Voices
Accursed of God, away.—Forth from among us.—Poison us no longer with thy presence.—Away liar, away!
Jeremiah
[When they thrust him from them, cries plaintively] Driven out like a leper! [He falls prone]
[There is a peremptory knocking, at the door]
Voices
The heralds!—The Chaldeans!—They knock like masters.—It is not one of our own people. [The knocking becomes more imperative] What impatience!—We must not anger him.—Do not unbar the door, for they are all robbers, the Chaldeans.—We must open to him, or he will grow angry.
The Elder
I will open the door. In the midst of life we are in death.
[He cautiously begins to open the great door, but as soon as the bar is down one of the leaves is violently pushed open and Baruch rushes in. The Elder rebars the door]