“Whenthosedaggerpointswerethrustintoyoureyes，Olaf，theycutthethreadthatboundus，andnowIreneandIaremorefarapartthanhellandheaven。ItellyouthatforyoursakeIhateherandworkherdownfall。AmInotyourgod-mother，Olaf？“
Thenagainshekissedmyhandandpresentlywasgone。
Onthefollowingmorning，asIsupposedittobe，myjailerscameandsaidtomethatImustappearbeforethejudgestohearsomerevisionofmysentence。Theydressedmeinmysoldier’sgear，andevenallowedmetogirdmyswordaboutme，knowing，doubtless，that，savetohimself，ablindmancoulddonomischiefwithasword。ThentheyledmeIknownotwhitherbypassageswhichturnednowhere，nowthere。Atlengthweenteredsomeplace，fordoorswereclosedbehindus。
“ThisistheHallofJudgment，“saidoneofthem，“butthejudgeshavenotyetcome。Itisagreatroomandbare。Thereisnothinginitagainstwhichyoucanhurtyourself。Therefore，ifitpleasesyouafterbeingcrampedsolonginthatnarrowcell，youmaywalktoandfro，keepingyourhandsinfrontofyousothatyouwillknowwhenyoutouchthefurtherwallandmustturn。“
Ithankedthemand，gladenoughtoavailmyselfofthisgraceformylimbswerestiffwithwantofexercise，begantowalkjoyfully。I
thoughtthattheroommustbeoneofthosenumberlessapartmentswhichopenedontotheterrace，sincedistinctlyIcouldhearthewashoftheseacomingfromfarbeneath，doubtlessthroughtheopenwindow-
places。
ForwardIsteppedboldly，butatacertainpointinmymarchthiscuriousthinghappened。Ahandseemedtoseizemyownanddrawmetotheleft。Wondering，Ifollowedtheguidanceofthehand，whichpresentlyleftholdofmine。ThereonIcontinuedmymarch，andasI
didso，thoughtthatIheardanothersound，liketothatofasuppressedmurmurofhumanvoices。TwentystepsmoreandIreachedtheendofthechamber，formyoutstretchedfingerstoucheditsmarblewall。Iturnedandmarchedback，andlo！atthetwentiethstepthathandtookmineagainandledmetotheright，whereononcemorethemurmurofvoicesreachedme。
Thricethishappened，andeverytimethemurmurgrewmoreloud。
Indeed，IthoughtIheardonesay，“Theman’snotblindatall，“andanother，“Somespiritguideshim。“
AsImademyfourthjourneyIcaughtthesoundofadistanttumult，theshoutsofwar，thescreamsofagony，andabovethemallthewell-
rememberedcryof“/Valhalla！Valhalla！VictoryorValhalla！/“
IhaltedwhereIwasandfeltthebloodrushintomywastedcheeks。
TheNorthmen，myNorthmen，wereinthepalace！ItwasatthisthatMartinahadhinted。Yetinsovastaplacewhatchancewastherethattheywouldeverfindme，andhow，beingblind，couldIfindthem？
Well，atleastmyvoicewaslefttome，andIwouldliftit。
SowithallmystrengthIcriedaloud，“OlafRed-Swordishere！ToOlaf，menoftheNorth！“
ThriceIcried。Iheardfolkrunning，nottome，butfromme，doubtlessthosewhosewhispershadreachedmyears。
Ithoughtoftryingtofollowthem，butthesoftandgentlehand，whichwasliketothatofawoman，oncemoreclaspedmineandheldmewhereIwas，sufferingmetomovenosingleinch。SothereIstood，evenafterthehandhadloosedmeagain，foritseemedtomethattherewassomethingmoststrangeinthisbusiness。
Presentlyanothersoundarose，thesoundoftheNorthmenpouringtowardsthehall，forfeetclangedlouderandlouderdownthemarblecorridors。More，theyhadmetthosewhowererunningfromthehall，fornowthesefledbackbeforethem。Theywereinthehall，foracryofhorror，mingledwithrage，brokefromtheirlips。
“’TisOlaf，“saidone，“Olafblinded，and，byThor，seewherehestands！“
ThenJodd’svoiceroaredout，“Movenot，Olaf；movenot，oryoudie。“
Anothervoice，thatofMartina，brokein，“Silence，youfool，oryou’llfrightenhimandmakehimfall。Silenceall，andleavehimtome！“
Thenquietfellupontheplace；itseemedthateventhepursuedgrewquiet，andIheardtherustleofawoman’sdressdrawingtowardsme。
Nextinstantasofthandtookmyown，justsuchahandasnotlongagohadseemedtoguideandholdme，andMartina’svoicesaid，“FollowwhereIlead，Olaf。“
SoIfollowedeightortenpaces。ThenMartinathrewherarmsaboutmeandburstintowildlaughter。Someonecaughtheraway；nextmomenttwohair-cladlipskissedmeonthebrowandthemightyvoiceofJoddshouted，“Thanksbetoallthegods，dwelltheyinthenorthorinthesouth！
Wehavesavedyou！Knowyouwhereyoustood，Olaf？Onthebrinkofapit，theverybrink，andbeneathisafallofahundredfeettowherethewatersoftheBosphoruswashamongtherocks。Oh！understandthisprettyGreciangame。They，goodChristianfolk，wouldnothaveyourbloodupontheirsouls，andthereforetheycausedyoutowalktoyourowndeath。Well，theyshallbedosedwiththedraughttheybrewed。
“Bringthemhither，comrades，bringthemonebyone，thesedevilswhocouldsittowatchablindmanwalktohisdoomtomaketheirsport。
Ah！whomhavewehere？Why，byThor！’tisthelawyerknave，hewhowaspresidentofthecourtthattriedyou，andwasangrybecauseyoudidnotsalutehim。Well，lawyer，thewheelhasgoneround。WeNorthmenareinpossessionofthepalaceandtheArmenianlegionsaregatheredatitsgatesanddobutwaitforConstantinetheEmperortoenterandtaketheempireanditscrown。They’llbehereanon，lawyer，butyouunderstand，havingacertainlifetosave，forwordhadbeenbroughttousofyourprettydoings，thatwewereforcedtostrikebeforethesignal，andstrucknotinvain。Nowwe’llfillinthetedioustimewithatrialofourown。Seehere，Iampresidentofthecourt，seatedinthisfinechair，andthesesixtorightandleftaremycompanionjudges，whileyousevenwhowerejudgesarenowprisoners。Youknowthecrimewithwhichyouarecharged，sothere’snoneedtosetitout。Yourdefence，lawyer，andbeswiftwithit。“
“Oh！sir，“saidthemaninatremblingvoice，“whatwedidtotheGeneralOlafwewereorderedtodobyonewhomaynotbenamed。“
“You’dbestfindthename，lawyer，forwereitthatofagodweNorthmenwouldhearit。“
“Well，then，bytheAugustaherself。ShewishedthedeathofthenobleMichael，orOlaf，buthavingbecomesuperstitiousaboutthematter，wouldnothavehisblooddirectlyonherhands。Thereforeshebethoughtherofthisplan。Hewasorderedtobebroughtintotheplaceyousee，whichisknownastheHallofthePit，thatinolddayswasusedbycertainbloody-mindedemperorstoridthemoftheirenemies。Thecentralpavementswingsuponahinge。Atatouchitopens，andhewhohasthoughtitsoundandwalkedthereon，whendarknesscomesislost，sincehefallsupontherocksfarbelow，andathightidethewatertakeshim。“
“Yes，yes，weunderstandthegame，lawyer，forthereyawnstheopenpit。Buthaveyouaughtmoretosay？“
“Nothing，sir，nothing，savethatweonlydidwhatweweredriventodo。Moreover，noharmhascomeofit，sincewheneverthenoblegeneralcametotheedgeoftheopenedpit，althoughhewasblind，hehaltedandwentofftorightorleftasthoughsomeonedrewhimoutofdanger。“
“Well，then，cruelandunjustjudges，whocouldgathertomockatthemurderofablindedmanthatyouhadtrappedtohisdoom——“
“Sir，“brokeinoneofthem，“itwasnotwewhotriedtotraphim；itwasthosejailerswhostandthere。Theytoldthegeneralthathemightexercisehimselfbywalkingupanddownthehall。“
“Isthattrue，Olaf？“askedJodd。
“Yes，“Ianswered，“itistruethatthetwojailerswhobroughtmeheredidtellmethis，thoughwhetherthosemenarepresentIcannotsay。“
“Verygood，“saidJodd。“Addthemtotheotherprisoners，whobytheirownshowingheardthemsetthesnareanddidnotwarnthevictim。Now，murderersall，thisisthesentenceofthecourtuponyou:ThatyousalutetheGeneralOlafandconfessyourwickednesstohim。“
Sotheysalutedme，kneeling，andkissingmyfeet，andoneandallmadeconfessionoftheircrime。
“Enough，“Isaid，“Ipardonthemwhoarebuttools。PraytoGodthatHemaydoasmuch。“
“Youmaypardonhere，Olaf，“saidJodd，“andyourGodmaypardonhereafter，butwe，theNorthmen，donotpardon。Blindfoldthosemenandbindtheirarms。Now，“wentonJoddafterapause，“theirturnhascometoshowussport。Run，friends，run，forswordsarebehindyou。
Canyounotfeelthem？“
Therestmaybeguessed。Withinafewminutesthesevenjudgesandthetwojailershadvanishedfromtheworld。Nohandcametosave/them/
fromthecruelrocksandthewatersthatseethedahundredfeetbelowthatdreadfulchamber。
Thisfantastic，savagevengeancewasathingdreadfultohear；whatitmusthavebeentoseeIcanonlyguess。IknowthatIwishedImighthavefledfromitandthatIpleadedwithJoddformercyonthesemen。
Butneitherhenorhiscompanionswouldlistentome。
“Whatmercyhadtheyonyou？“hecried。“Letthemdrinkfromtheirowncup。“
“Letthemdrinkfromtheirowncup！“roaredhiscompanions，andthenbrokeintoaroaroflaughterasoneofthefalsejudges，feelingspacebeforehim，leapt，leaptshort，andwithashriekdepartedforever。
Itwasover。IheardsomeoneenterthehallandwhisperinJodd’sear；
