o can remember these hyperborean names," said Kalistratos,
as he peeled a peach.

Cethegus reflectively sipped his wine from the cup of amber.

CHAPTER XI.

"Well, one might put up with the barbarian women," cried Marcus
Licinius, "but may Orcus devour their brothers!" and he tore the faded
rose-wreath from his head--the flowers could ill bear the close air of
the room--and replaced it by a fresh one. "Not only have they deprived
us of liberty--they even beat us upon the field of love, with the
daughters of Hesperia. Only lately, the beautiful Lavinia shut the door
upon my brother, and received the foxy-haired Aligern."

"Barbaric taste!" observed Lucius, shrugging his shoulders, and taking
to his Isis-wine, as if to comfort himself. "You know the Goths too,
Furius; is it not an error of taste?"

"I do not know your rival," answered the Corsican; "but there are
youths enough among the Goths who might well be dangerous to a woman.
And an adventure occurs to me, which I lately discovered, but of which,
certainly, the point is still wanting."

"That does not matter; tell it to us," said Kallistratos, putting his
hands into the luke-warm water, which was now handed round in
Corinthian bronze vessels; "perhaps we can find the point."

"The hero of my story," began Furius, "is the handsomest of all the
Goths."

"Ah, the young Totila," interrupted Piso, and gave his cameo-decorated
cup to be filled with iced wine.

"The same. I have known him for years, and like him exceedingly, as all
must who have ever looked into his sunny face; not to speak of the
fact"--and here the shadow of some grave remembrance flitted across the
Corsican's face, as he hesitated--"that I am under an obligation to
him."

"It seems that you are in love with the fair-haired youth," said
Massurius sarcastically, and throwing to the slave he had brought with
him a kerchief full of Picentinian biscuits, to take home with him.

"No; but he has been very friendly to me, as he is to every one with
whom he comes into contact; and very often he had the harbour-watch in
the Italian ports where I landed."

"Yes, he has rendered great services to the Gothic navy," said Lucius
Licinius.

"As well as to their cavalry," concurred Marcus. "The slender youth is
the best rider in his nation."

"Well, I met him last in Neapolis. We were well-pleased to meet, but it
was in vain that I pressed him to share our merry supper