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"So, Varangian, thou art come at last, and is it to thy sloth or treachery that I am to impute my fate? Nay, answer me not! The stranger struck me over the collar-bone had we lived long together, or met often, I had done the like by thee, to wipe out the memory of certain transactions at the Golden Gate.
Methinks the evidence of a Varangian, granting him to be ever so stout a man-at-arms, is but a frail guarantee against the honour of your son-in-law the approved bravery and fidelity of the captain of your guards the deep sense, virtue, and profound wisdom, of the greatest of your philosophers"
Their theories, as they call them, are built on the sand, and the wind and tide shall prevail against them." "Say so to my master," answered the black, in a serious tone. "I will," said the Varangian; "and he shall know me as an ignorant soldier, having but few ideas, and those only concerning my religion and my military duty.
By the mouth of the Neva had passed Rurik and his fellows in their journeys across the Varangian sea, their own sea. The czar was willing to restore to Sweden all his conquests in Livonia and Esthonia, but the Neva he would not yield.
"Well, my captain," replied the Varangian, "I cannot presume to speak my mind after the fashion of this place; but I can easily suppose I am but ill qualified to converse in the presence of the court, nor do I mean therefore to say a word till I am spoken to, unless when I shall see no better company than ourselves.
"Bravo, my noble comrade!" said Harpax, in a tone of affected rapture, always lowering his voice, however, as respecting the slumbers of the Varangian.
"Orders from whom?" said the Varangian. "From my master and yours," answered the negro, boldly. "Thou infidel villain!" exclaimed the angry soldier, "when was it that we became fellow-servants, and who is it that thou darest to call my master?" "One who is master of the world," said the slave, "since he commands his own passions."
So we go, I suppose, captain, to bear evidence before the Emperor to this night's work?" "No, my active soldier, hadst thou taken the runaway villain, my first act must have been to set him free again; and my present charge to you is, to forget that such an adventure has ever taken place." "Ha!" said the Varangian; "this is a change of policy indeed!"
Out of this he had been startled by the sudden appearance of the Varangian; for though he was accustomed to commit the outer guards of the palace to this trusty corps, yet the deformed blacks whom we have mentioned, and who sometimes rose to be ministers of state and commanders of armies, were, on all ordinary occasions, intrusted with the guard of the interior of the palace.
Besides the usual Varangian, Italian, and German guards, we find large corps of Patzinaks, Franks, and Turks enrolled in his armies, and officers of these nations occupying situations of the highest rank.
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