No armed men moving, no suspicious thing?
Guard.
Nothing, O Son of Heaven, but silent darkness,
And here and there a priest of the great sun
Praying long life and blessing on our Monarch.
Ahasuerus.
Long life, long misery!
It is within this room the horror is—
That thing, that Jew, that thing out of the grave.
No, nothing, nothing! I can see there’s nothing.
So—I will sleep. I will repeat that song
Made long ago by one who could not sleep,
To help his fellow-sufferers.
[Repeats.]
Along the beach a wave comes slowly in,
And breaks, and dies away, and dies away;
The moon is dimmed and all the ropes are taut.
Along the beach a wave comes slowly in,
And breaks and dies away, and dies away,
It is no season, sailor, to quit port.
Along—etc.
[He sleeps.] [Enter Ghost of Thares.
The Ghost comes behind Ahasuerus
and across stage. It stands still and
hinnies like a snipe.]