‘Perchance you would have found that there was not,’ said Basil.  ‘Certainly not towards the end.’

’May his soul repose!  He had the bearing which suited with his noble name—­a true Anicius to look upon.  If Rome have need in these times of another breed of citizens—­and who can gainsay that?—­ she will not forget such men as he, who lived with dignity when they could do no more.  You, my dear lord’—­he turned towards Basil—­ ‘Anicius though you are, see another way before you, what?’

They talked far into the night.  When he spoke of the Imperial conquerors—­’Greeklings’ he called them—­Venantius gave vent to his wrath and scorn.  The Goths were right when they asked what had ever come out of Greece save mimes and pirates; land-thieves they might have added, for what else were the generals of Justinian with their pillaging hordes?  They dared to speak of the Goths as barbarians—­these Herules, Isaurians, Huns, Armenians, and Teutons!—­of the Goths, whose pride it had so long been to defend Roman civilisation, and even to restore the Roman edifices.  What commander among them could compare with Totila, brave, just, generous?

‘By the Holy Mother!’ he cried, with a great gesture, ’if I were not wedded to a wife I love, who has borne me already three boys as healthy as wolf cubs, I would follow your example, O Basil, and take to myself a blue-eyed daughter of that noble race.  They are heretics, why yes, but as far as I can make out they pray much as I do, and by heaven’s grace may yet be brought to hold the truth as to the Three-in-One.  When they had the power, did they meddle with our worship?  Let every man believe as he list, say I, so that he believe sincerely, and trust God against the devil.’

In the stillness of their secluded abode, Aurelia and Veranilda went to rest earlier than usual this evening, for they were to arise before the dawn.  This afternoon they had been visited by the black monk, who announced the return of Sisinnius, and invited them to the promised mass on the morrow; and such was their agitation in the foretaste of this religious ecstasy, as well as in the hope of having their future revealed to them, that neither slept much during the night.  Not long after the crowing of the first cock, when all was silent and dark, Aurelia stepped, with a lamp in her hand, into the maiden’s chamber.

‘Is it the hour?’ whispered Veranilda, raising herself.

’Not yet.  I have had a troubled dream.  I dreamt that this night the holy Sisinnius had fought with the demon, and had been worsted.  O Veranilda!’—­the speaker’s voice trembled—­’what may this mean?’

‘Dearest lady,’ answered the other reassuringly, ’may it not be a temptation of the demon himself; who at times is permitted to tempt even the holiest?’

‘And you, sweet?  You have not dreamt?’

‘Only of Basil,’ answered Veranilda, with a smile that asked pardon for her happiness.