And between the two friends lay a third form, which had been carefully laid by Gotho and Liuta upon the King's blood-stained mantle. Upon a gently-rising mound lay Valeria, the Roman virgin.
Fetched from the neighbouring cloister to receive her lover, she had thrown herself, without a scream, without even a sigh, upon the broad shield with its solemn burthen, which Adalgoth and Aligern were carrying through the gate with sad and slow steps. Before any one could speak, she had cried:
"I know all--he is dead!"
She had assisted them to lay the corpse in the sarcophagus, and while so occupied she had repeated to herself, in a low voice, these words:
"'Him too thou seest, how stalwart, tall, and fair!
Yet must he yield to death and stubborn fate,
Whene'er, at morn or noon or eve, the spear
Or arrow from the bow may rend his life.
Then may I, too, visit th' eternal shades!"
Then, without haste, quietly and slowly, she drew a dagger from her girdle, and with the words, "Here, stern Christian God, take my soul! thus I fulfil the vow!" the Roman maiden thrust the sharp steel into her bosom.
Cassiodorus, a little cross of cedar in his hand, went, deeply moved--the tears trickled down his venerable white beard--from corpse to corpse, repeating the prayers of the Church.
And the pious women of the cloister, who had accompanied Valeria, began the simple and noble chant:
"Vis ac splendor seculorum,
Belli laus et flos amorum
Labefacta mox marcescunt;
Dei laus et gratia sine
Ævi termino vel fine
In eternum perflorescunt."
Gradually the grove had become filled with warriors, who had followed their leaders. Among them were Earls Wisand and Markja.