And round his corpse fell, fighting bravely, the two hundred faithful Goths who yet surrounded him. Then, when they saw the imperial banner waving on the walls, the citizens of Neapolis arose. Led by old friends to the Romans, such as Stephanus and Antiochus the Syrian--Castor, a zealous friend of the Goths, had lost his life in attempting to hold them back--they disarmed the single Goths in the streets, and sent an embassy with thanks, congratulations, and petitions for mercy on the city to Belisarius, who, surrounded by his brilliant staff, now rode into the Porta Capuana. But he bent his majestic brow gloomily, and, without checking his charger, answered: "Neapolis has checked my progress for fifteen days, else I had already been before Rome, even before Ravenna. How much do you think this delay has robbed the Emperor of his right, and me of fame? For fifteen days your cowardice and ill-will has caused you to be governed by a handful of barbarians. The punishment for these fifteen days shall be only fifteen hours of--pillage. Without murder; the inhabitants are the Emperor's prisoners of war; without fire, for the city is a fortress of Byzantium. Where is the leader of the Goths? Dead?" "Yes," answered Johannes, "here is his sword. Earl Ularis fell." "I do not mean him!" said Belisarius; "I mean the young one; Totila. What has become of him? I must have him." "Sir," said one of the Neapolitans, a rich merchant named Asklepiodot, "if you will exempt my house and magazines from pillage, I will tell you where he is." But Belisarius made a sign, and two Moorish lancers took hold of the trembling man. "Rebel, do you make conditions to me? Speak! or torture shall unloose your tongue!" "Have pity! mercy!" cried the man. "During the armistice, Totila went out with a few horsemen to fetch reinforcements from the Castle of Aurelian. They may return at any moment." "Johannes," cried Belisarius, "that man is worth all Neapolis. We must take him! Have you, as I ordered, blocked the way to Rome, and manned the gate?" "In that direction no one can have left the city," said Johannes. "Away! At once! We must entice him in! Let the Gothic banner fly from the Castle of Tiberius and from the Porta Capuana. Send armed Neapolitans upon the walls; he who warns Totila, even were it only with a wink of his eye, dies! Arm my bodyguard with Gothic weapons. I will be there myself. Place three hundred men in the neighbourhood of the gate. Let Totila quietly in. As soon as he has passed the portcullis, let it fall. I will have him alive. He shall not be wanting at the triumph in Byzantium!" "Give me the office, general," begged Johannes; "I owe him a return for an ill stroke." And he rushed back to the Porta Capuana, ordered the corpses and all trace of combat to be removed, and took his further measures. As the men were busy obeying his orders, a veiled figure forced its way among them.