At the entrance to the citadel the carriage drew up and remained there under guard.  Basil was led in, and presently stood before the military governor of Cumae; this was a Hun named Chorsoman, formerly one of Belisarius’s bodyguard.  He spoke Latin barbarously; none the less was his language direct and perspicuous.  The Roman lady wished to quit Cumae, where she had lived for some years; she purposed, moreover, to take away with her a maiden of Gothic race, who, though not treated as a captive, had been under observation since she was sent to dwell here by Belisarius.  This could not pass as a matter of small moment.  Plainly, permission to depart must be sought of the authorities, and such permission, under the circumstances, could only be granted in return for substantial payment—­a payment in proportion t6 the lady’s rank.  It was known that the senator Maximus had died, and report said that his daughter inherited great wealth.  The price of her passport would be one thousand gold pieces.

Basil knew that Aurelia had not, in the coffer she was taking away, a quarter of this sum of money.  He foresaw endless delay, infinite peril to his hopes.  Schooling a hot tongue to submissive utterance, he asked that Aurelia might be consulted.

‘Speak with her yourself,’ said the Hun, ‘and bring her answer.’

So Basil went forth, and, under the eyes of the guard, held converse with his cousin.  Aurelia was willing to give all the treasure she carried with her—­money, a few ornaments of gold and silver, two or three vessels of precious metal—­everything for immediate liberty; all together she thought it might be the equivalent of half the sum demanded.  The rest she would swear to pay.  This being reported to Chorsoman, his hideous, ashen-grey countenance assumed a fierce expression; he commanded that all the baggage on the vehicles should be brought and opened before him; this was done.  Whilst Basil, boiling with secret rage, saw his cousin’s possessions turned out on to the floor a thought flashed into his mind.

‘I ought to inform your Sublimity,’ he said, with all the indifference he could assume, ’that the lady Aurelia despatched two days ago a courier to Rome apprising the noble commandant Bessas of her father’s death, and of her intention to arrive in the city as soon as possible, and to put her means at his disposal for the defence of Rome against King Totila.’

Chorsoman stared.

‘Is not this lady the widow of a Goth and a heretic?’

‘The widow of a Goth, yes, but no longer a heretic,’ answered Basil boldly, half believing what he said.

He saw that he had spoken to some purpose.  The Hun blinked his little eyes, gazed greedily at the money, and was about to speak when a soldier announced that a Roman named Marcian desired immediate audience, therewith handing to the governor a piece of metal which looked like a large coin.  Chorsoman had no sooner glanced at this than he bade admit the Roman; but immediately changing his mind, he went out into another room.  On his return, after a quarter of an hour, he gruffly announced that the travellers were free to depart.