ared.--Narses pressed the Emperor to question
Galatea upon the rack, but Justinian said, 'I will inquire no further.'

"Day and night he remained alone near the corpse of the still beloved
woman, after which he caused her to be interred, with the highest
imperial honours, in the church of St. Sophia. It was officially
published that the Empress had been suffocated by charcoal fumes while
sleeping. The tripod, with the ashes, was publicly exposed. But that
night had made Justinian an old man. The complete agreement of the
evidence of Antonina, Anicius, Belisarius, Photius, the slaves of
Antonina, the litter-bearers who had taken you to Belisarius's house
before his arrest--all fully proved that you, in conjunction with the
Empress, had persuaded Belisarius, through Antonina, to place himself
seemingly at the head of the conspirators; and I swore to the fact that
a few weeks ago he had expressed to me his just anger at the project of
Photius.

"Justinian hastened to the cell where Belisarius was confined, embraced
him with tears, begged his forgiveness for himself and for Antonina,
who remorsefully confessed all her innocent love-makings, and obtained
full pardon. The Emperor, in atonement, begged Belisarius to accept the
chief command in Italy. But Belisarius said, 'No, Justinian; my work on
earth is finished. I shall retire with Antonina to my most distant
villa in Mesopotamia, and there bury myself and my past. I am cured of
the wish to serve you. If you will grant me a last favour, then give
the command of the army in Italy to my friend and preserver, Narses. He
shall revenge me upon the Goths, and upon that Satan called Cethegus!'
And the two great enemies embraced before our sympathetic eyes. All
this was buried in the deepest secrecy, in order to spare the memory of
the Empress; for Justinian still loves her. It was announced that the
innocence of Belisarius had been fully proved by Narses, Tribonianus,
and me, by means of lately-discovered letters of the conspirators.
Justinian pardoned all who had been sentenced; also Scaevola and
Albinus, who were formerly undone by you. But I tell you the whole
truth, in order to warn and save you. For, although I do not know in
what way, I am quite convinced that Justinian has sworn your ruin, and
entrusted your destruction to the hands of Narses. Your design to found
a free and recognised Rome, ruled only by yourself, was madness. To it
you have sacrificed everything--even o