lay along
the grass; his wife bends forward to kiss him."

Through the deepening shadows of the night pointed snouts reveal
themselves here and there with ears erect and glittering eyes. Antony
advances towards them. Scattering the wind in their wild rush, the
animals take flight. It was a troop of jackals.

One of them remains behind, and, resting on two paws, with his body bent
and his head on one side, he places himself in an attitude of defiance.

"How pretty he looks! I should like to pass my hand softly over his
back."

Antony whistles to make him come near. The jackal disappears.

"Ah! he is gone to join his fellows. Oh! this solitude! this weariness!"

Laughing bitterly:

"This is such a delightful life--to twist palm branches in the fire to
make shepherds' crooks, to turn out baskets and fasten mats together,
and then to exchange all this handiwork with the Nomads for bread that
breaks your teeth! Ah! wretched me! will there never be an end of this?
But, indeed, death would be better! I can bear it no longer! Enough!
Enough!"

He stamps his foot, and makes his way through the rocks with rapid step,
then stops, out of breath, bursts into sobs, and flings himself upon the
ground.

The night is calm; millions of stars are trembling in the sky. No sound
is heard save the chattering of the tarantula.

The two arms of the cross cast a shadow on the sand. Antony, who is
weeping, perceives it.

"Am I so weak, my God? Courage! Let us arise!"

He enters his cell, finds there the embers of a fire, lights a torch,
and places it on the wooden stand, so as to illumine the big book.

"Suppose I take--the 'Acts of the Apostles'--yes, no matter where!

"'_He saw the sky opened with a great linen sheet which was let down by
its four corners, wherein were all kinds of terrestrial animals and wild
beasts, reptiles and birds. And a voice said to him: Arise, Peter! Kill
and eat!_'

"So, then, the Lord wished that His apostle should eat every kind of
food? ... whilst I ..."

Antony lets his chin sink on his breast. The rustling of the pages,
which the wind scatters, causes him to lift his head, and he reads:

"'_The Jews slew all their enemies with swords, and made a great carnage
of them, so that they disposed at will of those whom they hated._'

"There follows the enumeration of the people slain by them--seventy-five
thousand. They had endured so much! Besides, their enemies were the
enemies of the true God.