“If, as I suspected, this man intended, with two or three others, to steal into your chamber and slay you while you slept, we could at once have stopped the attempt; should he come with a larger force, we could, as is proved, resist them until the guard arrived on the spot.  If, on the other hand, night passed off quietly and my suspicions proved to be altogether erroneous, I should escape the ridicule which would certainly have been forthcoming had I alarmed you without cause.”

“You have acted very wisely and well, my son,” Hamilcar said, “and Carthage owes you the life of our beloved Hannibal.  You indeed reasoned with great wisdom and forethought.  Had you informed us of what you had discovered we should have taken precautions which would doubtless have effected the object; but they would probably have become known to the plotters, and the attempt would have been postponed and attempted some other time, and perhaps with success.  What say you, Hannibal, have I not reason to be proud of this young son of mine?”

“You have indeed, Hamilcar, and deeply am I indebted to him.  It is not my life I care for, although that now is precious to me for the sake of my beloved Imilce, but had I fallen now all the plans which we have thought of together would have been frustrated, and the fairest chance which Carthage ever had of fighting out the quarrel with her rival would have been destroyed.  Truly it has been a marvellous escape, and it seems to me that the gods themselves must have inspired Malchus to act as he did on such slight grounds as seeing two Carthaginians of the guard in company with three or four natives at a late hour of the evening.”

“What do you think will be best to do with the traitors who have plotted against your life, Hannibal?  Shall we try and execute them here, or send them to Carthage to be dealt with?”

Hannibal did not answer for a minute.

“I think, Hamilcar, the best plan will be to keep silent altogether as to the danger I have run.  The army would be furious but would at the same time be dispirited were it known in Carthage that two of her nobles had been executed for an attempt on my life.  It would only cause a fresh outbreak of animosity and an even deadlier feud than before between Hanno’s friends and ours.  Therefore, I say, let the men taken tonight be executed in the morning without question asked, and let no word be said by them or by us that they were bribed by Carthaginians.  All in the palace now know that a party of natives have broken in, and will guess that my life was their object; there is no need that they should know more.  As to the two men, I will call them before me tomorrow, with none but you present, and will let them know that I am aware that they are the authors of this attempt, and will bid them resign their places in the guard and return at once to Carthage.”

“It grieves me that they should go unpunished,” Hamilcar said; “but doubtless your plan is the wisest.”