She won this grace from Belisarius, and was permitted to keep with her the little maiden, just growing out of childhood.

But shame and grief had broken her heart; after a few months of imprisonment at Cumae she died.

And Veranilda passed into the care of the daughter of Maximus.
'For I too was a captive,' said Aurelia, 'and of the same religion as the orphan child.

By happy hazard I had become a friend of her mother, in those days of sorrow; and with careless scorn our conquerors permitted me to take Veranilda into my house.

As the years went by, she was all but forgotten; there came a new governor--this thievish Hun--who paid no heed to us.