hers and brothers who are on the side of the Goths."

"I ought to keep you as hostages for your fathers and brothers, and
when they storm the bulwarks, throw to them your heads! But I fear it
would not stop them in their enthusiasm, which comes from their
stomachs! Go--you are not worthy to save Rome! Open the gate, Licinius.
Let them turn their backs upon the Capitol and honour!"

And the legionaries marched away, all but about a hundred men, who
stood still irresolutely, leaning on their spears.

"Well, what do you want?" cried Cethegus, riding up to them.

"To die with you, Prefect of Rome!" cried one of them.

And the others repeated: "To die with you!"

"I thank you! Do you see, Licinius, a hundred Romans! Are they not
enough to found a new Roman Empire?--I will give you the post of
honour; you shall defend the bulwark to which I have given the name of
Julius Caesar."

He sprang from his horse, threw the bridle to Syphax, called his
tribunes together, and spoke:

"Now listen to my plan."

"You have a plan already?"

"Yes. We will attack! If I know these barbarians, we are safe for
to-night from any assault. They have won three quarters of the city.
Before they think of the last quarter, their victory must be celebrated
in a hundred thousand tipsy bouts. At midnight the whole company of
yellow-haired heroes and drinkers will be immersed in feasting, wine,
and sleep; and the hungry Quirites will not be behindhand in excess.
Look! How they feast and sing below there--crowned with flowers! And
very few barbarians have yet entered the city. That is our hope of
victory. At midnight we will sally forth from all our gates--they will
not dream of an attack from such a minority--and slay them in their
revels."

"Your plan is bold," said Lucius Licinius. "And if we fall, the Capitol
will be our tombstone!"

"You learn from me words as well as sword-strokes," said Cethegus,
smiling. "My plan is desperate, but it is the only one now possible. Is
the watch set? I will go home and sleep for a couple of hours. No one
must rouse me before that time. In two hours come and wake me."

"You can sleep at such a moment, general?"

"Yes; I _must_. And I hope I shall sleep soundly. I must have time to
collect myself--I have just yielded the Forum Romanum to the barbarian
King! It was too much! I need time to recover myself. Syphax, I asked
yesterday if no more wine was to be had on the right bank of the
Tiber?"

"I have