Be silent, priest," thundered Cethegus. "You do not understand such
matters! Speak where the psalms have to be explained or souls led to
heaven, for that is your office; but where war and fighting are
concerned, let those speak who understand! We will leave you all
heaven--leave the earth to us. Roman youths, you have the choice. Will
you wait until this cautious Byzantium vouchsafes to take pity upon
Italy?--you may become weary old men before then!--or will you in old
Roman fashion, win freedom with your own swords? You will; I see it by
your sparkling eyes. How? They tell us we are too weak to liberate
Italy! Ha! were not your fathers Romans, who conquered the world?
If I call upon you, man by man, there is not a name which does not ring
with the fame of a hero. Decius, Corvinus, Cornelius, Valerius,
Licinius--will you free the fatherland with me?"

"We will! Lead us, Cethegus!" cried the youth with enthusiasm.

After a pause Scaevola began:

"My name is Scaevola. When the names of Roman heroes are cited, the race
which inherits the heroism of the Celts might have been remembered. I
ask you, Cethegus, have you more than dreams and wishes, like these
young fools? have you a plan?"

"More than that, Scaevola, I have, and will keep, the victory! Here is a
list of all the fortresses in Italy. At the next Ides, that is in
thirty days, they will fall, at one blow, into my hands."

"What? must we still wait thirty days?" asked Lucius.

"Only till the deputies assembled here have again reached their towns.
Only till my expresses have flown through Italy. You have _had_ to wait
forty years!"

But the impatience of the youths, which he himself had excited, was not
to be subdued; they looked gloomy at the postponement--they murmured.

The priest was quick to take advantage of this change of humour.

"No, Cethegus," he cried; "we cannot delay so long! Tyranny is
unbearable to the noble-minded; shame upon him who endures it longer
than he must! I know of better comfort, youths! In a few days the
spears of Belisarius may flash in Italian sunshine."

"Or shall we, perhaps," asked Scaevola, "refuse to follow Belisarius
because he is not Cethegus?"

"You speak of wishes," cried Cethegus, "not of realities. If Belisarius
land, I shall be the first to join him. But he will not land. It is
this which has disgusted me; the Emperor does not keep his word."

Cethegus played a very bold game. But he could not do otherwise.

"