keen questions that showed he knew much
and had thought more about the Picts. He said presently to me: "If I gave
you the old Province of Valentia to govern, could you keep the Picts
contented till I won Gaul? Stand away, so that you do not see Allo's face;
and speak your own thoughts."

'"No," I said. "You cannot re-make that Province. The Picts have been free
too long."

'"Leave them their village councils, and let them furnish their own
soldiers," he said. "You, I am sure, would hold the reins very lightly."

'"Even then, no," I said. "At least not now. They have been too oppressed
by us to trust anything with a Roman name for years and years."

'I heard old Allo behind me mutter: "Good child!"

'"Then what do you recommend," said Maximus, "to keep the North quiet till
I win Gaul?"

'"Leave the Picts alone," I said. "Stop the heather-burning at once,
and--they are improvident little animals--send them a shipload or two of
corn now and then."

'"Their own men must distribute it--not some cheating Greek accountant,"
said Pertinax.

'"Yes, and allow them to come to our hospitals when they are sick," I
said.

'"Surely they would die first," said Maximus.

'"Not if Parnesius brought them in," said Allo. "I could show you twenty
wolf-bitten, bear-clawed Picts within twenty miles of here. But Parnesius
must stay with them in Hospital, else they would go mad with fear."

'"_I_ see," said Maximus. "Like everything else in the world, it is one
man's work. You, I think, are that one man."

'"Pertinax and I are one," I said.

'"As you please, so long as you work. Now, Allo, you know that I mean your
people no harm. Leave us to talk together," said Maximus.

'"No need!" said Allo. "I am the corn between the upper and lower
millstones. I must know what the lower millstone means to do. These boys
have spoken the truth as far as they know it. I, a Prince, will tell you
the rest. I am troubled about the Men of the North." He squatted like a
hare in the heather, and looked over his shoulder.

'"I also," said Maximus, "or I should not be here."

'"Listen," said Allo. "Long and long ago the Winged Hats"--he meant the
Northmen--"came to our beaches and said, 'Rome falls! Push her down!' We
fought you. You sent men. We were beaten. After that we said to the Winged
Hats, 'You are liars! Make our men alive that Rome killed, and we will
believe you.' They went away ashamed. Now they come back bold, and they
tell the old