tick. Dangerous
thoughts and unseemly words! You see that we are faithfully informed of
your ambitious dreams. This time we will warn without punishing; but we
have no desire to furnish you with more wood for your general's staff;
and we would remind you that the tree, which most proudly tosses its
summit, is nearest to the imperial lightning.' It is shameful!" cried
Procopius.

"No, it is worse; it is silly!" said Cethegus. "It is whipping fidelity
into rebellion."

"You are right!" cried Belisarius, who had caught these words as he
again rushed into the tent. "Oh, he deserves that I should desert him,
the base, ungrateful, wicked tyrant!"

"Be silent, for God's sake! You will ruin yourself!" cried Antonina,
who had entered with her husband, and now tried to take his hand.

"No, I will not be silent!" cried the angry man, as he paced to and fro
close to the open door of the tent, before which Bessas, Acacius,
Demetrius, and many other leaders stood listening in astonishment. "All
the world shall hear me! He is an ungrateful, malicious tyrant! He
deserves that I should overthrow him! that I should confirm the
suspicions of his false soul!"

Cethegus cast a look at those who stood outside; they had evidently
heard all. Glancing at Antonina, he now went to the door and closed it
carefully. Antonina thanked him by a look. She again drew near her
husband, but he had thrown himself upon the ground before his couch,
striking his clenched fist upon his brow and stammering:

"O Justinian! have I deserved this from you? It is too much, too much!"

And the strong man burst into tears.

At this Cethegus contemptuously turned away.

"Farewell," he said in a low voice to Procopius, "It disgusts me to see
men blubber!"

CHAPTER XVII.

Lost in thought, the Prefect left the tent, and went round the camp to
the rather distant outwork, where he had entrenched himself and his
Isaurians before the Gate of Honorius.

It was situated on the south side of the city, near the harbour wall of
Classis, and the way led partly along the sea-shore.

Although the lonely wanderer was at this moment preoccupied by the
great thought which had become the pulse of his life, although he was
oppressed by anxiety as to how Belisarius--that man of impulse--would
act, and worried with impatience for the arrival of the answer from the
Franks, his attention was yet involuntarily attracted by the singular
appearan