Alroy | Page 8

LORD HAS AVENGED US, AND THE SPOILER IS SPOILED.'
They gathered round their mistress, and one loosened her veil, and
another brought water from the fountain, and sprinkled her reviving
countenance. And Miriam opened her eyes, and said, 'My brother!' And
he answered, 'I am here.' And she replied in a low voice, 'Fly, David,
fly; for the man you have stricken is a prince among the people.'
'He will be merciful, my sister; and, doubtless, since he first erred, by
this time he has forgotten my offence.'
'Justice and mercy! Oh, my brother, what can these foul tyrants know
of either! Already he has perhaps doomed you to some refined and
procrastinated torture, already---- Ah! what unutterable woe is mine!
fly, my brother, fly!'

'Fly, fly, fly!'
'There is no fear, my Miriam; would all his accursed race could trouble
us as little as their sometime ruler. See, he sleeps soundly. But his
carcass shall not defile our fresh fountain and our fragrant flowers. I'll
stow it in the woods, and stroll here at night to listen to the jackals at
their banquet.'
'You speak wildly, David. What! No! It is impossible! He is not dead!
You have not slain him!
He sleeps, he is afraid. He mimics death that we may leave his side, and
he may rise again in safety. Girls, look to him. David, you do not
answer. Brother, dear brother, surely he has swooned! I thought he had
fled. Bear water, maidens, to that terrible man. I dare not look upon
him.'
'Away! I'll look on him, and I'll triumph. Dead! Alschiroch dead! Why,
but a moment since, this clotted carcass was a prince, my tyrant! So we
can rid ourselves of them, eh? If the prince fall, why not the people?
Dead, absolutely dead, and I his slayer! Hah! at length I am a man. This,
this indeed is life. Let me live slaying!'
'Woe! woe, our house is fallen! The wildness of his gestures frightens
me. David, David, I pray thee cease. He hears me not; my voice,
perchance, is thin. I am very faint. Maidens, kneel to your Prince, and
soothe the madness of his passion.'
'SWEET IS THE VOICE OF A SISTER IN THE SEASON OF SORROW,
AND WISE IS THE COUNSEL OF THOSE WHO LOVE US.'
'Why, this is my Goliath! a pebble or a stick, it is the same. The Lord of
Hosts is with us. Rightly am I called David.'
'DELIVER US FROM OUR ENEMIES, O LORD! FROM THOSE WHO
RISE UP AGAINST US, AND THOSE WHO LIE IN WAIT FOR US.'
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'Were but this blow multiplied, were but the servants of my uncle's
house to do the same, why, we should see again the days of Elah! The
Philistine, the foul, lascivious, damnable Philistine! and he must touch
my sister! Oh! that all his tribe were here, all, all! I'd tie such firebrands
to their foxes' tails, the blaze should light to freedom!'
While he spoke, a maiden, who had not yet rejoined the company, came
running towards them swiftly with an agitated countenance.
'Fly,' she exclaimed, 'they come, they come!'
Miriam was reclining in an attendant's arms, feeble and faint, but the
moment her quick ear caught these words she sprang up, and seized her
brother's arm.
'Alroy! David! brother, dear brother! I beseech thee, listen, I am thy
sister, thy Miriam; they come, they come, the hard-hearted, wicked
men, they come, to kill, perhaps to torture thee, my tender brother.
Rouse thyself, David; rouse thyself from this wild, fierce dream: save
thyself, fly!'
'Ah! is it thou, Miriam? Thou seest he sleepeth soundly. I was dreaming
of noble purposes and mighty hopes. Tis over now. I am myself again.
What wouldst thou?'
'They come, the fierce retainers of this fallen man; they come to seize
thee. Fly, David!'
'And leave thee?'
'I and my maidens, we have yet time to escape by the private way we
entered, our uncle's garden. When in his house, we are for a moment
safe, as safe as our poor race can ever be. Bostenay is so rich, so wise,
so prudent, so learned in man's ways, and knows so well the character
and spirit of these men, all will go right; I fear nothing. But thou, if
thou art here, or to be found, thy blood alone will satiate them. If they
be persuaded that thou hast escaped, as I yet pray thou mayest, their
late master here, whom they could scarcely love, why, give me thy arm

an instant, sweet Beruna. So, that's well. I was saying, if well
bribed,--and they may have all my jewels,--why, very soon, he will be
as little in their memories as he is now in life. I can scarcely speak; I
feel my