I thought him false to me, and struck in a moment of
madness.'
'Then you have since learnt that you were deceived?'
Basil paused a moment.
'Gracious lord, that I accused him falsely, I no longer doubt,
having had time to reflect upon many things, and to repent of my
evil haste. But I am still ignorant of the cause which led him to
think ill of me, and so to speak and act in a way which could not
but make my heart burn against him.'
'Something of this too I have heard,' said the king, his blue eyes
resting upon Basil's countenance with a thoughtful interest. 'You
believe, then, that your friend was wholly blameless towards you, in
intention and in act?'
'Save inasmuch as credited that strange slander, borne I know not
upon what lips.'
'May I hear,' asked Totila, 'what this slander charged upon you?'
Basil raised his head, and put all his courage into a brief reply.
'That I sought to betray the lady Veranilda into the hands of the
Greeks.'
'And you think,' said the king slowly, meditatively, his eyes still
searching Basil's face, 'that your friend could believe you capable
of that?'
'How he could, I know not,' came the sad reply.
Pages:
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522