from his cushions, kissed the letter, and with his
dagger cut the purple cord which tied it. He unfolded the paper with
the words:

"From my Emperor himself! Ah, now he will send me the gold and the rest
of the body-guard!"

And he began to read.

Antonina, Procopius, and Cethegus observed him attentively. His
features grew darker and darker; his broad chest began to heave; both
the hands with which he held the letter trembled.

Antonina anxiously approached him, but before she could question him,
Belisarius uttered a low cry of rage, cast the letter on the ground,
and rushed madly out of the tent. His wife followed him.

"Antonina alone dare now approach him," said Procopius, as he picked up
the letter. "Let us see; no doubt it is another piece of imperial
gratitude." And he glanced over the letter. "The commencement is, as
usual, mere phrases. Ah, now comes something better: 'Notwithstanding,
we cannot deny that we expected, according to your own former boasts,
a more speedy termination to the war against these barbarians;
and we believe that, with greater exertion, this would not have
been impossible. For this reason we cannot comply with your
repeatedly-expressed wish to have the remaining five thousand
body-guards sent from Persia, and the four thousand centenari of gold
which lie in your palace at Byzantium. Certainly, both, as you rather
superfluously remark in your letter, are your own property; and your
offer to carry this war to a conclusion, paying the expenses out of
your own purse, because of the existing exhaustion of the imperial
exchequer, is worthy of all praise. As, however, all your property, as
you more justly add in the aforesaid letter, is at the service of your
Emperor, and as your Emperor considers the desired employment of your
treasure and body-guard in Italy superfluous, we have decided to
appropriate it otherwise, and have already sent troops and treasure to
your colleague, Narses, to be used in the Persian wars.' Ha! this is
unheard of!" cried Procopius, interrupting himself.

Cethegus smiled. "It is a tyrant's thanks for the services of a slave!"

"And the end seems to be just as pleasant," continued Procopius. "'An
increase of your power in Italy seems to us the less desirable, because
we are daily warned against your boundless ambition. You are reported
to have said lately, while sitting at wine, that the sceptre originated
in the general's staff, and the general's staff in the s