gnum," whose whole contents could be
turned into the amphitheatre directly adjoining it.

CHAPTER XI

The sultry heat of an African summer day still brooded over the whole
grove, although the sun had long since sunk into the sea, and the brief
twilight had passed into the darkness of night. But the full moon was
already rising above the palm-trees, pouring her magical light over
trees, bushes, meadows, and water; over the marble statues which
gleamed fantastically out of the darkest, blackish-green masses of
shrubbery; and over the buildings, which were principally of white or
light-colored stone.

In the more distant portions of the grove Diana's soft silvery light
ruled alone, and here deep, chaste silence reigned, interrupted only
here and there by the note of some night bird. But near the gate, in
the two great main buildings, and on the turf and in the gardens
surrounding them, the noisy uproar of many thousands filled the air.
All the instruments known at the time were playing discordantly,
drowning one another. Cries of pleasure, drunkenness, even rage and
angry conflict, were heard in the Roman, the Greek, the Moorish, and
especially the Vandal tongue; for perhaps the largest and certainly the
noisiest "guests of the grove," as the companions in these pleasures
called themselves, belonged to the race of conquerors, who here gave
vent to all their longing and capacity for pleasure.

Two men, wearing the German costume, were walking down the broad street
to the Circus. The dress was conspicuous here, for nearly all the
Vandals, except the royal family, had either exchanged the German garb,
nay, even the German weapons, for Roman ones, or for convenience,
effeminacy, love of finery, adopted one or another article of Roman
attire. These two men, however, had German cloaks, helmets, and
weapons.

"What frantic shouts! What pushing and crowding!" said the elder, a man
of middle height, whose shrewd, keen eyes were closely scanning
everything that was passing around him.

"And it is not the Romans who shout and roar most wildly and
frenziedly, but our own dear cousins," replied the other.

"Was I not right, friend Theudigesel? Here, among the people
themselves, we shall learn more, obtain better information, in a single
night, than if we exchanged letters with this book-learned King for
many months."

"What we see here with our own eyes is almost incredible!"

Just at that