rostration, which had lately been introduced at Byzantium in this
aggravated form of Oriental submission, the slave withdrew.

Emperor Justinian placed himself opposite the entrance in the attitude
in which he was accustomed to give audience, resting his left arm upon
a broken porphyry column from the Temple of Jerusalem.

The curtain at the entrance was again parted, and three men entered,
with the same salutation as the slave; and yet they were the first men
of the empire, as was shown by their characteristic heads and
intellectual features, still more than by their richly-decorated
garments.

"We have summoned you," began the Emperor, without noticing their
humble greeting, "to hear your advice concerning Italy. You have had
all necessary information--the letters of the Queen-regent, and the
documents of the patriotic party. You have also had three days to
reflect. Speak first, Magister Militum."

And he turned to the tallest of the three, a man of stately and heroic
figure, clad in a full suit of richly-gilded armour. His well-opened,
light-brown eyes were frank and confident; his large, straight nose and
full cheeks gave his face an expression of health and strength. There
was something Herculean about his broad chest and powerful thighs
and arms; but his mouth, in spite of the fierce beard, was mild and
good-humoured.

"Sire," he said, in a full, deep-chested voice, "the advice of
Belisarius is always, 'Attack the enemy!' At your command, I lately
destroyed the Kingdom of the Vandals, in Africa, with fifteen thousand
men. Give me thirty thousand, and I will lay the Gothic crown at your
feet."

"'Tis well," said the Emperor approvingly. "Your words have done me
good. What say you, Tribonianus, pearl of jurists?"

The jurist was little shorter than Belisarius, but not so
broad-shouldered and stout-limbed. His high, grave forehead, quiet
eyes, and expressive mouth, bore witness to a powerful mind.

"Emperor," said he firmly, "I warn you against this war. It is unjust."

Justinian started up indignantly.

"Unjust!--to recover that which belongs to the Roman Empire!"

"Which _did_ belong. Your predecessor, Zeno, ceded the West to
Theodoric and his Goths when they had overthrown the usurper Odoacer."

"Theodoric was to be the Viceregent of the Emperor, not the King of
Italy."

"Admitted. But after he had become King--as he could not fail to do,
for a Theodoric could never be the servant of another--the E