A Struggle for Rome, v. 3

by Felix Dahn

  CHAPTER X.

  In the Red House, the abode of Belisarius, which was situated in thesuburb "Justiniana" (Sycae), sat Antonina in the women's chamber,working busily.

  She was embroidering a border of golden laurels upon a mantle for herhero, Belisarius.

  Near her, upon a citron-wood table, lay, in a costly binding set withprecious stones, a splendid edition of the "Vandal Wars," by Procopius,the lately published book which described her husband's prowess.

  At her feet lay a magnificent animal, one of the four tame huntingleopards which the Persian King had presented to Belisarius after thelast peace; a very costly present, for it was seldom that the attemptto tame these leopards succeeded, and many hundreds of cubs which hadbeen caught or born in confinement, were obliged to be killed asuseless after being trained for years. The large, beautiful, andpowerful animal--it easily became wild when it tasted warm blood whilehunting, and had therefore been left at home stretched itselfluxuriously, like a cat, upon the folds of Antonina's dress, playedwith her ball of gold thread, waved its tail, and sometimes rubbed itsround and clever-looking head against the feet of its mistress.

  A slave entered and announced a stranger--he had arrived in a modestlitter, and was dressed in a common mantle--the door-keeper would haverefused to admit him, as the master was away, and the mistress receivedno visitors, but he would not be denied; he ordered them to announce toAntonina "the conqueror of Pope Silverius."

  "Cethegus!" cried Antonina.

  She grew pale and trembled.

  "Let him in at once."

  The influence which the powerful intellect of Cethegus had gained uponher the first time of their meeting; the recollection that, when herhusband, Procopius, and all the leaders of the army, had helplesslysuccumbed to the priest, this man had conquered and humbled theconqueror; of how, at the entrance into Rome, the fight on the bridgeof the Anio, the defence of Rome Against Witichis, in the camp ofRavenna and at the taking of that city, he had always and everywherekept the upper hand, and yet had never used his superiority inimicallyagainst her husband; how nothing but misfortune had followed anyneglect of his warnings; how all his counsels had been victorious inthemselves--these recollections now confusedly crossed her mind.

  She heard the footsteps of the Prefect, and hastily rose.

  The leopard--pushed roughly aside and disturbed in his comfortablesport on account of the intruder--rose with a low growl, and lookedthreateningly at the door, gnashing his yellow teeth.

  Cethegus, before entering, drew the curtain violently aside and thrustforth his head, which was covered by a cowl. The abrupt movement musthave either frightened or irritated the leopard. When the Persian lionand tiger tamers first began to break in a newly-caught animal, theywere accustomed to envelop themselves and cover their heads with longwoollen cloaks. Possibly the fierce and never wholly-tamed beast wasreminded of his old enemies. With a terrible howl he crouched inpreparation for a deadly spring, whipping the floor with his long tailand foaming at the mouth a sure sign of fury.

  Antonina saw it with horror.

  "Fly! fly, Cethegus!" she screamed.

  Had he done so, had he but turned his back, he would have been lost;the monster would at once have been upon his back with his teeth in hisneck. For no door closed the entrance, the only barrier was a curtain.

  Cethegus promptly stepped forward, threw back his cowl, looked straightinto the leopard's eyes, raising his left hand with an action ofcommand, and threatening him with the dagger held in his right.

  "Down! down! The irons are hot!" he cried in the Persian language, atthe same time moving a step in advance.

  The leopard suddenly broke into a whining howl of fear; his muscles,which had been contracted for the spring, relaxed; he crept whining,with his belly on the ground, to the feet of Cethegus, and howling withfear, licked the sandal of his left foot, while Cethegus set his rightfoot firmly upon the animal's neck.

  Antonina had sunk upon her couch in her fear; she now stared at theterrible, but beautiful scene.

  "That animal--the prostration!" she stammered. "Dareios always refusedto do it; he was furious when Belisarius insisted upon it. Where haveyou learned this, Cethegus?"

  "In Persia, of course," he answered.

  And he kicked the thoroughly cowed animal between the ribs with suchviolence, that with a howl it flew into the farthest comer of the room,where it remained trembling and crouching, with its eyes fixed upon itssubduer.

  "Belisarius only mastered the forts, but not the language of Persia,"said Cethegus. "And these beasts do not understand Greek. You aregrimly guarded, Antonina, when Belisarius is absent," he added, as hehid his dagger in the folds of his dress.

  "What brings you to my house?" Antonina asked, still trembling.

  "My often misdoubted friendship. I would save your husband, who has thecourage of a lion, but not the dexterity of a mouse! Procopius isunfortunately absent, or I should have sent that better-trustedadviser, I know that a heavy blow threatens Belisarius from theEmperor. We must ward it off. The favour of the Emperor----"

  "Is very fickle, I know. But the services of Belisarius----"

  "Are his ruin. Justinian would not fear an insignificant man. But hefears Belisarius."

  "That we have often experienced," sighed Antonina.

  "Learn then--you before all others--what no one outside the palaceknows: the Emperor's indecision is at an end. He has decided upon warwith the Goths."

  "At last!" cried Antonina, with a beaming countenance.

  "Yes; but--think of the shame! Belisarius is not appointedcommander-in-chief."

  "Who else?" asked Antonina angrily.

  "I am one of the generals----"

  She looked at him suspiciously.

  "Yes; it was my aim long since, I confess. But the second in command isto be Areobindos. I cannot conquer the Goths with him, hindered by hisignorance. No one can conquer the Goths but Belisarius. Therefore Imust have him near me, or, for aught I care, over me. See, Antonina, Ihold myself to be the greater statesman----"

  "My Belisarius is a hero, no statesman!" cried the proud wife.

  "But it would be ridiculous to compare myself as a general with theconqueror of the Vandals, Goths, and Persians. You see that I openlyconfess that I am not influenced only by friendship to Belisarius, butalso by egotism. I _must_ have Belisarius for a comrade."

  "That is clear," said Antonina, much pleased.

  "But Justinian is not to be persuaded to appoint him. Still more, heagain suspects him, and indeed more than ever."

  "But, by all the saints! wherefore?"

  "Belisarius is innocent; but he is very imprudent. For months hehas received secret letters, notes, and warnings--stuck into hisbathing-robe, or thrown into his garden--which invite him to take partin a conspiracy."

  "Heavens! You know of this?" stammered Antonina.

  "Unfortunately not I only, but also others--the Emperor himself!"

  "But the conspiracy is not against the Emperor's life or throne," saidAntonina apologetically.

  "No; only against his free will. 'War with the Goths.'--'Belisariuscommander-in-chief.'--'It is shameful to serve an ungratefulmaster.'--'Force the Emperor to his own advantage.' Such and similarthings do these papers contain, do they not? Well, Belisarius hascertainly not accepted; but, imprudently, he did not at once speak ofthese invitations to the Emperor, and this oversight may cost him hishead!"

  "Oh, holy saints!" cried Antonina, wringing her hands. "He omitted todo so at my request, by my advice. Procopius advised him to tell all tothe Emperor. But I--I feared Justinian's mistrust, which might havediscovered the semblance of guilt in the mere fact that such papers hadbeen sent to Belisarius."

  "It was not that alone, I think," said Cethegus cautiously, when he hadlooked round to see if any could hear, "which impelled you to give suchadvice, taken, of course, by Belisarius."

  "What else? What can you mean?" asked Antonina in a low voice.

>   But she blushed up to the roots of her hair.

  "You knew that good friends of yours were concerned in the conspiracy;you wished first to warn them before the plot was betrayed."

  "Yes," she stammered. "Photius, the freedman----"

  "And yet another," whispered Cethegus, "who, scarcely freed fromTheodora's gilded prison, would only exchange it for the vaults of theBosphorus."

  Antonina covered her face with her hands.

  "I know all, Antonina--the slight fault of former days, the goodresolutions of a later time. But in this case your old inclination hasensnared you. Instead of thinking only of Belisarius, you thought alsoof his welfare. And if Belisarius now falls, whose is the guilt?"

  "Oh! be silent! have pity!" cried Antonina.

  "Do not despair," continued Cethegus. "You have still a strong prop,one who will be your advocate with the Emperor. Even if banishment bethreatened, the prayers of your friend Theodora will prevent theworst."

  "The Empress!" cried Antonina, in terror. "Oh, how she willmisrepresent! She has sworn our undoing!"

  "That is bad," said Cethegus--"very bad! For the Empress also knows ofthe conspiracy, and of the invitations to Belisarius. And you know thata much less crime than that of being invited to join a conspiracy issufficient----"

  "The Empress knows of it! Then we are lost! Oh! you who know how tofind a means of escape when no other eye can see it--help I save us!"

  And Antonina sank at the Prefect's feet.

  A lamentable howl issued from the corner of the room. The leopardtrembled with renewed fear. The Prefect cast a rapid glance at hisbeaten adversary, and then gently raised the kneeling woman.

  "Do not despair, Antonina. Yes; there is a way to save Belisarius--butonly one."

  "Must he tell _now_ what has happened? As soon as he returns?"

  "For that it is too late; and it would be too little. He would not bebelieved; mere words would not prove that he was in earnest. No; hemust prove his fidelity by deeds. He must seize all the conspiratorstogether, and deliver them into the Emperor's power."

  "How can he seize them all together?"

  "They themselves have invited him. To-night they assemble in the houseof Photius, his freedman. He must consent to put himself at their head.He must go to the meeting, and take them all prisoners. Anicius," headded, "has been warned already by the Empress. I have seen him."

  "Alas! But if he must die, it is to save Belisarius. My husband must doas you say; I see that it is the only way. And it is a bold anddangerous step; it will allure him."

  "Do you think he will sacrifice his freedman?"

  "We have warned the fool again and again. What matters Photius whenBelisarius is in danger! If ever I have had any power over my husband,I shall prevail to-day. Procopius has often advised him to give such abrutal--as he called it--proof of his fidelity. I will remind him ofit. You may be sure that he will follow our united counsel."

  "'Tis well. He must be there before midnight. When the watchman on thewalls calls the hour, I shall break into the hall. And it is better, sothat Belisarius may be quite safe, that he only enter the meeting whenhe sees my Moor Syphax in the niche before the house behind the statueof Petrus. He may also place a few of his guards in front of the house.In case of need, they can protect him, and bear witness in his favour.He is not capable of much feigning; he must only join the meetingshortly before midnight; thus he will have no need to speak. Our guardswill wait in the Grove of Constantinus, at the back of Photius's house.At midnight--the trumpet sounds when the guard is relieved, and youknow that it can be distinctly heard--we shall break in. Belisarius,therefore, need not undertake the dangerous task of giving a signal."

  "And you--you will be sure to be there?"

  "I shall not fail. Farewell, Antonina."

  And, suddenly stepping backwards, his face still turned towards theleopard, his dagger pointed, he had gained the exit.

  The leopard had waited for this moment; he moved slightly in hiscorner, rising slowly.

  But as he reached the curtain, Cethegus once again raised his daggerand threatened him.

  "Down, Dareios! the irons are hot!"

  And he was gone.

  The leopard laid his head upon the mosaic floor and uttered a howl ofimpotent fury.