his whole army are defeated, put to rout by the
Goths at Adrianople. Forty thousand Romans lie dead upon their shields,
thirty thousand are prisoners. The Emperor Valens while wounded was
burned during his flight, in a peasant's house. All the Eastern
Provinces are overrun by the Goths; even Constantinople is threatened.
Gratianus has appointed you, Saturninus, commander-in-chief of the
whole trembling, orphaned Eastern Empire. He commands you to hasten at
once to Vindonissa, to lead his whole army thence against the Goths on
the Danube. You are his last hope, and the Empire's. 'Saturninus alone
can still save us,' he ordered me to tell you."

"And this Saturninus is a bungler," groaned the Illyrian, "and a
wounded man, too. Attacked and disgracefully defeated by Suabian
robbers--beaten in every sense!" He laughed grimly.

"Ha!" replied Nannienus mournfully, "that is nothing compared to my
fate. An imperial fleet, under my command, captured and burned by
miserable fishing boats."

"Alas," Saturninus continued, "and now I cannot even avenge myself and
my honor as a General on these miscreants. But the Empire--the
Emperor's command overrules everything else. I obey. Turn the helm. We
will go to Constantia, thence to Vindonissa. Come with me at once,
Ausonius. Do you not hear?"

"Directly," replied the latter. "She is opening her eyes."

CHAPTER LVIII.

The imperial galley was preparing to tow Saturninus's boat. This plan
seemed best for the wounded General, who could not easily be lifted
upon the lofty deck of the ship. Engaged in this task, the other Romans
did not notice the young girl, who now sat up. Her first glance rested
on the Prefect. "Ausonius!" she said feebly. "Again captured by you."

"Saved by me--by us Romans," he answered, more sternly than he was
accustomed to speak, especially to her.

Strange changes had taken place in the character of the variable man.
He was not yet absolutely sure of his own feelings--how everything
ought to end between him and Bissula.

"True, you did not call my name or appeal to us for aid. You had
another deliverer in your mind. Yet you were not saved by the Alemanni,
but by us Romans."

"From your own nephew, he alone pursued me!" she answered vehemently.

"Punishment has overtaken him," replied the Prefect, shuddering. "Let
these thoughts pass. I saved you; I first recognized you and ordered
the boat to turn back, merely to rescue y