ethegus, that I come," said Anicius gravely.
"You are the oldest friend of my father and of our house. You hid
Severinus and me from our enemies, and assisted us to escape at your
own risk. You are the only man in Byzantium to whom I can appeal in a
mysterious affair. A few days ago I received this incomprehensible
letter, 'To the son of my patron; Corbulo the freedman----"

"Corbulo? I know that name!"

"He was the freedman of my father, with whom my mother and sister took
refuge, and who----"

"Fell before Rome with your brother!"

"Yes. But he only died after being carried into the Gothic encampment,
for he was taken prisoner, together with my dying brother, in the
village _ad aras Bacchi_. So I am told by one of Belisarius's
mercenaries called Sutas, who was taken prisoner at the same time, And
who has now brought me the letter which Corbulo could not finish. Read
it for yourself."

Cethegus took the small wax tablet with its scarcely legible writing
and read:

"'The legacy of your dying brother, and his last words were: Anicius
must revenge our mother, our sister, and myself. It was the same enemy
of our house, the same demon who----'"

"The letter ends here," said Cethegus.

"Yes. Corbulo lost his senses and never again became conscious, the
mercenary said."

"There is not much to be made of this," observed Cethegus, shrugging
his shoulders.

"No; but the mercenary Sutas--they were all in the same tent--heard a
few words spoken by my dying brother to Corbulo, which may give us the
key to the letter."

"Well?" asked Cethegus, with concealed anxiety.

"Severinus said: 'I suspect it. He knew of the ambush--he sent us to
meet certain death.'"

"Who?" asked Cethegus quietly.

"That is just what I want to find out."

"You have no suspicion?"

"No; but it cannot be impossible to discover the man who is meant."

"How will you manage it?"

"'Sent us to meet certain death,' that can only mean some leader or
general who was the cause of my brother's sharing that fatal morning
ride out of the Tiburtinian Gate. For Severinus did not at that time
belong to the suite of Belisarius. He was a tribune of your legions. If
you, Belisarius, and Procopius will earnestly try to find out the man
who sent Severinus with Belisarius, you must succeed. For he did not go
with other legionaries--none of your legionaries or horsemen
accompanied Belisarius."

"As far as I recollect," said Cethegus, "you are right."