ing to the charge.

"War!" replied Drusus, with all the rash emphasis of youth.

"Young man," said Caesar, gravely, half sadly, "what you have said is
easy to utter. Do you know what war will mean?"

Drusus was silent.

"Let us grant that our cause is most just. Even then, if we fight, we
destroy the Republic. If I conquer, it must be over the wreck of the
Commonwealth. If Pompeius--on the same terms. I dare not harbour any
illusions. The state cannot endure the farce of another Sullian
restoration and reformation. A permanent government by one strong man
will be the only one practicable to save the world from anarchy. Have
you realized that?"

"I only know, Imperator," said Drusus, gloomily, "that no future state
can be worse than ours to-day, when the magistrates of the Republic
are the most grievous despots."

Caesar shook his head.

"You magnify your own wrongs and mine. If mere revenge prompts us, we
are worse than Xerxes, or Sulla. The gods alone can tell us what is
right."

"The gods!" cried Drusus, half sunken though he was in a weary
lethargy, "do you believe there are any gods?"

Caesar threw back his head. "Not always; but at moments I do not
_believe_ in them, I _know_! And now I _know_ that gods are guiding
us!"

"Whither?" exclaimed the young man, starting from his weary
drowsiness.

"I know not whither; neither do I care. Enough to be conscious that
they guide us!"

And then, as though there was no pressing problem involving the peace
of the civilized world weighing upon him, the proconsul stood by in
kind attention while Antiochus and an attendant bathed the wearied
messenger's feet before taking him away to rest.

After Drusus had been carried to his room, Caesar collected the
manuscripts and tablets scattered about the apartment, methodically
placed them in the proper cases and presses, suffered himself to be
undressed, and slept late into the following morning, as sweetly and
soundly as a little child.

II

On the next day Caesar called before him the thirteenth legion,--the
only force he had at Ravenna,--and from a pulpit in front of the
praetorium he told them the story of what had happened at Rome; of how
the Senate had outraged the tribunes of the plebs, whom even the
violent Sulla had respected; of how the mighty oligarchy had outraged
every soldier in insulting their commander. Then Curio, just arrived,
declaimed with indignant fervour of the violence and fury of the
con