Volume I Part 37 (2/2)
”You must confess, patrician, that I can bear a great deal of plain-speaking.”
”You are by nature great, O Justinia.n.u.s, and a magnanimous ruler; else Na.r.s.es would not serve you. But Omphale rendered even Hercules small.”
The eyes of the Empress shone with hatred.
Justinia.n.u.s became uneasy.
”Go,” he said, ”I will consult with the Empress alone. To-morrow you shall hear my decision.”
CHAPTER XV.
No sooner were they gone, than Justinian went up to his wife, and pressed a kiss upon her white forehead.
”Forgive him,” he said, ”he means well.”
”I know it,” she answered, returning the kiss. ”It is for this reason, and because he is indispensable as a foil to Belisarius, that he still lives.”
”You are right, as always,” cried Justinian, putting his arm round her, and thus walking with her up and down the room.
”What does he intend to do?” thought Theodora; ”this tenderness indicates a bad conscience.”
”You are right,” he repeated, ”G.o.d has denied me the spirit which decides the fate of battles, and, in compensation, has given me these two men of victory---_fortunately_ two of them. Their jealousy of each other secures my dominion better than their fidelity. Either of these generals alone would be a continual danger to the state, and on the day that they become friends, my throne will shake. You continue to excite their mutual dislike?”
”It is easy to excite. There is as natural an antipathy between them as between fire and water. And every spiteful remark of the eunuch I tell with indignation to my friend Antonina, the wife and mistress of the hero Belisarius.”
”And I repeat every rudeness of this hero to the irritable cripple. But to our consultation. Since receiving the report of Alexandros, I am almost decided upon the expedition to Italy.”
”Whom will you send?”
”Belisarius, of course. He promises to accomplish with thirty thousand, that which Na.r.s.es will scarcely undertake with eighty thousand.”
”Do you think that so small a force will be sufficient?”
”No. But the honour of Belisarius is engaged. He will exert his utmost strength, and yet will not quite succeed.”
”That will be wholesome for him. For, since the war with the Vandals, his pride has become insupportable.”
”But,” continued the Emperor, ”he will accomplish three-fourths of the work. Then I will recall him, march myself with sixty thousand, taking Na.r.s.es with me, and easily finish the remaining fourth of the task.
Then I, too, shall be called a great general and a conqueror.”
”Finely thought out!” cried Theodora, with sincere admiration of his subtlety: ”your plan is ripe.”
”However,” said Justinian, sighing and stopping in his walk, ”Na.r.s.es is right; I must confess it. It would be better for my empire if I defended it from the Persians, instead of attacking the Goths. It would be wiser and safer policy. For, at some time or other, destruction will come from the East.”
”Let it come! It may not be for centuries, when the only thing remembered of Justinia.n.u.s will be the fame of having reconquered Italy as well as Africa. Is it your office to take thought for the future?
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