor，seizedIreneinherprivatehouseofEleutherius，whereshelaysick，andcrownedNicephorusinSt。Sophia。NextdayhevisitedIrene，when，fearingtheworstandbrokenbyillness，sheboughtapromiseofsafetybyrevealingtohimallherhoardedtreasure。