whose covered head all eyes were
fixed. After a pause, Silverius lifted the cover from the head and
shoulders of the new comer.

"Albinus!" cried the others, in surprise, indignation, and anger.

Young Licinius grasped his sword; Scaevola slowly rose; confused
exclamations sounded from all sides.

"What! Albinus, the traitor?"

The reviled man looked shyly about him; his relaxed features announced
inborn cowardice; as if beseeching help he turned his eyes towards the
priest.

"Yes, Albinus!" said the latter quietly, thus appealed to. "Will any
one of the colleagues speak against him? Let him speak."

"By my Genius!" cried Licinius, before any one could reply, "needs it
to be told? We all know who and what Albinus is. A cowardly shameful
traitor"--anger suffocated his voice.

"Invectives are no proof," interposed Scaevola. "But I ask himself; he
shall confess here before us all. Albinus, was it you, or was it not,
who, when the existence of our league was betrayed to the tyrant and
you alone were accused, looked quietly on and saw the noble Boethius
and Symmachus, our confederates, because they defended you against the
tyrant, despoiled of their fortune, persecuted, taken prisoners and
executed; while you, the really accused, saved yourself by taking a
shameful oath that you would never more trouble yourself about the
state, and by suddenly disappearing? Speak, was it you for whose sake
the pride of our fatherland fell?"

A murmur of indignation went through the assembly. The accused remained
dumb and trembled; even Silverius lost countenance for a moment.

Then the man who was leaning against the wall opposite, raised himself
and took a step forward; his mere vicinity seemed to embolden the
priest, who again began:

"Friends, what you say has happened, but not as you say it. Before all
things, know this: Albinus is the _least_ to blame. What he did, he did
by my advice."

"By your advice!"

"You dare to confess it?"

"Albinus was accused through the treachery of a slave, who had
deciphered the secret writing in the letters to Byzantium. All the
tyrant's suspicion was aroused; every appearance of resistance or of
connection would increase the danger. The impetuosity of Boethius and
Symmachus, who courageously defended Albinus, was noble but foolish,
for it revealed to the barbarians the sentiments of the whole of the
Roman aristocracy; and showed that Albinus did not stand alone. They
acted against my a