! Henceforward he is dead:
No human hand shall touch him, and no home
Of men shall give him shelter. He shall walk
Only with corpses of the selfsame death
Down the long path to a forgotten tomb.
Avoid, depart, I do adjure you all,
Leave him to god,--the leper Naaman!

[_All shrink back horrified. REZON retires into the temple; the crowd
melts away, wailing: TSARPI is among the first to go, followed by her
attendants, except RUAHMAH, who crouches, with her face covered, not
far from NAAMAN._]

BENHADAD: [_Lingering and turning back._]
Alas, my son! O Naaman, my son!
Why did I let thee go? Thou art cast out
Irrevocably from the city's life
Which thou hast saved. Who can resist the gods?
I must obey the law, and touch thy hand
Never again. Yet none shall take from thee
Thy glorious title, captain of my host!
I will provide for thee, and thou shalt dwell
With guards of honour in a house of mine
Always. Damascus never shall forget
What thou hast done! O miserable words
Of crowned impotence! O mockery of power
Given to kings, who cannot even defend
Their dearest from the secret wrath of heaven!
Naaman, my son, my son! [_Exit._]

NAAMAN: [_Slowly, passing his hand over his eyes, and looking up._]
Am I alone
With thee, inexorable one, whose pride
Offended takes this horrible revenge?
I must submit my mortal flesh to thee,
Almighty, but I will not call thee god!
Yet thou hast found the way to wound my soul
Most deeply through the flesh; and I must find
The way to let my wounded soul escape!

[_Drawing his sword._]

Come, my last friend, thou art more merciful
Than Rimmon. Why should I endure the doom
He sends me? Irretrievably cut off
From all dear intercourse of human love,
From all the tender touch of human hands,
From all brave comradeship with brother-men,
With eyes that see no faces through this dark,
With ears that hear all voices far away,
Why should I cling to misery, and grope
My long, long way from pain to pain, alone?

RUAHMAH: [_At his feet._]
Nay, not alone, dear lord, for I am here;
And I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee!

NAAMAN:
What voice is that? The silence of my tomb
Is broken by a ray of music,--whose?

RUAHMAH: [_Rising._]
The one who loves thee best in all the world.

NAAMAN:
Why that should be,--O dare I dream it true?
Tsarpi, my wife? Have I misjudged thy