d
placed at the entrance of the grove. 'Yield!' he cried to the
frightened crowd; 'and thou, archon of the palace, arrest _all_ the
conspirators. Do you understand--_all_!' 'Is it possible! Shameless
traitor!' cried Anicius, and rushed at my master with his sword. 'Yes,'
he cried, 'there is the crimson crest! Die, murderer of my brother!'
But the next moment he lay at our feet, severely wounded. I drew my
sword out of his breast, and then disarmed Photius, who was the only
one who still resisted. All the others allowed themselves to be taken
like sheep bewildered by a thunder-storm. 'Bravo, Syphax!' cried my
master. 'Examine his dress for any writings.' Then he turned to the
archon, asking him if he were ready, for he had stopped hesitatingly
opposite Belisarius, who remained perfectly quiet. 'What!' asked the
archon--'must I also arrest the magister militum?' '_All_, I said. 'Do
you no longer understand Greek? You see--all see--that Belisarius is at
the head of the conspiracy--he holds the president's staff, he occupies
the president's chair.' 'Ha!' now cried Belisarius; 'is it so! Guards!
Help, help, my body-guards! Marcellus, Barbatio, Ardaburius!" 'The dead
cannot hear, magister militum,' said my master. 'Yield, in the name of
the Emperor! Here is his great seal. For this night he has made me his
representative, and a thousand lances bristle round this house.'
'Fidelity is madness!' cried Belisarius, threw his sword away, and held
out his strong arms to the archon, who put on the chains. 'Into the
dungeons with all the prisoners,' said my master. 'Photius and
Belisarius must be put separately into the round tower of Anastasius,
in the palace. I will hasten to the Emperor and return his ring, and
take him this steel'--he lifted the sword of Belisarius from the
ground--'and tell him that he may sleep in peace. The conspiracy is
crushed--the Empire is saved!'--The very next morning the trial for
high treason was commenced. Many witnesses were heard--I amongst them.
I swore that I had seen Belisarius received and heard him greeted as
the head of the conspiracy. I myself had taken the tablet from the
dress of Photius. Belisarius would have appealed to the testimony of
his bodyguards, but they were all dead. Photius and other prisoners,
submitted to the rack, confessed that Belisarius had finally consented
to become the head of the conspiracy. Antonina was strictly guarded in
the Red House. The Empress refused to grant the