rest. The aristocracy of Carthage were, like the aristocracy of all
other countries, from tradition, training, and habit, brave to excess.
Just as centuries later the noblesse of France chatted gaily on the
tumbril on their way to execution, and offered each other their snuff
boxes on the scaffold, so these young aristocrats of Carthage smiled and
jested, though well aware that they were risking their lives.

No decision was arrived at, for this could only be decided upon at
a special meeting, at which all the members of the society would
be present. Among those now in council opinions were nearly equally
divided. The one party urged that, did they take steps to prepare the
populace for a rising, a rumour would be sure to meet the ears of their
opponents and they would be on their guard; whereas, if they scattered
quickly after each section had slain two of their tyrants, the operation
might be repeated until all the influential men of Hanno's faction had
been removed.

In reply to these arguments the other party urged that delays were
always dangerous, that huge rewards would be offered after the first
attempts, that some of the men of the sections might turn traitors, that
Hanno's party would be on their guard in future, and that the judges
would effect wholesale arrests and executions; whereas, were the
populace appealed to in the midst of the excitement which would be
caused by the death of Hanno and his principal adherents, the people
would rise and finish with their tyrants.

After all who wished to speak on the subject had given their opinions,
they proceeded to details; each gave a statement of the number of men
enrolled in his section, with a few words as to the disposition of each.
Almost without an exception each of these men was animated with a
sense of private wrong. Some had lost near relatives, executed for some
trifling offence by the tribunals, some had been ruined by the extortion
of the tax gatherers. All were stated to be ready to give their lives
for vengeance.

"These agents of ours, you see, Malchus, are not for the most part
animated by any feeling of pure patriotism, it is their own wrongs and
not the injuries of Carthage which they would avenge. But we must take
them as we find them; one cannot expect any deep feeling of patriotism
on the part of the masses, who, it must be owned, have no very great
reason to feel any lively interest in the glories of the republic. So
that they eat and drin