Volume Iii Part 34 (2/2)
”You wish to free Italy alone, and alone rule her as Justinian's vice-regent. To be next to his throne, high above Belisarius and Na.r.s.es, and second only to Theodora. And if there were any higher goal, yours would be the spirit to fly at it.”
Cethegus breathed again.
”That would hardly be worth the trouble,” he thought.
”Oh,” continued Theodora, ”it is a proud feeling to be the first of Justinian's servants!”
”Of course,” thought Cethegus, ”she is not capable of imagining anything superior to her husband, although she deceives him daily.”
”And,” Theodora went on, ”to rule _him_, the Emperor, in company with me.”
”The flattering atmosphere of this court dulls even the clearest intellect,” thought Cethegus. ”It is the madness of the purple. She can only think of herself as all-commanding.”
”Yes, Cethegus,” continued Theodora; ”I would allow no other man even to _think_ of this. But I will help you to obtain it. With you I will share the mastery of the world. Perhaps only because I remember many a foolish youthful dream. Do you still remember how, years ago, we shared two cus.h.i.+ons in my little villa? We called them the Orient and the Occident. It was an omen. So will we now share the Orient and the Occident. Through my Justinian I will rule the Orient. Through my Cethegus I will rule the Occident!”
”Ambitious, insatiable woman!” thought Cethegus. ”Oh that Mataswintha had not died! She at this court--and you would sink for ever!”
”But to gain this,” said Theodora, ”Belisarius must be got out of the way. Justinian had resolved to send him once more as your commander-in-chief to Italy.”
Cethegus frowned.
”He trusts again and again to his dog-like fidelity. He must be thoroughly convinced of his falsity.”
”That will be difficult to manage,” said Cethegus. ”Theodora will sooner learn to be faithful than Belisarius to be false.”
A blow from Theodora's little hand was the punishment for this speech.
”To you, foolishly, I have been ever faithful--that is, in affection.
Do you want Belisarius again in Italy?”
”On no account!”
”Then help me to ruin him, together with Anicius, the son of Boethius.”
”So be it,” said the Prefect. ”I have no reason to spare the brother of Severinus. But how can you possibly bring proofs against Belisarius? I am really curious. If you accomplish _that_, I will declare myself no less a novice in plots and machinations than in love and hatred.”
”And that you are, you dull son of Latium! Now listen. But it is such a dangerous subject, that I must beg thee, Galatea, to keep watch that no one comes and listens. No, my good mother, not inside! I beg thee; _outside_ the door. Leave me alone with the Prefect: it is--more's the pity--no secret of love?”
When, after some time, the Prefect left the room, he said to himself:
”If this woman were a man--I should kill her! She would be more dangerous than the barbarians and Belisarius together! But then, certainly, the iniquity would be neither so inscrutable nor so devilis.h.!.+”
CHAPTER IX.
Soon after the Prefect had returned home, Syphax announced the son of Boethius, who came from the Empress.
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