marshal's staff and a wife, Justinian, should be kept on the
same condition."

"How?"

"Alone, or not at all."

"Then _you_ not at all," answered Justinian with vexation. "You must not
imagine that you are indispensable, magister militum."

"No one on earth is so, Justinian. With all my heart! Send great
Belisarius again! He may try his luck for the third time in that
country, where laurels grow so thickly. My turn will come later. I am
no doubt unnecessary here as a witness of your domestic felicity, and
at home, opposite to my sickbed, stands a map of the Italian roads.
Allow me to continue my study of it. It is more interesting than the
map of our Persian frontier. One piece of advice. You will ultimately
be obliged to send Narses to Italy. The sooner you send him the more
you will spare yourself defeat, vexation, and money. And if gout or
that wretched epilepsy should carry Narses off before King Totila lies
upon his shield, who then will conquer Italy for you? You believe in
prophecy. In Italy there runs a saying: 'T beats B, N beats T.'"

"Does that mean, perhaps, that Theodora beat Belisarius, and Narses
beats Theodora?" asked the Empress mockingly.

"That is not _my_ interpretation of the riddle; it is yours. But I
accept it. Do you know which was the wisest of your many laws, O
Justinian?"

"Well?"

"That which made death the punishment of all accusations against the
Empress, for it was the only way in which you could keep her." And he
left the room.

"The insolent fellow!" cried Theodora, sending a venomous look after
him. "He dares to threaten! When Belisarius has once been rendered
harmless, Narses must quickly follow."

"But meanwhile we need them both," said Justinian. "Do you really
propose, as the second general to be sent to Italy, the man who
persuaded us to reject the proposals of Cassiodorus?"

"The same."

"But my distrust of that ambitious man has since then become stronger."

"Have you then forgotten," retorted Theodora, "who revealed the
intentions of Silverius? Who was the first to warn you of Belisarius's
dangerous game?"

"But he now frequents the company of the men who are conspiring against
me!"

"Yes; but, O Justinian, it is by my order, as their destroyer."

"Indeed! But if he is also deceiving you?"

"Will you believe him and me, and send him to Italy, if he brings the
conspirators to your feet in chains to-morrow, and amongst them their
unknown chief?"

"I alre