"I will replenish our treasury," said the centurion, "were our stock yet lower than it is. Stand up close by the wicket, my masters. Bethink you we are the Imperial Guards, or the guards of the Imperial City, it is all one, and let us have no man rush past us on a sudden;--and now that we are on our guard, I will unfold to you--But stop," said the valiant centurion, "are we all here true brothers? Do all well understand the ancient and laudable customs of our watch--keeping all things secret which concern the profit and advantage of this our vigil, and aiding and abetting the common cause, without information or treachery?" "You are strangely suspicious to-night," answered the sentinel. "Methinks we have stood by you without tale-telling in matters which were more weighty. Have you forgot the passage of the jeweller--which was neither the gold nor silver age; but if there were a diamond one"-- "Peace, good Ismail the Infidel," said the centurion,--"for, I thank Heaven, we are of all religions, so it is to be hoped we must have the true one amongst us,--Peace, I say; it is unnecessary to prove thou canst keep new secrets, by ripping up old ones. Come hither--look through the wicket to the stone bench, on the shady side of the grand porch--tell me, old lad, what dost thou see there?" "A man asleep," said Ismail. "By Heaven, I think from what I can see by the moonlight, that it is one of those barbarians, one of those island dogs, whom the Emperor sets such store by!" "And can thy fertile brain," said the centurion, "spin nothing out of his present situation, tending towards our advantage?" "Why, ay," said Ismail; "they have large pay, though they are not only barbarians, but pagan dogs, in comparison with us Moslems and Nazarenes. That fellow hath besotted himself with liquor, and hath not found his way home to his barracks in good time. He will be severely punished, unless we consent to admit him; and to prevail on us to do so, he must empty the contents of his girdle." "That, at least--that, at least," answered the soldiers of the city watch, but carefully suppressing their voices, though they spoke in an eager tone. "And is that all that you would make of such an opportunity?" said Harpax, scornfully. "No, no, comrades. If this outlandish animal indeed escape us, he must at least leave his fleece behind. See you not the gleams from his headpiece and his cuirass? I presume these betoken substantial silver, though it may be of the thinnest. There lies the silver mine I spoke of, ready to enrich the dexterous hands who shall labour it." "But," said timidly a young Greek, a companion of their watch lately enlisted in the corps, and unacquainted with their habits, "still this barbarian, as you call him, is a soldier of the Emperor; and if we are convicted of depriving him of his arms, we shall be justly punished for a military crime."