Be not impatient; great things are not hastily achieved.' With sundry other such remarks, so uttered that their triteness seemed to become the maturity of wisdom, Leander brought the colloquy to an end.

It was his principle to trust no man unless he were assured of a motive strong enough to make him trustworthy, and that motive he had not yet discovered in Marcian.

Nor, indeed, was he entirely sure of himself; for though he had gone so far as to communicate with the Gothic king, it was only in view of possibilities whose issue he still awaited.

If the Pope set forth for Constantinople, he would leave as representative in Rome the deacon Pelagius, and from this brother cleric Leander had already received certain glances, which were not to be misunderstood.

The moment might shortly come when he would need a friend more powerful than any he had within the city.
But Vigilius lingered, and Leander, save in his influence with the irresolute Pontiff, postponed the step he had in view..