old thou goest towards the earth that mixeth men.

ALL. Towards Abydos! Towards Osiris!

_They make believe to bear away the corpse; ritual
movements._

KIRJIPA. O my husband! O my brother! O my beloved! Stay, live in thy
place. Pass not away from the earthly spot where thou art! Leave him!
Leave him! Wherefore are ye come to take him who abandons me.

MOURNERS [_in a fury of despair_] Groans! Groans! Tears! Sobs! Sobs!
Make, make lamentation without end, with all the strength that is given
you.

_The music stops._

KIRJIPA [_to the corpse_] Despair not. Thy son is there!

_They point to Satni._

ALL. Despair not. Thy son is there!

DELETHI. When I have spoken, and after me Hanou, and after her Nazit,
thy son will speak the magic words, whose power shall make thee go even
unto Osiris, before the two and forty judges. They shall place thy heart
in the balance, and thou shalt say: "I have done wrong to no man, I have
done nothing that is abominable in the sight of the gods."

SATNI [_to himself_] No, I will not speak the magic words.

_The music begins again._

ALL. Despair not! Thy son is there!

HANOU. Despair not, thy son is there. When I have spoken and after me
Nazit, thy son will say the magic prayers whose power shall bring thee
even unto Osiris, and thou shalt say: "I have starved none, I have made
none weep, I have not killed, I have not robbed the goods of the
temples."

SATNI [_to himself_] No, I will say no useless words.

ALL. Despair not! Thy son is there!

NAZIT. Despair not! Thy son is there! When I have spoken he will say the
sacred words whose power shall bring thee even unto Osiris and thou
shalt say: "I did not filch the fillets from the mummies, I did not use
false weights, I did not snare the sacred birds. I am pure--"

ALL. I am pure! I am pure!--

KIRJIPA [_continuing_] Give to me what is my due, to me who am pure.
Give me all that heaven gives, all that the earth brings forth, all that
the Nile bears down from its mysterious springs. Despair not! Thy son is
there! Thy son will say the sacred words!

_A pause. All look at Satni._

SATNI. No, I will not say words that are lies!

_General consternation. Kirjipa comes to him and lays her
hands on his shoulders._

KIRJIPA. Speak the sacred words!

SATNI. No!

KIRJIPA. Accursed!

_She falls in a swoon. The women press round her. Satni
bursts into sobs._

CURTAIN