"Ay. When did it arrive ?”

"But now, my lord. It came right into the guardhouse.'

He cut the string, and gave the letter to De Rushton. The pigeon turned its glossy neck about, as if looking for protection.

"Come to me, poor little trembler," cried Theodora, taking it out of Burstow's rough hands,-who touched her as if she had been a being of superior kind to himself, -“come to me: it is a shame to employ such innocent creatures as you in such bloody messages."

6

"We must not open this, Lord Phranza," said De Rushton. "It is directed, To the Emperor, with speed.' I know the hand, though."

"Let me see," said Phranza. "Ay, so do I. It is our good friend, yonder," and he nodded in the direction of the camp; "but we had better go with it at once.' "Surely," said Sir Edward. "Burstow, do you follow us: we may want you."

"Are you going, then ?" asked Theodora. shall you be back ?"

"When

"Soon, if I possibly can," returned the Great Acolyth, kissing her, "but it must depend on what this note may contain. Something of importance it is, or it would not have been sent in this manner. Do not sit up for me, love though I hope I shall not be long."

"Good night, my child," said Phranza. "I, at all events, shall not come back to-night. Go you to S. Sophia's to-morrow ?”

"I purpose to do so," she replied.

"Then, after Liturgy, I shall, perhaps, see you again. Good night."

"This confirms what we were saying even now, Lord Protovestiare," observed De Rushton, as they crossed the First Court. "This mode of conveying intelligence is so perilous that, unless it had been something of weight, Calil would not have attempted it. Chrysolaras tells me that he never did it without great anxiety."

“Why truly, it might easily fail, take what precautions he will. I suppose he designs a surprise. If so, we may have to spend this night most precariously. But here

we are. We must see the Cæsar on urgent business, guard."

"The Emperor is at After-Vespers, my lord," replied the guard. "Please it your Highness to walk into the reception room. He shall be informed instantly on his

return."

"Has he been gone long ?"

"Nearly half-an-hour, my lord; he cannot be much longer."

"Well, we must wait, then," said Phranza: "but the delay is vexatious. At S. Irene's, is he ?"

"Yes, my lord."

"We will wait for him, then, here, good fellow." And they took one or two turns up and down before the entrance. But they had not to wait long. Fifes and hautboys presently rang out, and, with a small guard of Varangians, the Emperor, and a few officers of his household, returned to the palace.

"Good evening, my lord Phranza," said he. "Good evening, Lord Acolyth. I love not to miss After-Vespers on these great Festivals. Any thing of importance ?" "I rather think there is, sire. A despatch has arrived."

"Has it ?" asked Constantine, understanding to what he referred. "Have you opened it ?"

"No, my liege."

"Then follow me instantly." And, leading the way into a small room used by the First Secretary for the despatch of business, Constantine seated himself; and, having desired that every one else should leave the apartment, said,

"From Calil, is it ?"

"Yes, my liege," replied De Rushton. "It arrived by a carrier pigeon but now, and is addressed to your Majesty."

"Read it," said Constantine.

Sir Edward read-"The Emperor is informed that a general assault of the city is to take place at daybreak on Tuesday morning, both by sea and land. The attack will be made in three places: Baltha Ogli, the Bulgarians and Croatians, at the Silivri gate; the Pasha of Anatolia,

with the Anatolian and Roumelian troops at the breach by S. Romanus's Tower; the Sultan will command the Janissaries there in person, as a body of reserve; the galleys in the Horn will be commanded by Achmet Pasha and Leontius. This intelligence is certain. The number of troops employed, as near as the writer can ascertain, fifteen thousand Janissaries; two hundred and fifty thousand ordinary infantry. Every effort is being made to ensure success. If this attack can be repulsed, the city is safe."

CHAPTER XXVIII.

"We must straight employ you Against the general enemy Ottoman."

Othello.

We have now reached the evening of Whit-Monday, May 28, 1453. A night and a morning, and the destinies of the great city will have been accomplished; the long line of its princes will have ceased for ever; its heroic actions and its dark crimes have passed away from real existence; itself, equally with the account of its fall, be a tale that is told. But yet, on that fair evening, it existed; its emperor and its princes were a living reality; its churches were unprofaned; its monasteries inviolate; it retained the impression of primeval times, and, amidst the changing West, exhibited the stamp of the immutable East.

"Whither away ?" inquired Phranza, as he met Sir Edward de Rushton on the ramparts, near Port S. Peter, about six o'clock on the evening of this, the last day of the city.

"To the Emperor," replied the Acolyth,—" at S. Romanus's Tower-he wishes me to visit that, and the other positions which will be attacked to-morrow, with him, while it is yet daylight."

"I will go with you. What have you been doing this afternoon? I have not seen you ?”

“I have been arranging for the defence of this side, as well as may be. It seems that the old breaches made

when the Latins took the city, have only been skimmed over, never thoroughly repaired. It is a fortunate thing for us that no very heavy artillery has been brought to bear upon them."

"But there will be more men needed here than anywhere else," replied Phranza. "Those ships can throw their scaling ladders right on the walls-no ditch-no double wall.'

"Yet, somehow, I have a presentiment," said De Rushton, "that the greatest danger will not be on this side. Those four towers that have been thrown down by S. Romanus, must give them great spirit. you been there lately ?"

Have

"Not since this afternoon's cannonade, which has been brisk enough. The Emperor has been there in person. I have had enough to do in lodging the ammunition where we shall want it. We shall have plenty of that happen what may."

"These matters will finally be arranged in the Council. But now, Lord Phranza, let us talk of what more immediately concerns us. What can we do for Theodora ? We may not have another opportunity of discussing this in private."

"We must so arrange," said Phranza, "that if we both fall, which is likely enough, she must not be leftand that, whether we fall or survive, she may at once be found. In the first place, I thought of giving Barlaam directions not to leave her. He is an old man, and not fit for active work; but he has some strength in him yet -he loves her as he would his own child,—and he knows every street and lane of Constantinople as well as my house."

"So be it," said Sir Edward. "Of all men, next to myself, I would rather leave her in Burstow's charge; but that cannot be. However, we must make preparations for the worst. If the city falls to-morrow, and we fall too, is she to attempt to fly from it, or to hide herself in it ?"

"To hide herself," said Phranza, "might secure her for the time; but it would involve almost certain destruction afterwards. And yet, to attempt to fly in the

midst of a sack, were equally vain. Ah! here is the exarch Choniates: he has a daughter too to preserve. Let us take him into our counsels. Good evening, sir.” “Good evening, my Lords. Are you bound to the Emperor ?"

"Even so."

"So am I. Shall I join you, or are you occupied ?” "Join us by all means," said Phranza. “You have an interest in what we were discussing, for you too have a daughter. The question is, supposing that the city falls to-morrow, how are we best to provide for their safety, as that, whether we survive or not, they may have the chance at least of escaping the horrors of the sack.”

"In the first place," said Sir Edward, "if the Exarch thinks fit, the Lady Euphrasia, and my own wife had better be together, safer so than separate; and they will cheer and comfort each other."

"I am beholden to you, Lord Acolyth," replied Choniates. "And the Lord Chrysolaras, though he is unable to take part in any active preparation, yet may well be a safeguard to them, if things go ill to-morrow."

"Then thus be it," said Phranza. "We may beat off the dogs, and then all is well. But, if the day seems to be going hard with us, Theodora and Euphrasia shall conceal themselves in the ice-house of my gardens. There is a large empty vault there, where it would not be easy to find them. Barlaam shall have his directions to keep as near the place as he can do with safety, and take the best care of them that he may. Your wife, Exarch? were it not well she bestowed herself there also ?"

“She is in far less danger than the others," said Choniates," but still it might be well for all their sakes."

"Then it is probable that some one of us,—the Exarch, you, Lord Acolyth, Chrysolaras, Burstow, or I shall survive. Whichever of us does (for Burstow we may trust as ourselves,) shall engage to pursue the best course he can, at whatever danger to himself, to set them free. must be done to-morrow night, if at all. Let us therefore resolve, each and all of us, to meet near the ice-house, if the city is taken, at midnight. If by that time none of us

It