key, he spoke:

"O Daniel, this thing must never come to pass! May the gods forbid that I
should endanger the life of my servant! But the writing is signed! My
heart is sad! My soul is sick!"

"Let not the king be sore troubled on account of his servant," said
Daniel. "The God of heaven shall certainly overrule this matter to his
own glory."

"Thou mayest return, Daniel," said the king. "I know not what to do. I
fear I have been greatly deceived."

"The word of thy servant, in a case like this, is not sufficient to
gainsay the testimony of six witnesses. When the proper hour arrives, the
king shall learn from other lips than mine the deep iniquity of these
foul conspirators. Adieu, O king! Let Jehovah use his own measures for
the vindication of his own law!" And the first president left the royal
presence.

On that night Darius the Mede laid his head on his pillow with the full
purpose of delivering Daniel.

Early on the morrow, the "Union Safety Committee," accompanied by the
other three, made their way into the presence of the king.

"Ye are punctual!" said the king, with a meaning glance.

"We take unbounded pleasure in obeying all the requirements of our king,"
said Fraggood, "and may the gods curse all those that are disobedient!"

"Since ye left my presence yesterday, I have had an interview with the
first president, and from his venerable lips I learn that he had no voice
in the formation of this law that ye say he hath violated."

"This is as thy servant expected, O king!" answered Kinggron. "What
transgressor do we ever find that will not strive to hide his guilt?"

"Daniel strives not to hide his guilt," replied the king in a firm tone.
"He freely acknowledges that he violated the law, and moreover he assures
me that he will continue to violate it three times every day. Thus ye
perceive that the first president wishes not to hide his guilt, nor even
to escape the punishment. But with all the weight of reason, consistency
and humanity on his side, he pronounces the law at war with all goodness,
and denies having had any part in bringing it into existence. Now, with
all due respect to your testimonies, which, in point of law, must
outweigh the declaration of one man, I freely acknowledge to you, my
presidents and princes, that it is my firm conviction that ye are a band
of unprincipled liars, fully bent on the destruction of this Daniel!"

At this plain, royal truth, the "Union Safety Committee" tu