ave her upon her throne?"

"What! You mistake entirely!" interrupted Petros eagerly. "My embassy
was intended, above all other things, to support her government; and I
was just upon the point of asking your advice," he added cunningly, "as
to how this can best be done."

But the Prefect leaned back his head against the marble wall, and
looked with a smile at the ambassador.

"Oh, Petros! oh, Peter!" he said. "Why so secret? I thought we knew
each other better."

"What do you mean?" asked the Byzantine, embarrassed.

"I mean that we have not studied law and history together at Berytus
and Athens in vain. I mean that at that time we already, while working
together and exchanging our wise thoughts, came to the conclusion that
the Emperor must drive out these barbarians, and rule again in Rome as
he does in Byzantium. And as I think now just as I did then, you also
will surely not have become a different man."

"I must subject my views to those of my master; and Justinian----"

"Naturally burns to rule in Italy."

"But certainly," said Petros, much embarrassed, "cases might occur----"

"Peter," said Cethegus, now rising indignantly, "use no phrases and no
lies with me; they do no good. See, Petros, this is your old fault; you
are ever too cunning to be wise. You think that you must always lie,
and are never courageous enough to be truthful. How can you pretend to
me that the Emperor does not mean to have Italy again? Whether he will
uphold or overthrow the Queen depends upon whether he thinks he will
reach his goal more easily with or without her. What his opinion is I
am not to know. But, in spite of all your cunning, the next time we
meet I will tell you to your face what he intends to do."

A wicked and bitter smile played upon the ambassador's thin lips.

"Still as proud as ever you were in the schools of logic at Athens," he
said spitefully.

"Yes; and at Athens, you know, I was always the first, Procopius the
second, and you came third."

Syphax just then entered the room.

"A veiled woman, sir," he said, "awaits you in the Hall of Jupiter."

Glad that the conversation was thus interrupted, for he did not feel
capable of arguing with the Prefect, Petros said, with a grin:

"I wish you joy of such an interruption."

"Yes, for your own sake," answered Cethegus, smiling; and left the
room.

"You shall one day repent your sarcasm, haughty man!" thought the
Byzantine.

In the hall--which received th