must
always keep something to say in reserve."

CHAPTER XI.

Shortly afterwards the whole camp was full of strange excitement.

The report of the approach of the Holy Father, which outsped his gilded
litter, aroused thousands of soldiers, attracted by feelings of
reverence, piety, superstition, or curiosity, from sleep, feasting, or
gaming. The captains could scarcely keep the sentries at their posts or
the soldiers at their drill.

The faithful had hurried to meet the Pope from places miles distant,
and now, mixed with groups of country people from the neighbourhood,
accompanied the procession into the camp. The peasants and soldiers had
already harnessed themselves to the litter instead of the mules which
drew it--in vain had the Pope modestly remonstrated--and shouting in
exultation: "Hail to the Bishop of Rome, hail to the holy Petros!" the
crowd, upon whom Silverius continually bestowed blessings, entered the
camp. No one noticed his two colleagues, Scaevola and Albinus.

Belisarius gravely observed the imposing spectacle from his tent.

"The Prefect is right!" he cried; "this priest is more dangerous than
the Goths! Procopius, dismiss the Byzantine body-guard at my tent, as
soon as the interview begins. Let the Huns and the heathen Gepidae take
their place."

So saying, he re-entered his tent, where, surrounded by his generals,
he shortly afterwards received the Roman embassy.

Procopius had convinced Prince Areobindos of the necessity of leaving
the camp on an expedition of reconnaissance, an office which could only
be performed by him, and which could not be put off.

Surrounded by a brilliant train of clergy, the Pope approached the tent
of the commander-in-chief. Great crowds of people pressed after him;
but as soon as he, with Scaevola and Albinus, had entered the narrow
passage between the tents which led up to that of Belisarius, the
guards stopped the way with their levelled lances, and would allow
neither priest nor soldier to follow.

Silverius turned with a smile to the captain of the guard, and preached
him a fine sermon on the text, "Suffer little children to come unto me,
and forbid them not."

But the German shook his shaggy locks and turned his back. The Gepidian
did not understand a word of Latin beyond the words of command.

Silverius smiled again, once more blessed the crowd, and then walked
quietly to the tent. Belisarius was seated upon a camp-s