“Why, then,” exclaimed Hamilcar, “did you recall them to Carthage, notwithstanding your laws?  And when they are in your town, poor and numerous amid all your riches, it does not occur to you to weaken them by the slightest division!  Afterwards you dismiss the whole of them with their women and children, without keeping a single hostage!  Did you expect that they would murder themselves to spare you the pain of keeping your oaths?  You hate them because they are strong!  You hate me still more, who am their master!  Oh!  I felt it just now when you were kissing my hands and were all putting a constraint upon yourselves not to bite them!”

If the lions that were sleeping in the court had come howling in, the uproar could not have been more frightful.  But the pontiff of Eschmoun rose, and, standing perfectly upright, with his knees close together, his elbows pressed to his body, and his hands half open, he said: 

“Barca, Carthage has need that you should take the general command of the Punic forces against the Mercenaries!”

“I refuse,” replied Hamilcar.

“We will give you full authority,” cried the chiefs of the Syssitia.

“No!”

“With no control, no partition, all the money that you want, all the captives, all the booty, fifty zereths of land for every enemy’s corpse.”

“No! no! because it is impossible to conquer with you!”

“He is afraid!”

“Because you are cowardly, greedy, ungrateful, pusillanimous and mad!”

“He is careful of them!”

“In order to put himself at their head,” said some one.

“And return against us,” said another; and from the bottom of the hall Hanno howled: 

“He wants to make himself king!”

Then they bounded up, overturning the seats and the torches:  the crowd of them rushed towards the altar; they brandished daggers.  But Hamilcar dived into his sleeves and drew from them two broad cutlasses; and half stooping, his left foot advanced, his eyes flaming and his teeth clenched, he defied them as he stood there beneath the golden candelabrum.

Thus they had brought weapons with them as a precaution; it was a crime; they looked with terror at one another.  As all were guilty, every one became quickly reassured; and by degrees they turned their backs on the Suffet and came down again maddened with humiliation.  For the second time they recoiled before him.  They remained standing for some time.  Several who had wounded their fingers put them to their mouths or rolled them gently in the hem of their mantles, and they were about to depart when Hamilcar heard these words: 

“Why! it is a piece of delicacy to avoid distressing his daughter!”

A louder voice was raised: 

“No doubt, since she takes her lovers from among the Mercenaries!”

At first he tottered, then his eye rapidly sought for Schahabarim.  But the priest of Tanith had alone remained in his place; and Hamilcar could see only his lofty cap in the distance.  All were sneering in his face.  In proportion as his anguish increased their joy redoubled, and those who were behind shouted amid the hootings: