walls of this their town of Camalodunum be overthrown, and thou
and all thy people be given the certain death of traitors."

King Coel heard the summons, and some spark of that very
patriotism that had inspired and incited his valiant little
daughter flamed in his heart. He would have returned an answer of
defiance. "I can at least die with my people," he said, but young
Helena interposed.

"Leave this to me, my father," she said. "As I have been the
cause, so let me be the end of trouble. Say to the prefect that
in three hours' time the British envoy will come to his camp with
the king's answer to his summons."

The old king would have replied otherwise, but his daughter's
entreaties and the counsels of his captains who knew the
hopelessness of resistance, forced him to assent, and his herald
made answer accordingly.

Constantius the prefect--a manly, pleasant. looking young
commander, called Chlorus or "the sallow," from his pale
face,--sat in his tent within the Roman camp. The three hours'
grace allowed had scarcely expired when his sentry announced the
arrival of the envoy of Coel of Britain.

"Bid him enter," said the prefect. Then, as the curtains of his
tent were drawn aside, the prefect started in surprise, for there
before him stood, not the rugged form of a British fighting man,
but a fair young girl, who bent her graceful head in reverent
obeisance to the youthful representative of the Imperial Caesars.