But to their astonishment, as well as to that of Hypatia, old Wulf rose also, and stumbling along to the foot of the tribune, pulled out his purse, and laid it at Hypatia's feet.
'What is this ?' asked she, half terrified at the approach of a figure more rugged and barbaric than she had ever beheld before.
'My fee for what I have heard to-day.

You are a right noble maiden, and may Freya send you a husband worthy of you, and make you the mother of kings!' And Wulf retired with his party.
Open homage to her rival, before her very face! Pelagia felt quite inclined to hate old Wulf.
But at least he was the only traitor.

The rest of the Goths agreed unanimously that Hypatia was a very foolish person, who was wasting her youth and beauty in talking to donkey-riders; and Pelagia remounted her mule, and the Goths their horses, for a triumphal procession homeward.
And yet her heart was sad, even in her triumph.

Right and wrong were ideas as unknown to her as they were to hundreds of thousands in her day.

As far as her own consciousness was concerned, she was as destitute of a soul as the mule on which she rode.