All, in a plaintive tone:

"Kyrie eleison!"

_The inspired one_--"But Sophia, taking pity on him, quickened him with
a portion of her spirit. Then, seeing man so beautiful, God was seized
with anger, and imprisoned him in His kingdom, interdicting him from the
tree of knowledge. Still, once more, the other one came to his aid. She
sent the serpent, who, with its sinuous advances, prevailed on him to
disobey this law of hate. And man, when he had tasted knowledge,
understood heavenly matters."

All, with energy:

"Kyrie eleison!"

_The inspired one_--"But Jaldalaoth, in order to be revenged, plunged
man into matter, and the serpent along with him!"

All, in very low tones:

"Kyrie eleison!"

They close their mouths and then become silent.

The odours of the harbour mingle in the warm air with the smoke of the
lamps. Their wicks, spluttering, are on the point of being extinguished,
and long mosquitoes flutter around them. Antony gasps with anguish. He
has the feeling that some monstrosity is floating around him--the horror
of a crime about to be perpetrated.

But the inspired one, stamping with his feet, snapping his fingers,
tossing his head, sings a psalm, with a wild refrain, to the sound of
cymbals and of a shrill flute:

"Come! come! come! come forth from thy cavern!

"Swift One, that runs without feet, captor that takes without hands!
Sinuous as the waves, round as the sun, darkened with spots of gold;
like the firmament, strewn with stars! like the twistings of the
vine-tree and the windings of entrails!

"Unbegotten! earth-devourer! ever young! perspicacious! honoured at
Epidaurus! good for men! who cured King Ptolemy, the soldiers of Moses,
and Glaucus, son of Minos!

"Come! come! come! come forth from thy cavern!"

All repeat:

"Come! come! come! come forth from thy cavern!"

However, there is no manifestation.

"Why, what is the matter with him?"

They proceed to deliberate, and to make suggestions. One old man offers
a clump of grass. Then there is a rising in the basket. The green herbs
are agitated; the flowers fall, and the head of a python appears.

He passes slowly over the edge of the loaf, like a circle turning round
a motionless disc; then he develops, lengthens; he becomes of enormous
weight. To prevent him from grazing the ground, the men support him with
their breasts, the women with their heads, and the children with the
tips of their fingers; and his tail, emerging thr