N:
Tsarpi!

TSARPI: [Bowing low before him.]
The mistress of the house of Naaman
Salutes the master of the House of Rimmon.

REZON:
Rimmon receives you with his star of peace,
For you were once a handmaid of his altar.

[He lowers the star-point of the rod, which glows
for a moment with rosy light above her head.]

And now the keeper of his temple asks
The welcome of the woman for the man.

TSARPI: [Giving him her hand, but holding off his embrace.]
No more,--till I have heard what brings you here
By night, within the garden of the one
Who scorns you most and fears you least in all
Damascus.

REZON:
Trust me, I repay his scorn
With double hatred,--Naaman, the man
Who stands against the nobles and the priests,
This powerful fool, this impious devotee
Of liberty, who loves the people more
Than he reveres the city's ancient god:
This frigid husband who sets you below
His dream of duty to a horde of slaves:
This man I hate, and I will humble him.

TSARPI:
I think I hate him too. He stands apart
From me, ev'n while he holds me in his arms,
By something that I cannot understand.
He swears he loves his wife next to his honour!
Next? That's too low! I will be first or nothing.

REZON:
With me you are the first, the absolute!
When you and I have triumphed you shall reign;
And you and I will bring this hero down.

TSARPI:
But how? For he is strong.

REZON:
By this, the hand
Of Tsarpi; and by this, the rod of Rimmon.

TSARPI:
Your plan?

REZON:
You know the host of Nineveh
Is marching now against us. Envoys come
To bid us yield before a hopeless war.
Our king is weak: the nobles, being rich,
Would purchase peace to make them richer still:
Only the people and the soldiers, led
By Naaman, would fight for liberty.
Blind fools! To-day the envoys came to me,
And talked with me in secret. Promises,
Great promises! For every noble house
That urges peace, a noble recompense:
The King, submissive, kept in royal state
And splendour: most of all, honour and wealth
Shall crown the House of Rimmon, and his priest,--
Yea, and his priestess! For we two will rise
Upon the city's fall. The common folk
Shall suffer; Naaman shall sink with them