“I know it all, dear father. But God will give me strength. The sin and the shame of this deed rests not on us. No! thy long life of integrity and steadfastness to the faith of our fathers shall not be shamed by me. Thou couldst not desire it, my father!”
“Oh, Myrrah, for my sake, then!” cried Othniel, for the first time speaking, as he approached hurriedly and threw himself at her feet. “Retract that determination while the pasha will permit thee. Wilt thou leave me to die of grief; or more awful fate, to live alone without thee in this dark world? Take back thy word. I entreat thee, believe in their prophet, and live!”
There were no tearless eyes in that people gathered in the pasha’s presence; in breathless interest turned they all to the young girl, hoping to see her stern determination giving way to these appeals. Myrrah turned her gaze from him, the passionate appealing of Othniel’s dark eyes was more than she could bear, but her will bore her up gloriously, though the voice, which shook as the aspen, told how poor human nature suffered in that conflict between the pleadings of love and the stern sense of duty.
“Othniel, it is between my God and thee I am called to determine. Thou canst not secure to me life and thyself even one day, but He can give me, when one short pang is passed, an eternity of bliss; and thou mayest share it, my father! Othniel, would ye have me choose for time—for earth?”
There came no answer to the noble girl’s appeal. None dared to offer one persuading word when this solemn reply of the Jewess was made.
“Hast thou chosen, maiden?” said the pasha at length, in a voice that was scarcely audible.
“I have,” was the reply; “thy people are not my people, I dare not confess thy God, and in so doing forsake and deny mine own.”
When this answer was given, the pasha, by a violent exertion mastered his emotion, and arose, saying,
“Let the prisoner be conveyed to the dungeon; on the morrow, at sunset, she must pay the death-penalty. Her own words have sealed her fate. Thus perish the enemies and mockers of our holy religion; thus shall the heathen learn that there is no God but God, and that Mahomet is his prophet!”
These words were pronounced in a loud, stern voice; but the heart of the man of power failed within him, as he looked on the beautiful victim of the rigid laws of his country; and therefore it was that he caused to be made known to the father and the betrothed that the prison door would be open to them (contrary to the usual custom) all the following day.