"But Justinian is not to be persuaded to appoint him. Still more, he again suspects him, and indeed more than ever."
"But, by all the saints! wherefore?"
"Belisarius is innocent; but he is very imprudent. For months he has received secret letters, notes, and warnings--stuck into his bathing-robe, or thrown into his garden--which invite him to take part in 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," said Antonina apologetically.
"No; only against his free will. 'War with the Goths.'--'Belisarius commander-in-chief.'--'It is shameful to serve an ungrateful master.'--'Force the Emperor to his own advantage.' Such and similar things do these papers contain, do they not? Well, Belisarius has certainly not accepted; but, imprudently, he did not at once speak of these invitations to the Emperor, and this oversight may cost him his head!"
"Oh, holy saints!" cried Antonina, wringing her hands. "He omitted to do so at my request, by my advice. Procopius advised him to tell all to the Emperor. But I--I feared Justinian's mistrust, which might have discovered the semblance of guilt in the mere fact that such papers had been sent to Belisarius."
"It was not that alone, I think," said Cethegus cautiously, when he had looked round to see if any could hear, "which impelled you to give such advice, taken, of course, by Belisarius."
"What else? What can you mean?" asked Antonina in a low voice.