Thensuddenlysheburstintotears，and，turning，wentaway。
I，too，wentawaysomewhatbewildered，formuchhadhappenedtomethatmorningwhichIfoundithardtounderstand。WhyhadtheAugustakissedme？Itookitthatthiswassomekindofimperialjest。ItwasknownthatIkeptalooffromwomen，andshemayhavedesiredtoseewhatIshoulddowhenanAugustakissedme，andthentomakeamockofme。Ihadheardthatshehaddoneasmuchwithothers。
Well，letthatbe，sinceStauracius，whoalwaysfearedlestanewfavouriteshouldslipbetweenhimandpower，hadsettledthematterforme，forwhichIblessedStauracius，althoughatthemoment，beingbutaman，Ihadcursedhim。AndnowwhydidMartina——thelittle，darkMartinawiththekindfaceandthewatchful，beadyeyes，liketothoseofarobininournorthernlands——speakasshehaddone，andthenburstintotears？
Adoubtstruckme，butI，whowasnevervain，pusheditaside。Ididnotunderstand，andofwhatusewasittotrytointerpretthemeaningofthemoodsofwomen？Mybusinesswaswar，or，atthemoment，theservicethathastodowithwar，notwomen。WarshadbroughtmetotherankIheld，though，strangelyenough，ofthosewarsIcanrecallnothingnow；theyhavevanishedfrommyvision。TowarsalsoIlookedtoadvancemeinthefuture，whowasnocourtier，butasoldier，whomcircumstanceshadbroughttoCourt。Well，thankstoMartina，asshesaid，ortosomecapriceoftheEmpress，Ihadanewcommissionthatwasofmoreworthtomethanherrandomkisses，andIwouldgotoreadit。
ReaditIdidinthelittleprivateroomuponthepalacewallwhichwasmineascaptainoftheAugusta’sguard，though，beingwritteninGreek，Ifoundthisdifficult。Martinahadspokentruly。IwasmadetheGovernoroftheStateprison，withallauthority，includingthatoflifeanddeathshouldemergencyarise。Moreover，thisgovernorshipgavemetherankofageneral，withageneral’spay，alsosuchpickingsasIchosetotake。Inshort，fromcaptainoftheguard，suddenlyIhadbecomeagreatmaninConstantinople，onewithwhomevenStauraciusandotherslikehimwouldhavetoreckon，especiallyashissignatureappeareduponthecommissionbeneaththatoftheEmpress。