INGUR (indicating Haggith).  Mightiness, a woman of the Hebrews escaped from Bethulia to find water!  And by my subtlety I have captured her.

BAGOAS.  A woman of the Hebrews! (Surveying Haggith.) Rise, scum, and let me behold thy deformity. (Haggith obeys.)

INGUR.  And there is another yet to appear,—­her mistress, seven times fairer.

BAGOAS.  Her mistress may be seven times fairer than this eyesore, and yet ugly. (To Haggith.) Who is thy mistress?

HAGGITH.  The lady Judith.

BAGOAS.  Judith!  A name fit only for a cat!  Why is she here?  How is she here?  What is her secret and detestable purpose?  For there is a trick in this thing.

HAGGITH.  I know not my mistress’s purpose.

BAGOAS.  Tell me thy mistress’s purpose, or I will have thee smothered.

HAGGITH.  I know only that if Holofernes——­

BAGOAS (stopping her angrily).  Callest thou the illustrious one by his name?  The most high Prince Holofernes, foul wench.

HAGGITH.  The most high Prince Holofernes—­if he so wills my mistress would speak with his highness.

BAGOAS (laughing heartily).  Speak with the Prince? Speak with the Prince?  Ha-ha! (All the men laugh.) What is the state of thy mistress?

HAGGITH.  The lady Judith is a widow.

BAGOAS (still more amused).  Aha!  A widow!  And the Hebrew hag would speak with Prince Holofernes! (The men laugh and jeer.)

Enter Judith, R.

(Haggith goes quickly to her.  All the men stare at Judith, deeply impressed.)

HAGGITH (aside to Judith).  There are many hussies in the camps, thousands and thousands, mistress.  This lord is the chief eunuch.

BAGOAS (aside to an attendant).  If this be an example of the Bethulian women, I shall have a momentous business upon me when their city falls.

FIRST ATTENDANT.  Yea, mightiness.

(Judith, signing to Haggith to stand aside, bows to the ground before Bagoas; then rises again.)

BAGOAS (after a short pause).  You are very beautiful.

JUDITH.  There are beautiful women in Judea, but no man of Judea would look twice at such as I, a shrunken widow, like dried fish.

(Exit Ingur, excitedly, L.)

BAGOAS.  I have heard how you have escaped out of Bethulia and come hither in order to find water. (Blandly.) Aught else?

JUDITH.  My desire also was to have speech privately with the great conqueror, Holofernes.

BAGOAS.  Ah!  We are well met, you and I. For I am Bagoas, chief eunuch to the illustrious Prince. (Aside to second attendant.) Run.  Fetch the box of veils. (Exit second attendant, L.)

JUDITH (saluting once more).  I supplicate then, mighty Bagoas, that you lead me quickly to the illustrious Prince Holofernes.