e Picts to pass
North that season without harm. Therefore the Picts were well fed that
winter, and since they were in some sort my children, I was glad of it.
We had only two thousand men on the Wall, and I wrote many times to
Maximus and begged--prayed--him to send me only one cohort of my old
North British troops. He could not spare them. He needed them to win
more victories in Gaul.

'Then came news that he had defeated and slain the Emperor Gratian, and
thinking he must now be secure, I wrote again for men. He answered: "You
will learn that I have at last settled accounts with the pup Gratian.
There was no need that he should have died, but he became confused and
lost his head, which is a bad thing to befall any Emperor. Tell your
Father I am content to drive two mules only; for unless my old General's
son thinks himself destined to destroy me, I shall rest Emperor of Gaul
and Britain, and then you, my two children, will presently get all the
men you need. Just now I can spare none."'

'What did he mean by his General's son?' said Dan.

'He meant Theodosius Emperor of Rome, who was the son of Theodosius the
General under whom Maximus had fought in the old Pict War. The two men
never loved each other, and when Gratian made the younger Theodosius
Emperor of the East (at least, so I've heard), Maximus carried on the
war to the second generation. It was his fate, and it was his fall. But
Theodosius the Emperor is a good man. As I know.' Parnesius was silent
for a moment and then continued.

'I wrote back to Maximus that, though we had peace on the Wall, I should
be happier with a few more men and some new catapults. He answered: "You
must live a little longer under the shadow of my victories, till I can
see what young Theodosius intends. He may welcome me as a
brother-Emperor, or he may be preparing an army. In either case I cannot
spare men just now."

'But he was always saying that,' cried Una.

'It was true. He did not make excuses; but thanks, as he said, to the
news of his victories, we had no trouble on the Wall for a long, long
time. The Picts grew fat as their own sheep among the heather, and as
many of my men as lived were well exercised in their weapons. Yes, the
Wall looked strong. For myself, I knew how weak we were. I knew that if
even a false rumour of any defeat to Maximus broke loose among the
Winged Hats, they might come down in earnest, and then--the Wall must
go! For the Picts I never cared, bu