st; and he will never tell.

[_Gongs and cymbals sound. Enter REZON with priests, and the King with
courtiers. They take their seats. A throng of Khali and Kharimati
come in, TSARPI presiding; a sacred dance is performed with torches,
burning incense, and chanting, in which TSARPI leads._]

CHANT.

_Hail, mighty Rimmon, ruler of the whirl-storm,
Hail, shaker of mountains, breaker-down of forests,
Hail, thou who roarest terribly in the darkness,
Hail, thou whose arrows flame across the heavens!
Hail, great destroyer, lord of flood and tempest,
In thine anger almighty, in thy wrath eternal,
Thou who delightest in ruin, maker of desolations,
Immeru, Addu, Barku, Rimmon!
See we tremble before thee, low we bow at thine altar,
Have mercy upon us, be favourable unto us,
Save us from our enemy, accept our sacrifice,
Barku, Immeru, Addu, Rimmon!_

[_Silence follows, all bowing down._]

REZON:
O King, last night the counsel from above
Was given in answer to our divination.
Ambassadors must go forthwith to crave
Assyria's pardon, and a second offer
Of the same terms of peace we did reject
Not long ago.

BENHADAD:
Dishonour! Yet I see
No other way! Assyria will refuse,
Or make still harder terms. Disaster, shame
For this gray head, and ruin for Damascus!

REZON:
Yet may we trust Rimmon will favour us,
If we adhere devoutly to his worship.
He will incline his brother-god, the Bull,
To spare us, if we supplicate him now
With costly gifts. Therefore I have prepared
A sacrifice: Rimmon shall be well pleased
With the red blood that bathes his knees to-night!

BENHADAD:
My mind is dark with doubt,--I do forebode
Some horror! Let me go,--I am an old man,--
If Naaman my captain were alive!
But he is dead,--the glory is departed!

[_He rises, trembling, to leave the throne. Trumpet sounds,--NAAMAN'S
call;--enter NAAMAN, followed by soldiers; he kneels at the foot of the
throne._]

BENHADAD: [_Half-whispering._]
Art thou a ghost escaped from Allatu?
How didst thou pass the seven doors of death?
O noble ghost I am afraid of thee,
And yet I love thee,--let me hear thy voice!

NAAMAN:
No ghost, my King, but one who lives to serve
Thee and Damascus with his heart and sword
As in the former days. The only God
Has healed my leprosy: my life is clean
To offer to my country and my King.

BENHADAD: [_Starting toward h