he would ever
again, at the head of the imperial fleet and army, victoriously tread
the soil of Italy. From Senogallia I followed your march hither. The
few captains whom I have met in the camp told me briefly of the course
of events until shortly before the arrest of Belisarius. But they could
not tell me how that occurred, and what took place later. Now you----"

"Yes, I know what happened almost as well as my master, for I was
present."

"Is it possible? Can Belisarius really have conspired against the
Emperor? I could never have believed it!"

Syphax smiled slyly.

"I have no right to judge of that. I can only tell you exactly what
happened. Listen--but come into the tent and refresh yourself. My
master would scold me for letting you stand outside unattended to. And
we can talk more freely inside," he added, as he closed the curtains of
the tent behind him. Then begging his master's guest to be seated, he
served him with fruit and wine, and began his account. "As the night of
that fateful day fell, I went and hid myself in a niche of Photius's
house, behind the tall statue of some Christian saint, whose name I do
not know, but who had a famous broad back. I could easily look into the
hall of the house through an aperture just above my head, which had
been made to allow the passage of fresh air. The faint light within
enabled me to distinguish a number of the aristocrats whom I had often
seen in the imperial palace, and in the houses of Belisarius and
Procopius. The first thing that I understood--for my master has taken
care that I should learn the speech of the Greeks who call themselves
Romani--was what the master of the house was saying to a man who had
just then entered. 'Rejoice,' he said, 'for Belisarius comes. After
scarcely deigning to look at me yesterday when, full of expectation, I
stopped him in the gymnasium of Zenon, to-day he himself addressed me
as I was slowly and cautiously passing his house, for I knew that he
would return from the hunt towards evening. He pressed this waxen
tablet into my hand, first looking round to make sure that no one
observed him. And on the tablet is written: "I cannot longer withstand
your appeals. Certain reasons impel me to join you. I shall come this
evening." But,' continued the master of the house, 'where is Piso,
where is Salvius Julianus and the other young Romans?' 'They will not
be coming,' answered the man. 'I saw almost all of them in boats on the
Bosphorus.