ses," said the
jurist, "vaunted yourself thus highly above your rival."

"I do not now, Tribonianus. See, the difference is this: Belisarius is
a great hero, and I am not; but I am a great general, and Belisarius is
not, and none but a great general can conquer the Goths."

Belisarius drew himself up to his full height, and angrily grasped his
sword. He looked as if he would have gladly crushed the cripple near
him.

The Emperor defended him. "Belisarius no great general! Envy blinds
you, Narses."

"I envy Belisarius nothing, not even," answered Narses, slightly
sighing, "his health. He would h& a great general if he were not so
great a hero. Every battle which he has lost, he has lost through too
great heroism."

"That can not be said of you, Narses," retorted Belisarius.

"No, Belisarius, for I have never yet lost a battle."

An angry retort from Belisarius was cut short by the entrance of a
slave, who, lifting the curtain, announced:

"Alexandros, sire, who was sent to Ravenna, has landed an hour ago, and
asks----"

"Bring him in! Here!" cried the Emperor, hastily starting from his
seat. He impatiently signed to the ambassador, who entered at once, to
rise from his obeisance.

"Well, Alexandros, you came back alone?"

The ambassador--a handsome and still young man--repeated: "Alone."

"But your last report said--In what condition have you left the Gothic
kingdom?"

"In great confusion. I wrote in my last report that the Queen had
decided to rid herself of her three most haughty enemies. Should the
attempt fail, she would be no longer safe in Italy, and she begged to
be allowed, in that case, to go in my ship to Epidamnus, and from
thence to escape to Byzantium."

"And I accepted the proposal readily. Well, and the attempt?"

"Succeeded. The three dukes are no more. But the rumour had reached
Ravenna that the most dangerous of them, Duke Thulun, was only wounded.
This induced the Queen--as, besides, the Goths threateningly surrounded
the palace--to escape to my ship. We weighed anchor, but soon after we
had left the harbour, off Ariminum, Earl Witichis overtook us with
superior numbers, boarded us, and demanded that Amalaswintha should
return, guaranteeing her safety until a solemn examination had taken
place before the National Assembly. When she learnt from him that Duke
Thulun had succumbed to his wounds, and saw from the proposal of
Witichis that he and his powerful friends did not yet believe