The House of Rimmon eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 63 pages of information about The House of Rimmon.

The House of Rimmon eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 63 pages of information about The House of Rimmon.

WOUNDED SOLDIER: 
  This signet of my lord, her amulet! 
  Lost, lost!  Ah, noble lady,—­let me die
  With this upon my breast.

[The tent is dark.  Enter NAAMAN and his company in haste, with torches.]

NAAMAN: 
        What bloody work
  Is here?  God, let me live to punish him
  Who wrought this horror!  Treacherously slain
  At night, by unknown hands, my brave companions: 
  Tsarpi, my best beloved, light of my soul,
  Put out in darkness!  O my broken lamp
  Of life, where art thou?  Nay, I cannot find her.

WOUNDED SOLDIER:  [Raising himself on his arm.]
  Master!

NAAMAN:  [Kneels beside him.]
        One living?  Quick, a torch this way! 
  Lift up his head,—­so,—­carefully! 
  Courage, my friend, your captain is beside you. 
  Call back your soul and make report to him.

WOUNDED SOLDIER: 
  Hail, captain!  O my captain,—­here!

NAAMAN: 
  Be patient,—­rest in peace,—­the fight is done. 
  Nothing remains but render your account.

WOUNDED SOLDIER: 
  They fell upon us suddenly,—­we fought
  Our fiercest,—­every man,—­our lady fought
  Fiercer than all.  They beat us down,—­she’s gone. 
  Rezon has carried her away a captive.  See,—­
  Her amulet,—­I die for you, my captain.

NAAMAN:  [He gently lays the dead soldier on the ground, and rises.]
  Farewell.  This last report was brave; but strange
  Beyond my thought!  How came the High Priest here? 
  And what is this? my chain, my seal!  But this
  Has never been in Tsarpi’s hand.  I gave
  This signet to a captive maid one night,—­
  A maid of Israel.  How long ago? 
  Ruahmah was her name,—­almost forgotten! 
  So long ago,—­how comes this token here? 
  What is this mystery, Saballidin?

SABALLIDIN: 
  Ruahmah is her name who brought you hither.

NAAMAN: 
  Where then is Tsarpi?

SABALLIDIN: 
        In Damascus. 
  She left you when the curse of Rimmon fell,—­
  Took refuge in his House,—­and there she waits
  Her lord’s return,—­Rezon’s return.

NAAMAN: 
        ’Tis false!

SABALLIDIN: 
  The falsehood is in her.  She hath been friend
  With Rezon in his priestly plot to win
  Assyria’s favour,—­friend to his design
  To sell his country to enrich his temple,—­
  And friend to him in more,—­I will not name it.

NAAMAN: 
  Nor will I credit it.  Impossible!

SABALLIDIN: 
  Did she not plead with you against the war,
  Counsel surrender, seek to break your will?

NAAMAN: 
  She did not love my work, a soldier’s task. 
  She never seemed to be at one with me
  Until I was a leper.

SABALLIDIN: 
        From whose hand
  Did you receive the sacred cup?

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
The House of Rimmon from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.