THE WINGED HATS
The next day happened to be what they called a Wild Afternoon. Father andMother went out to pay calls; Miss Blake went for a ride on her bicycle,and they were left all alone till eight o'clock.
When they had seen their dear parents and their dear preceptress politelyoff the premises they got a cabbage-leaf full of raspberries from thegardener, and a Wild Tea from Ellen. They ate the raspberries to preventtheir squashing, and they meant to divide the cabbage-leaf with Three Cowsdown at the Theatre, but they came across a dead hedgehog which theysimply _had_ to bury, and the leaf was too useful to waste.
Then they went on to the Forge and found old Hobden the hedger at homewith his son the Bee Boy who is not quite right in his head, but who canpick up swarms of bees in his naked hands; and the Bee Boy told them therhyme about the slow-worm:--
'If I had eyes _as_ I could see, No mortal man would trouble me.'
They all had tea together by the hives, and Hobden said the loaf-cakewhich Ellen had given them was almost as good as what his wife used tomake, and he showed them how to set a wire at the right height for hares.They knew about rabbits already.
Then they climbed up Long Ditch into the lower end of Far Wood. This issadder and darker than the 'Volaterrae' end because of an old marlpit fullof black water, where weepy, hairy moss hangs round the stumps of thewillows and alders. But the birds come to perch on the dead branches, andHobden says that the bitter willow-water is a sort of medicine for sickanimals.
They sat down on a felled oak-trunk in the shadows of the beechundergrowth, and were looping the wires Hobden had given them, when theysaw Parnesius.
'How quietly you came!' said Una, moving up to make room. 'Where's Puck?'
'The Faun and I have disputed whether it is better that I should tell youall my tale, or leave it untold,' he replied.
'I only said that if he told it as it happened you wouldn't understandit,' said Puck, jumping up like a squirrel from behind the log.
'I don't understand all of it,' said Una, 'but I like hearing about thelittle Picts.'
'What _I_ can't understand,' said Dan, 'is how Maximus knew all about thePicts when he was over in Gaul.'
'He who makes himself Emperor anywhere must know everything, everywhere,'said Parnesius. 'We had this much from Maximus' mouth after the Games.'
'Games? What games?' said Dan.
Parnesius stretched his arm out stiffly, thumb pointed to the ground.'Gladiators! _That_ sort of game,' he said. 'There were two days' Games inhis honour when he landed all unexpected at Segedunum on the East end ofthe Wall. Yes, the day after we had met him we held two days' games; but Ithink the greatest risk was run, not by the poor wretches on the sand, butby Maximus. In the old days the Legions kept silence before their Emperor.So did not we! You could hear the solid roar run West along the Wall ashis chair was carried rocking through the crowds. The garrison beat roundhim--clamouring, clowning, asking for pay, for change of quarters, foranything that came into their wild heads. That chair was like a littleboat among waves, dipping and falling, but always rising again after onehad shut the eyes.' Parnesius shivered.
'Were they angry with him?' said Dan.
'No more angry than wolves in a cage when their trainer walks among them.If he had turned his back an instant, or for an instant had ceased to holdtheir eyes, there would have been another Emperor made on the Wall thathour. Was it not so, Faun?'
'So it was. So it always will be,' said Puck.
'Late in the evening his messenger came for us, and we followed to theTemple of Victory, where he lodged with Rutilianus, the General of theWall. I had hardly seen the General before, but he always gave me leavewhen I wished to take Heather. He was a great glutton, and kept five Asiancooks, and he came of a family that believed in oracles. We could smellhis good dinner when we entered, but the tables were empty. He laysnorting on a couch. Maximus sat apart among long rolls of accounts. Thenthe doors were shut.
'"These are your men," said Maximus to the General, who propped hiseye-corners open with his gouty fingers, and stared at us like a fish.
'"I shall know them again, Caesar," said Rutilianus.
'"Very good," said Maximus. "Now hear! You are not to move man or shieldon the Wall except as these boys shall tell you. You will do nothing,except eat, without their permission. They are the head and arms. You arethe belly!"
'"As Caesar pleases," the old man grunted. "If my pay and profits are notcut, you may make my Ancestors' Oracle my master. Rome has been! Rome hasbeen!" Then he turned on his side to sleep.
'"He has it," said Maximus. "We will get to what _I_ need."
'He unrolled full copies of the number of men and supplies on theWall--down to the sick that very day in Hunno Hospital. Oh, but I groanedwhen his pen marked off detachment after detachment of our best--of ourleast worthless men! He took two towers of our Scythians, two of our NorthBritish auxiliaries, two Numidian cohorts, the Dacians all, and half theBelgians. It was like an eagle pecking a carcass.
'"And now, how many catapults have you?" He turned up a new list, butPertinax laid his open hand there.
'"No, Caesar," said he. "Do not tempt the Gods too far. Take men, orengines, but not both; else we refuse."'
'Engines?' said Una.
'The catapults of the Wall--huge things forty feet high to the head--firingnets of raw stone or forged bolts. Nothing can stand against them. He leftus our catapults at last, but he took a Caesar's half of our men withoutpity. We were a shell when he rolled up the lists!
'"Hail, Caesar! We, about to die, salute you!" said Pertinax, laughing. "Ifany enemy even leans against the Wall now, it will tumble."
'"Give me the three years Allo spoke of," he answered, "and you shall havetwenty thousand men of your own choosing up here. But now it is a gamble--agame played against the Gods, and the stakes are Britain, Gaul, andperhaps, Rome. You play on my side?"
'"We will play, Caesar," I said for I had never met a man like this man.
'"Good. To-morrow," said he, "I proclaim you Captains of the Wall beforethe troops."
'So we went into the moonlight, where they were cleaning the ground afterthe Games. We saw great Roma Dea atop of the Wall, the frost on herhelmet, and her spear pointed towards the North Star. We saw the twinkleof night-fires all along the guard-towers, and the line of the blackcatapults growing smaller and smaller in the distance. All these things weknew till we were weary; but that night they seemed very strange to us,because the next day we knew we were to be their masters.
'The men took the news well; but when Maximus went away with half ourstrength, and we had to spread ourselves into the emptied towers, and thetownspeople complained that trade would be ruined, and the Autumn galesblew--it was dark days for us two. Here Pertinax was more than my righthand. Being born and bred among the great country-houses in Gaul, he knewthe proper words to address to all--from Roman-born Centurions to thosedogs of the Third--the Libyans. And he spoke to each as though that manwere as high-minded as himself. Now _I_ saw so strongly what things wereneeded to be done, that I forgot things are only accomplished by means ofmen. That was a mistake.
'I feared nothing from the Picts, at least for that year, but Allo warnedme that the Winged Hats would soon come in from the sea at each end of theWall to prove to the Picts how weak we were. So I made ready in haste, andnone too soon. I shifted our best men to the ends of the Wall, and set upscreened catapults by the beach. The Winged Hats would drive in before thesnow-squalls--ten or twenty boats at a time--on Segedunum or Ituna,according as the wind blew.
'Now a ship coming in to land men must furl her sail. If you wait till yousee her men gather up the sail's foot, your catapults can jerk a net ofloose stones (bolts only cut through the cloth) into the bag of it. Thenshe turns over, and the sea makes everything clean again. A few men maycome ashore, but very few.... It was not hard work, except the waiting onthe beach in blowing sand and snow. And that was how we dealt with theWinged Hats that winter.
/> 'Early in the Spring, when the East winds blow like skinning-knives, theygathered again off the East end with many ships. Allo told me they wouldnever rest till they had taken a tower in open fight. Certainly theyfought in the open. We dealt with them thoroughly through a long day: andwhen all was finished, one man dived clear of the wreckage of his ship,and swam towards shore. I waited, and a wave tumbled him at my feet.
'As I stooped, I saw he wore such a medal as I wear.' Parnesius raised hishand to his neck. 'Therefore, when he could speak, I addressed him acertain Question which can only be answered in a certain manner. Heanswered with the necessary Word--the Word that belongs to the Degree ofGryphons in the science of Mithras my God. I put my shield over him tillhe could stand up. You see I am not short, but he was a head taller thanI. He said: "What now?" I said: "At your pleasure, my brother, to stay orgo."
'He looked out across the surf. There remained one ship unhurt, beyondrange of our catapults. I checked the catapults and he waved her in. Shecame as a hound comes to a master. When she was yet a hundred paces fromthe beach, he flung back his hair, and swam out. They hauled him in, andwent away. I knew that those who worship Mithras are many and of allraces, so I did not think much more upon the matter.
'A month later I saw Allo with his horses--by the Temple of Pan, OFaun!--and he gave me a great necklace of gold studded with coral.
'At first I thought it was a bribe from some tradesman in the town--meantfor old Rutilianus. "Nay," said Allo. "This is a gift from Amal, thatWinged Hat whom you saved on the beach. He says you are a Man."
'"He is a Man, too. Tell him I can wear his gift," I answered.
'"Oh, Amal is a young fool; but, speaking as sensible men, your Emperor isdoing such great things in Gaul that the Winged Hats are anxious to be hisfriends, or, better still, the friends of his servants. They think you andPertinax could lead them to victories." Allo looked at me like a one-eyedraven.
'"Allo," I said, "you are the corn between the two millstones. Be contentif they grind evenly, and don't thrust your hand between them."
'"I?" said Allo. "I hate Rome and the Winged Hats equally; but if theWinged Hats thought that some day you and Pertinax might join them againstMaximus, they would leave you in peace while you considered. Time is whatwe need--you and I and Maximus. Let me carry a pleasant message back to theWinged Hats--something for them to make a council over. We barbarians areall alike. We sit up half the night to discuss anything a Roman says. Eh?"
'"We have no men. We must fight with words," said Pertinax. "Leave it toAllo and me."
'So Allo carried word back to the Winged Hats that we would not fight themif they did not fight us; and they (I think they were a little tired oflosing men in the sea) agreed to a sort of truce. I believe Allo, whobeing a horse-dealer loved lies, also told them we might some day riseagainst Maximus as Maximus had risen against Rome.
'Indeed, they permitted the corn-ships which I sent to the Picts to passNorth that season without harm. Therefore the Picts were well fed thatwinter, and since they were in some sort my children, I was glad of it. Wehad only two thousand men on the Wall, and I wrote many times to Maximusand begged--prayed--him to send me only one cohort of my old North Britishtroops. He could not spare them. He needed them to win more victories inGaul.
'Then came news that he had defeated and slain the Emperor Gratian, andthinking he must now be secure, I wrote again for men. He answered: "Youwill learn that I have at last settled accounts with the pup Gratian.There was no need that he should have died, but he became confused andlost his head, which is a bad thing to befall any Emperor. Tell yourFather I am content to drive two mules only; for unless my old General'sson thinks himself destined to destroy me, I shall rest Emperor of Gauland Britain, and then you, my two children, will presently get all the menyou need. Just now I can spare none."'
'What did he mean by his General's son?' said Dan.
'He meant Theodosius Emperor of Rome, who was the son of Theodosius theGeneral under whom Maximus had fought in the old Pict War. The two mennever loved each other, and when Gratian made the younger TheodosiusEmperor of the East (at least, so I've heard), Maximus carried on the warto the second generation. It was his fate, and it was his fall. ButTheodosius the Emperor is a good man. As I know.' Parnesius was silent fora moment and then continued.
'I wrote back to Maximus that, though we had peace on the Wall, I shouldbe happier with a few more men and some new catapults. He answered: "Youmust live a little longer under the shadow of my victories, till I can seewhat young Theodosius intends. He may welcome me as a brother-Emperor, orhe may be preparing an army. In either case I cannot spare men just now."'
'But he was always saying that,' cried Una.
'It was true. He did not make excuses; but thanks, as he said, to the newsof his victories, we had no trouble on the Wall for a long, long time. ThePicts grew fat as their own sheep among the heather, and as many of my menas lived were well exercised in their weapons. Yes, the Wall lookedstrong. For myself, I knew how weak we were. I knew that if even a falserumour of any defeat to Maximus broke loose among the Winged Hats, theymight come down in earnest, and then--the Wall must go! For the Picts Inever cared, but in those years I learned something of the strength of theWinged Hats. They increased their strength every day, but I could notincrease my men. Maximus had emptied Britain behind us, and I felt myselfto be a man with a rotten stick standing before a broken fence to turnbulls.
'Thus, my friends, we lived on the Wall, waiting--waiting--waiting for themen that Maximus never sent!
'Presently he wrote that he was preparing an army against Theodosius. Hewrote--and Pertinax read it over my shoulder in our quarters: "_Tell yourFather that my destiny orders me to drive three mules or be torn in piecesby them. I hope within a year to finish with Theodosius, son ofTheodosius, once and for all. Then you shall have Britain to rule, andPertinax, if he chooses, Gaul. To-day I wish strongly you were with me tobeat my Auxiliaries into shape. Do not, I pray you, believe any rumour ofmy sickness. I have a little evil in my old body which I shall cure byriding swiftly into Rome._"
'Said Pertinax: "It is finished with Maximus! He writes as a man withouthope. I, a man without hope, can see this. What does he add at the bottomof the roll? '_Tell __Pertinax I have met his late Uncle, the Duumvir ofDivio, and that he accounted to me quite truthfully for all his Mother'smonies. I have sent her with a fitting escort, for she is the mother of ahero, to Nicaea, where the climate is warm._'
'"That is proof!" said Pertinax. "Nicaea is not far by sea from Rome. Awoman there could take ship and fly to Rome in time of war. Yes, Maximusforesees his death, and is fulfilling his promises one by one. But I amglad my Uncle met him."
'"You think blackly to-day?" I asked.
'"I think truth. The Gods weary of the play we have played against them.Theodosius will destroy Maximus. It is finished!"
'"Will you write him that?" I said.
'"See what I shall write," he answered, and he took pen and wrote a lettercheerful as the light of day, tender as a woman's and full of jests. EvenI, reading over his shoulder, took comfort from it till--I saw his face!
'"And now," he said, sealing it, "we be two dead men, my brother. Let usgo to the Temple."
'We prayed awhile to Mithras, where we had many times prayed before. Afterthat we lived day by day among evil rumours till winter came again.
'It happened one morning that we rode to the East Shore, and found on thebeach a fair-haired man, half frozen, bound to some broken planks. Turninghim over, we saw by his belt-buckle that he was a Goth of an EasternLegion. Suddenly he opened his eyes and cried loudly: "He is dead! Theletters were with me, but the Winged Hats sunk the ship." So saying, hedied between our hands.
'We asked not who was dead. We knew! We raced before the driving snow toHunno, thinking perhaps Allo might be there. We found him already at ourstables, and he saw by our faces what we had heard.
'"It was in a tent by the Sea," he stammered. "He was beh
eaded byTheodosius. He sent a letter to you, written while he waited to be slain.The Winged Hats met the ship and took it. The news is running through theheather like fire. Blame me not! I cannot hold back my young men anymore."
'"I would we could say as much for our men," said Pertinax, laughing."But, Gods be praised, they cannot run away."
'"What do you do?" said Allo. "I bring an order--a message--from the WingedHats that you join them with your men, and march South to plunderBritain."
'"It grieves me," said Pertinax, "but we are stationed here to stop thatthing."
'"If I carry back such an answer they will kill me," said Allo. "I alwayspromised the Winged Hats that you would rise when Maximus fell. I--I didnot think he could fall."
'"Alas! my poor barbarian," said Pertinax, still laughing. "Well, you havesold us too many good ponies to be thrown back to your friends. We willmake you a prisoner, although you are an ambassador."
'"Yes, that will be best," said Allo, holding out a halter. We bound himlightly, for he was an old man.
'"Presently the Winged Hats may come to look for you, and that will giveus more time. See how the habit of playing for time sticks to a man!" saidPertinax, as he tied the rope.
'"No," I said. "Time may help. If Maximus wrote us letters while he was aprisoner, Theodosius must have sent the ship that brought it. If he cansend ships, he can send men."
'"How will that profit us?" said Pertinax. "We serve Maximus, notTheodosius. Even if by some miracle of the Gods Theodosius down South sentand saved the Wall, we could not expect more than the death Maximus died."
'"It concerns us to defend the Wall, no matter what Emperor dies, or makesdie," I said.
'"That is worthy of your brother the philosopher," said Pertinax. "MyselfI am without hope, so I do not say solemn and stupid things! Rouse theWall!"
'We armed the Wall from end to end; we told the officers that there was arumour of Maximus's death which might bring down the Winged Hats, but wewere sure, even if it were true, that Theodosius, for the sake of Britain,would send us help. Therefore, we must stand fast.... My friends, it isabove all things strange to see how men bear ill news! Often the strongesttill then become the weakest, while the weakest, as it were, reach up andsteal strength from the Gods. So it was with us. Yet my Pertinax by hisjests and his courtesy and his labours had put heart and training into ourpoor numbers during the past years--more than I should have thoughtpossible. Even our Libyan Cohort--the Thirds--stood up in their paddedcuirasses and did not whimper.
'In three days came seven chiefs and elders of the Winged Hats. Among themwas that tall young man, Amal, whom I had met on the beach, and he smiledwhen he saw my necklace. We made them welcome, for they were ambassadors.We showed them Allo, alive but bound. They thought we had killed him, andI saw it would not have vexed them if we had. Allo saw it too, and itvexed him. Then in our quarters at Hunno we came to Council.
'They said that Rome was falling, and that we must join them. They offeredme all South Britain to govern after they had taken a tribute out of it.
'I answered, "Patience. This Wall is not weighed off like plunder. Give meproof that my General is dead."
'"Nay," said one elder, "prove to us that he lives"; and another said,cunningly, "What will you give us if we read you his last words?"
'"We are not merchants to bargain," cried Amal. "Moreover, I owe this manmy life. He shall have his proof." He threw across to me a letter (well Iknew the seal) from Maximus.
'"We took this out of the ship we sunk," he cried. "I cannot read, but Iknow one sign, at least, which makes me believe." He showed me a darkstain on the outer roll that my heavy heart perceived was the valiantblood of Maximus.
'"Read!" said Amal. "Read, and then let us hear whose servants you are!"
'Said Pertinax, very softly, after he had looked through it: "I will readit all. Listen, barbarians!" He read from that which I have carried nextmy heart ever since.'
Parnesius drew from his neck a folded and spotted piece of parchment, andbegan in a hushed voice:--
'"_To Parnesius and Pertinax, the not unworthy Captains of the Wall, fromMaximus, once Emperor of Gaul and Britain, now prisoner waiting death bythe sea in the camp of Theodosius--Greeting and Good-bye!_"
'"Enough," said young Amal; "there is your proof! You must join us now!"
'Pertinax looked long and silently at him, till that fair man blushed likea girl. Then read Pertinax:--
'"_I have joyfully done much evil in my life to those who have wished meevil, but if ever I did any evil to you two I repent, and I ask yourforgiveness. The three mules which I strove to drive have torn me inpieces as your Father prophesied. The naked swords wait at the tent doorto give me the death I gave to Gratian. Therefore I, your General and yourEmperor, send you free and honourable dismissal from my service, which youentered, not for money __or office, but, as it makes me warm to believe,because you loved me!_"
'"By the Light of the Sun," Amal broke in. "This was in some sort a Man!We may have been mistaken in his servants!"
'And Pertinax read on: "_You gave me the time for which I asked. If I havefailed to use it, do not lament. We have gambled very splendidly againstthe Gods, but they hold weighted dice, and I must pay the forfeit.Remember, I have been; but Rome is; and Rome will be! Tell Pertinax hisMother is in safety at Nicaea, and her monies are in charge of the Prefectat Antipolis. Make my remembrances to your Father and to your Mother,whose friendship was great gain to me. Give also to my little Picts and tothe Winged Hats such messages as their thick heads can understand. I wouldhave sent you three Legions this very day if all had gone aright. Do notforget me. We have worked together. Farewell! Farewell! Farewell!_"
'Now, that was my Emperor's last letter.' (The children heard theparchment crackle as Parnesius returned it to its place.)
'"I was mistaken," said Amal. "The servants of such a man will sellnothing except over the sword. I am glad of it." He held out his hand tome.
'"But Maximus has given you your dismissal," said an elder. "You arecertainly free to serve--or to rule--whom you please. Join--do notfollow--join us!"
'"We thank you," said Pertinax. "But Maximus tells us to give you suchmessages as--pardon me, but I use his words--your thick heads canunderstand." He pointed through the door to the foot of a catapult woundup.
'"We understand," said an elder. "The Wall must be won at a price?"
'"It grieves me," said Pertinax, laughing, "but so it must be won," and hegave them of our best Southern wine.
'They drank, and wiped their yellow beards in silence till they rose togo.
'Said Amal, stretching himself (for they were barbarians), "We be a goodlycompany; I wonder what the ravens and the dogfish will make of some of usbefore this snow melts."
'"Think rather what Theodosius may send," I answered; and though theylaughed, I saw that my chance shot troubled them.
'Only old Allo lingered behind a little.
'"You see," he said, winking and blinking, "I am no more than their dog.When I have shown their men the secret short ways across our bogs, theywill kick me like one."
'"Then I should not be in haste to show them those ways," said Pertinax,"till I were sure that Rome could not save the Wall."
'"You think so? Woe is me!" said the old man. "I only wanted peace for mypeople," and he went out stumbling through the snow behind the tall WingedHats.
'In this fashion then, slowly, a day at a time, which is very bad fordoubting troops, the War came upon us. At first the Winged Hats swept infrom the sea as they had done before, and there we met them as before--withthe catapults; and they sickened of it. Yet for a long time they would nottrust their duck-legs on land, and I think when it came to revealing thesecrets of the tribe, the little Picts were afraid or ashamed to show themall the roads across the heather. I had this from a Pict prisoner. Theywere as much our spies as our enemies, for the Winged Hats oppressed them,and took their winter stores. Ah, foolish Little People!
'Then the W
inged Hats began to roll us up from each end of the Wall. Isent runners Southward to see what the news might be in Britain; but thewolves were very bold that winter among the deserted stations where thetroops had once been, and none came back. We had trouble too with theforage for the ponies along the Wall. I kept ten, and so did Pertinax. Welived and slept in the saddle riding east or west, and we ate our worn-outponies. The people of the town also made us some trouble till I gatheredthem all in one quarter behind Hunno. We broke down the Wall on eitherside of it to make as it were a citadel. Our men fought better in closeorder.
'By the end of the second month we were deep in the War as a man is deepin a snow-drift or in a dream. I think we fought in our sleep. At least Iknow I have gone on the Wall and come off again, remembering nothingbetween, though my throat was harsh with giving orders, and my sword, Icould see, had been used.
'The Winged Hats fought like wolves--all in a pack. Where they had sufferedmost, there they charged in most hotly. This was hard for the defender,but it held them from sweeping on into Britain.
'In those days Pertinax and I wrote on the plaster of the bricked archwayinto Valentia the names of the towers, and the days on which they fell oneby one. We wished for some record.
'And the fighting? The fight was always hottest to left and right of thegreat Statue of Roma Dea, near to Rutilianus' house. By the light of theSun, that old fat man, whom we had not considered at all, grew young againamong the trumpets! I remember he said his sword was an oracle! "Let usconsult the Oracle," he would say, and put the handle against his ear, andshake his head wisely. "And _this_ day is allowed Rutilianus to live," hewould say, and, tucking up his cloak, he would puff and pant and fightwell. Oh, there were jests in plenty on the Wall to take the place offood!
'We endured for two months and seventeen days--always being pressed fromthree sides into a smaller space. Several times Allo sent in word thathelp was at hand. We did not believe it, but it cheered our men.
'The end came not with shoutings of joy, but, like the rest, as in adream. The Winged Hats suddenly left us in peace for one night, and thenext day; which is too long for spent men. We slept at first lightly,expecting to be roused, and then like logs, each where he lay. May younever need such sleep! When I waked our towers were full of strange, armedmen, who watched us snoring. I roused Pertinax, and we leaped up together.
'"What?" said a young man in clean armour. "Do you fight againstTheodosius? Look!"
'North we looked over the red snow. No Winged Hats were there. South welooked over the white snow, and behold there were the Eagles of two strongLegions encamped. East and west we saw flame and fighting, but by Hunnoall was still.
'"Trouble no more," said the young man. "Rome's arm is long. Where are theCaptains of the Wall?"
'We said we were those men.
'"But you are old and grey-haired," he cried. "Maximus said that they wereboys."
'"Yes that was true some years ago," said Pertinax. "What is our fate tobe, you fine and well-fed child?"
'"I am called Ambrosius, a secretary of the Emperor," he answered. "Showme a certain letter which Maximus wrote from a tent at Aquileia, andperhaps I will believe."
'I took it from my breast, and when he had read it he saluted us, saying:"Your fate is in your own hands. If you choose to serve Theodosius, hewill give you a Legion. If it suits you to go to your homes, we will giveyou a Triumph."
'"I would like better a bath, wine, food, razors, soaps, oils, andscents," said Pertinax, laughing.
'"Oh, I see you are a boy," said Ambrosius. "And you?" turning to me.
'"We bear no ill-will against Theodosius, but in War----" I began.
'"In War it is as it is in Love," said Pertinax. "Whether she be good orbad, one gives one's best once, to one only. That given, there remains nosecond worth giving or taking."
'"That is true," said Ambrosius. "I was with Maximus before he died. Hewarned Theodosius that you would never serve him, and frankly I say I amsorry for my Emperor."
'"He has Rome to console him," said Pertinax. "I ask you of your kindnessto let us go to our homes and get this smell out of our nostrils."
'None the less they gave us a Triumph!'