And look you, sir emperor, the time shall surely come when
the king of the Huns shall be content not with paltry tribute and
needless office, but with naught but Roman treasure and Roman
slaves!"
But into this torrent of words came Pulcheria's calm voice again.
"Nay, good Attila, and nay, my brother and my lord," she said.
"'T were not between friends and allies to talk of tribute, nor
of slaves, nor yet of hostage. Freely did'st thou come and as
freely shalt thou go; and let this pledge tell of friendship
between Theodosius the emperor and Ruas the king." And, with a
step forward, she flung her own broad chain of gold around the
stout and swarthy neck of the defiant young Attila.
So, through a girl's ready tact and quiet speech, was the terror
of barbarian invasion averted. Ruas the Hun rested content for
years with his annual salary of three hundred and fifty pounds of
gold, or over seventy thousand dollars, and his title of General
of the Empire; while not for twenty years did the hot-headed
young Attila make good his threat against the Roman power.
Anthemius the prefect, like the wise man he was, recognized the
worth of the young Princess Pulcheria; he saw how great was her
influence over her brother the emperor, and noted with
astonishment and pleasure her words of wisdom and her rare
common-sense.
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