Sarah seized his hands and cried with flaming eyes,
"Hast Thou to do with outcasts such as these? Tell me let me know my wretchedness; send me then to my father, send me to our valley in the desert. Oh, that I had never seen thee in it!"
"Well, well, calm thyself," said the prince, toying with her hair. "I must of course see dancers, if not at feasts, at royal festivals, or during services in temples. But all of them together do not concern me as much as Thou alone; moreover, who among them could equal thee? Thy body is like a statue of Isis, cut out of ivory, and each of those dancers has some defect. Some are too thick; others have thin legs or ugly hands; still others have false hair. Who of them is like thee? If Thou wert an Egyptian, all our temples would strive to possess thee as the leader of their chorus. What do I say? Wert Thou to appear now in Memphis in transparent robes, the priests would be glad if Thou wouldst take part in processions."
"It is not permitted us daughters of Judah to wear immodest garments."
"Nor to dance or sing? Why didst Thou learn, then?"
"Our women dance, and our virgins sing by themselves for the glory of the Lord, but not for the purpose of sowing fiery seeds of desire in men's hearts. But we sing. Wait, my lord, I will sing to thee."
She rose from the bench and went toward the house. Soon she returned followed by a young girl with black, frightened eyes, who was bearing a harp.
"Who is this maiden?" asked the prince. "But wait I have seen that look somewhere. Ah! when I was here the last time a frightened girl looked from the bushes at me.'"
"This is Esther, my relative and servant," answered Sarah. "She has lived with me a mouth now, but she fears thee, lord, so she runs away always. Perhaps she looked at thee sometime from out the bushes."
"Thou mayst go, my child," said the prince to the maiden, who seemed petrified, and when she had hidden behind the bushes, he asked,