Yes, and I am proud that he should hear them, so that he may fully
understand that, when I spoke to him lightly as I did, it was but to
test him, to try his spirit, to see whether he was fully worthy to bear
his great father's name."

Cracis was silent for a few moments, gazing searchingly into his
visitor's eyes, which met his frankly and without blenching.

"Is this the truth?" said Cracis, sternly.

"The simple truth. Cracis, we were great friends once, and later the
greatest enemies; but in all those troubles of the past did we ever
doubt each other's words?"

"Never," said Cracis, proudly. "But there is a reason for all this--
something more than a late repentance for the injuries you have done me
in the years that have gone. I ask you again--why have you come?"

"For our country's sake. I have climbed high since we parted, but only
to stand more and more alone, till now, perhaps at the most critical
period of my life, I have been forced to look around me for help, for a
man in whom I can place implicit trust, who will give me his counsel in
the State, and stand beside me in the perils that lie ahead. Cracis,
there is only one man in whom I could trust like that, one only who
would bare his sword and fight bravely by my side, and you are he."

Cracis was silent as he shook his head slowly and turned his eyes away
from his visitor, to let them rest upon his son's upturned face, as the
boy gazed at him in wonder and astonishment at what he heard.

"You do not believe me," cried Julius. "You think that something is
underlying all this," and he spoke with deep earnestness, his voice
broken and changed.

"Yes," said Cracis; "I cannot do otherwise. I do believe you--every
word."

"Then why do you speak so coldly and calmly, when I come to you
penitent, to humble myself to you and ask your help?"

"I speak coldly like this," said Cracis, "because I am fighting hard to
beat down the feelings of pride and triumph that the time has come when
he who drove me from my high position in Rome has sought me out to make
so brave and manly an appeal, for, knowing you as I do to the very core,
I can feel the battle that you must have had with self before you
stooped--you, great general as you are--to come and tell me that you
need my help."

"Stooped!" cried the other. "No, Cracis, that is an ill-chosen word.
It is that I have mastered self and cast away all pride and weakness so
that I might come to you and say: