HOLOFERNES (looking about the tent, alarmed). Where is she? Has she fled? If she has escaped me, this shall be thy last day, Bagoas. What is this girl here?
BAGOAS. Prince, has any woman yet slipped through these hands? This girl is the waiting wench of the lady Judith. (To Haggith.) Where is thy mistress, wench?
HAGGITH (frightened and foolish). My mistress having eaten ... having eaten naught, is gone to—to—to—pray.
BAGOAS. Bring her. Her god may wait, but not the illustrious Prince. Run with both thy legs.
HAGGITH. Ye—es, mightiness. (Exit, back)
HOLOFERNES. Bagoas, with thine arts thou shalt persuade the Hebrew woman to come to us and to eat and drink with us this night.
BAGOAS (grimly). Persuasion shall be used, highness. My arts are many and various.
HOLOFERNES. It will be a shame for our person if we let such a woman go, not having delighted in her company. If we do not draw her to us she will laugh us to scorn.
BAGOAS. Yea, highness. But my lord has but this moment appointed a great feast with his captains at sunset. How then shall he eat and drink with the lady Judith?
HOLOFERNES. Thick-skull! Speak not to me of my captains! The Council of the Captains was as dust in my mouth, and I could not away with it. Therefore I sharply dismissed the Council, and soothed their damnable pride with the promise of a mighty feast. But what care I for the captains? My heart thirsts horribly for this Hebrew woman, and I am full of a great madness.