A Struggle For Rome Volume I Part 27

She was not tall, and yet imposing. Her fine figure was more st.u.r.dy than slender. Her gold-brown hair was bound in simple but rich braids round her head; her features were regular; more firm than delicate.

An expression of sincerity, worth, and trustfulness lay in her large blue eyes. Her round bare arms showed that she was no stranger to work.

At her broad girdle, over which puffed out her brown under-garment of home-spun cloth, rattled a bunch of keys; she rested her left hand quietly upon her hip, and stretched her right commandingly before her.

"Aye, aye, Rauthgundis, mistress mine," said Wachis, letting loose, "must you have your eyes everywhere?"

"Everywhere, when my servants are at mischief. When will you learn to agree? You Italians need a master in the house. But thou, Wachis, shouldst not vex the housewife too. Come, Athalwin, come with me."

And she led the boy away.

She went into a side-yard, filled her raised skirt with grain out of a trough, and fed the fowls and pigeons, which immediately flocked around her.

For a little while Athalwin watched her silently. At last he said:

"Mother, is it true? Is father a robber?"

Rauthgundis suspended her occupation, and looked at the child in surprise.

"Who said so?"

"Who? Eh, the nephew of Calpurnius! We were playing on the great heap of hay in his meadow, and I showed him how far the land belongs to us on the right of the hedge--far and wide--as far as our servants were mowing, and the brook shone in the distance. Then he got angry and said, 'Yes, and all that land once belonged to us, and thy father or thy grandfather stole it, the robbers!'"

"Indeed! And what didst thou reply?"

"Eh, nothing at all, mother. I only threw him over the hay-c.o.c.k, with his heels in the air. But now I should like to know if it is true."

"No, child, it is not true. Your father did not steal it, but took it openly, because he was stronger and better than these Italians. And heroes have done the same in all ages. And when the Italians were strong and their neighbours weak, they did so most of all. But now come; we must look after the linen that is bleaching on the green."

As they turned their backs upon the stables, and were going towards the gra.s.sy hill on the left of the house, they heard the rapid hoof-beats of a horse, which was approaching on the old Roman high-road.

Athalwin climbed quickly to the top of the hill and looked towards the road.

A rider, mounted on an immense brown charger, galloped down the woody heights towards the villa. Brightly sparkled his helmet and the point of the lance, which he carried across his shoulder.

"It is father, mother; it is father!" cried the boy, and ran swift as an arrow down the hill to meet the rider.

Rauthgundis had just now reached the top of the hill. Her heart beat.

She shaded her eyes with her hand, to look into the evening-red; then she said in a low happy voice:

"Yes, it is he! my husband."

CHAPTER V.

Meanwhile Athalwin had already reached his father and climbed up his knee, clinging to his foot.

The rider lifted him up with a loving hand, set him before him in the saddle, and spurred his horse into a gallop. The n.o.ble animal, once the charger of Theodoric, neighed l.u.s.tily as he recognised his home and his mistress, and shook his flowing mane.

The rider now reached the hill, and dismounted with the boy.

"My dear wife!" he exclaimed, embracing her tenderly.

"My Witichis!" she answered, blus.h.i.+ng with pleasure, and clinging to him; "welcome home!"

"I promised that I would come before the new moon--it was difficult----"

"But thou hast kept thy word, as always."

"My heart drew me here," he said, putting his arm around her.

They went on slowly to the house.

"It seems, Athalwin, that Wallada is of more consequence to thee than thy father," said Witichis, smiling, to the boy, who was leading the horse carefully after them.

"No, father; but give me the lance too--I have not often such a pleasure in this country life;" and dragging the long, heavy shaft of the spear after him with difficulty, he cried out: "Eh! Wachis, Ansbrand! father has come! Fetch the skin of Falernian from the cellar.

Father is thirsty after his rapid ride!"

With a smile Witichis stroked the golden curls of the boy, who now hurried past them to the house.

"Well, and how does all go on here?" asked Witichis, looking at Rauthgundis.

"Very well, Witichis. The harvest is all brought in, the grapes crushed, the sheaves housed."

"I do not ask about that," said he, pressing her tenderly to him--"how art thou?"

"As well as a poor woman can be," she answered, looking up at him, "who misses her well-loved husband. Work is the only thing that comforts me, my friend; plenty of occupation, which benumbs a sensitive heart. I often think how thou, far away amongst strange people, must trouble thyself in court and camp, where there is none to cherish thee. At least, I say to myself, he shall find his home well-kept and cheerful when he returns. And it is that, seest thou, which sanctifies and enn.o.bles all the dull routine of work, and makes it dear to me."

"That's my brave wife! But dost thou not too much fatigue thyself?"

"Work is healthy. But vexation, and the men's wickedness, _that_ hurts me!"

Witichis stood still.

"Who dares to grieve thee?"

"Ah! the Italian servants, and our Italian neighbours! They all hate us. Woe to us, if they did not fear us. Calpurnius, our neighbour, is so insolent when he knows thou art absent, and the Roman slaves are disobedient and false; our Gothic servants alone are good."

Witichis sighed. They had now arrived at the house, and sat down at a marble table under the colonnade.

"Thou must remember," said Witichis, "that our neighbour was forced to give up to us the third part of his estate and slaves."

"And has kept two-thirds, and his life into the bargain--he ought to thank G.o.d!" answered Rauthgundis contemptuously.

Just then Athalwin came running with a basketful of apples, which he had plucked from the tree. Presently Wachis and the other German servants came with wine, meat, and cheese, and greeted their master with a frank clasp of the hand.

"Well done, my children. The mistress praises you. But where are Davus, Cacus, and the others?"

"Pardon, sir," answered Wachis, grinning, "they have a bad conscience."