st their God.

HOLOFERNES. Not even _my_ sword?

JUDITH. Not even the sword of my lord and governor, except they sin
against their God. (_With significance_.) But they will sin.

HOLOFERNES. Ah! They will sin? In what will they sin?

JUDITH. Death is fallen upon them, and they will provoke their God to
anger, for their water is scant, and they faint in their thirst; and
they will drink the holy wine which was sanctified and reserved for the
priests who serve before the face of our God: which thing is not lawful
for any of the people so much as to touch with their hands.

HOLOFERNES. What has all this to do with me? There is no god but
Nebuchadnezzar.

JUDITH. It touches my lord and governor, because, knowing all this, I am
fled from Bethulia, which shall be accurst; and the God of Israel has
sent me to work things with my lord and governor whereat the whole earth
shall be astonished.

HOLOFERNES (_looking at her, interested_). What things? And what have I
to do with thy god? I need not thy god, for after the Israelites have
drunk their wine they will thirst again; and when the city is broken
with fainting, it will fall safe into my hands while I sit and watch.

JUDITH (_with fire_). And when the city has fallen while the Assyrians
sit and watch, and when all men whisper one to another that the greatest
captain of the earth conquered by a device because he dared not attack
boldly with spear, and bow, and sling--in that day will my lord and
governor be content? Or will he be ashamed, and blush to lift up his
eyes?

HOLOFERNES (_disturbed_). It is a true word.

BAGOAS. It is a true word.

HOLOFERNES (_savagely_). This day will I attack the city and take it,
and though I make fifty thousand widows and orphans in Assyria I will
compass Bethulia, and not one house in it shall be left standing, nor
one Israelite alive.

JUDITH (_shaking her head slowly_). Why is my lord against the pleasure
of the Most High? Do I not say, and has it not been revealed to me, that
Bethulia shall not perish until its inhabitants have sinned before God?
Listen, illustrious Prince, I will remain this night. And when the time
comes I will go into the valley, and I will pray to God, and mayhap He
will tell me when the Israelites in Bethulia have committed their sin.
And I will come and show it to you, and thereupon my lord and governor
shall go forth with all his army, and none shall resist him.

HOLOFERNES (_fascinated_). Thou wilt c