he previous night he had taken
steps to ascertain whether there were any foundation for them.

"You see," he concluded, "there was no sort of certainty, nothing to
prove that the money was not paid for the purchase of a horse or slave.
It was only the one fact that one of the party was a servant here that
rendered what I discovered serious. Had it not been for the fate of
Hasdrubal I should never have given the matter a second thought; but,
knowing that he was assassinated by a trusted servant, and seeing two
men whose families I knew belonged to Hanno's faction engaged in secret
talk with one of your attendants, the suspicion struck me that a similar
deed might again be attempted. The only words I had to go upon were,
`Tomorrow night, then, without fail.' This was not enough for me to
bring an accusation against two men of noble family; and, had I told
you the tale without the confirmation it has now received, you would
probably have treated it but lightly. I resolved, therefore, to wait
and see, taking such precaution that no harm could come of my secrecy. I
concealed in my room ten of my Numidians, with my lieutenant Trebon--an
ample force whatever might betide.

"If, as I suspected, this man intended, with two or three others, to
steal into your chamber and slay you while you slept, we could at once
have stopped the attempt; should he come with a larger force, we could,
as is proved, resist them until the guard arrived on the spot. If, on
the other hand, night passed off quietly and my suspicions proved to be
altogether erroneous, I should escape the ridicule which would certainly
have been forthcoming had I alarmed you without cause."

"You have acted very wisely and well, my son," Hamilcar said, "and
Carthage owes you the life of our beloved Hannibal. You indeed reasoned
with great wisdom and forethought. Had you informed us of what you had
discovered we should have taken precautions which would doubtless have
effected the object; but they would probably have become known to the
plotters, and the attempt would have been postponed and attempted some
other time, and perhaps with success. What say you, Hannibal, have I not
reason to be proud of this young son of mine?"

"You have indeed, Hamilcar, and deeply am I indebted to him. It is not
my life I care for, although that now is precious to me for the sake
of my beloved Imilce, but had I fallen now all the plans which we have
thought of together would have been f