"There; read! The enemy had been warned, and had thrown the noose round the neck of Rome in a masterly manner. If I had not acted as I did, Earl Witichis would be standing at this moment before the Salarian Gate in the north with ten thousand Goths; to-morrow young Totila would have blockaded the mouth of the Tiber on the south with the fleet from Neapolis; and Duke Thulun would have been approaching the Tomb of Hadrian and the Aurelian Gate from the west, with twenty thousand men. If, this morning early, you had touched a hair of a Goth's head, what would have happened?"
Silverius breathed again. The others were ashamed and silent. But Licinius took heart.
"We should have defied the Goths behind our walls," he said, with a toss of his handsome head.
"Yes, when these walls are restored as I will restore them--for eternity, my Licinius: as they are now--not for a day."
"Then we had died as free citizens," said Scævola.
"You might have done that in the Curie three hours ago," laughed Cethegus, shrugging his shoulders.
Silverius stepped forward with open arms, as if to embrace him--Cethegus drew back.
"You have saved us all, you have saved Church and fatherland! I never doubted you!" exclaimed the priest.
But Licinius grasped the hand of the Prefect, who willingly abandoned it to him.
"I did doubt you," he said with charming frankness. "Forgive me, you great Roman! This sword, with which I would have penetrated into your very heart, is henceforward at your service. And when the day of freedom dawns, then no consul, then salve, Dictator Cethegus!"