“All you say is true, Giscon,” the general said gravely, “though I should be pressed to death were it whispered in Carthage that I said so; but at present we can do nothing.  Had the great Hamilcar Barca lived I believe that he would have set himself to work to clear out this Augean stable, a task greater than that accomplished by our great hero, the demigod Hercules; but no less a hand can accomplish it.  You know how every attempt at revolt has failed; how terrible a vengeance fell on Matho and the mercenaries; how the down trodden tribes have again and again, when victory seemed in their hands, been crushed into the dust.

“No, Giscon, we must suffer the terrible ills which you speak of until some hero arises —­ some hero whose victories will bind not only the army to him, but will cause all the common people of Carthage —­ all her allies and tributaries —­ to look upon him as their leader and deliverer.

“I have hopes, great hopes, that such a hero may be found in my nephew, Hannibal, who seems to possess all the genius, the wisdom, and the talent of his father.  Should the dream which he cherished, and of which I was but now speaking to you, that of leading a Carthaginian army across the Ebro, over the Apennines, through the plains of lower Gaul, and over the Alps into Italy, there to give battle to the cohorts of Rome on their own ground, —­ should this dream be verified I say, should success attend him, and Rome be humbled to the dust, then Hannibal would be in a position to become the dictator of Carthage, to overthrow the corrupt council, to destroy this tyranny —­ misnamed a republic —­ and to establish a monarchy, of which he should be the first sovereign, and under which Carthage, again the queen of the world, should be worthy of herself and her people.  And now let us speak of it no more.  The very walls have ears, and I doubt not but even among my attendants there are men who are spies in the pay of the council.  I see and lament as much as any man the ruin of my country; but, until I see a fair hope of deliverance, I am content to do the best I can against her enemies, to fight her battles as a simple soldier.”

There was silence in the tent.  Malchus had thrown himself down on his couch, and for a time forgot even the approaching lion hunt in the conversation to which he had listened.

The government of Carthage was indeed detestable, and was the chief cause both of the misfortunes which had befallen her in the past, and of the disasters which were in the future to be hers.  The scheme of government was not in itself bad, and in earlier and simpler times had acted well.  Originally it had consisted of three estates, which answered to the king, lords, and commons.  At the head of affairs were two suffetes chosen for life.  Below them was the senate, a very numerous body, comprising all the aristocracy of Carthage.  Below this was the democracy, the great mass of the people, whose vote was necessary to ratify any law passed by the senate.