s finished. How his Germans shout! They are striking their spears
on their shields. Now he is descending the steps. What? Without
entering the church, as the others did?"

"Yes, I remember! He vowed, when he shed blood, to shun the saint's
threshold for three days. Now the horsemen are all mounting again."

"But where are the foot soldiers?"

"Yes, that is bad--I mean for the Vandals. They have none, or scarcely
any: they have grown not only so proud, but so effeminate and lazy that
they disdain to serve on foot. Only the very poorest and lowest of the
population will do it. Most of the foot soldiers are Moorish
mercenaries, obtained for each campaign from friendly tribes."

"Ah, yes, I see Moors among the soldiers."

"Those are men from the Papua mountain. They plundered our frontiers
for a long time. Gelimer attacked their camp and captured their chief
Antalla's three daughters, whom he returned unharmed, without ransom.
Then Antalla invited the Asding to his tent to thank him; they
concluded a friendship of hospitality,--the most sacred bond to the
Moors,--and since then they have rendered faithful service even against
other Moors. The parade is over. See, the ranks are breaking. The
leaders are going to the Capitol to convey to King Hilderic the report
of the campaign and the booty. Look, the crowd is dispersing. Let us go
too. Come back to my house; Eugenia is waiting to serve the evening
meal. Come, Hegelochus."

"I am ready, most friendly host. I fear I may burden you a long time.
Business with the corn-dealers is slow."

"Why are you stopping? What are you looking at?"

"I'm coming. Only I must see this Gelimer's face once more. I shall
never forget those features, and all the strange, contradictory things
which you have told me about him."

"That is the way with most people. He is mysterious,
incomprehensible,--'daimonios,' as the Greeks say. Let us go now! Here!
To the left--down the steps."

CHAPTER III

High above, on the Capitolium of the city, towered the Palatium, the
royal residence of the Asdings; not a single dwelling, but a whole
group of buildings. Originally planned as an acropolis, a fortress to
rule the lower city and afford a view over both harbors across the sea,
the encircling structures had been but slightly changed by Genseric and
his successors; the palace remained a citadel and was well suited to
hold the Carthaginians in check. A narrow ascent