Yes; I watched you smiling and
ogling, but it will take greater traitors than you to snare him. He is
like Minos, in that he did not reach out to take from your hands the
purple lock shorn from your father's head: he is not like him
otherwise: he is not just, and he will not give honourable terms."

"You, at least, are faithful to Rome?" said Marcia, slowly, and
ignoring his insults.

"Can you ask?" he answered; "is it that you wish to betray me? Well,
then, know truly that I have betrayed myself to your heart's content.
Do you not see the mourning garments I wear for my city's faithlessness
and for her coming ruin? Have you not heard how my father dragged me
from the side of Decius Magius in the market place that I might attend
the banquet?--ah! but you have not heard how I had planned to startle
them all."

Marcia began to wonder whether she was talking with a madman.

"Shall I tell?"

She made a sign of assent.

"It was toward evening--they have but just risen from the tables now.
Then, it was to seek the red feathers for the third time; but I led my
father back among the rose bushes and showed him a sword which I had
girt to my side, beneath my tunic. 'This,' said I, 'shall win us
pardon from Rome. Look you, when we return, I will plunge it into the
Carthaginian's breast.'"

Marcia bent forward eagerly.

"And then," he went on, "my father bound my arms to my sides, with his
own around me, and wept and talked of our recent pledges to these
foreigners. 'Can they outweigh our ancient pledges to Rome?' I
answered. So he pleaded how the attendants would surely cut me down,
and mentioned Hannibal's look, which he affirmed I would not be able to
confront; but I laughed and made little of these things. Then he spoke
of the hospitable board, which I admitted had something of reason; and,
finally, when he had declared that the sword must reach Hannibal only
through his own breast, then, at last, from filial duty, mark you, I
threw the weapon from me, telling him that he had betrayed his country
thrice: in revolting from Rome, in allying with foreigners, and, now,
in turning aside the instrument of escape. Then we returned to the
banquet, but my father trembled, and ate and drank no more. There,
now, is a story to tell your city's destroyer. If you betray me,
perhaps he may yet love you."

Marcia viewed him sternly.

"Truly your father was right, when he said you were ill in mind."

"Yes, ill in mind