At this moment Demetrius and Johannes hurried in.
"Make haste. King Witichis," they cried. "Do you hear the trumpets? Belisarius has already reached the Gate of Stilicho."
"Then let us go," said Witichis, allowing his attendant to place the purple mantle, which they had brought instead of the missing one, upon his shoulders, and pressing a golden coronet upon his head. Instead of the sword, a sceptre was handed to him; and thus adorned, he turned to the door.
"You have not yet signed, King," said Bessas.
"Give it to me," and now Witichis took the parchment from the hand of the Byzantine. "The document is very long," he said, glancing over it; and then began to read.
"Haste, King," said Johannes.
"There is no time to read it," said Cethegus, with an indifferent voice, and took a reed-pen from the table.
"Then there is no time to sign it," said the King. "You know I am the 'Peasant-King,' as the people call me. And a peasant never signs a letter before he has read to what he commits himself. Let us go," and, smiling, he gave the document to the Prefect and left the room.
Bessas and all present followed, except Cethegus. Cethegus crushed the document in his hand.
"Wait!" he whispered furiously. "You shall yet sign!" And he slowly followed the others.