"Oh, nay, sir," Shimei said, "no suicide Was our Gamaliel; far the heinous thought! A good old man, whom all the people loved, Paul even, yea, Paul--I thought--till now--but now-- But I will not believe so base of him, Even him; he did not mean it, did not mean Worse than to make Gamaliel deeply sleep. Paul's drug belike was stronger than he thought, Or weaker waxed Gamaliel with his age. Paul would himself repent it, now, too late-- Particularly since of no avail, Thy wise forestalling plan defeating his, And fruit none from it ripening to his hand!" "This is too foully base!" said Lysias, And Shimei's heart misgave him with a fear. 'Too foully base insinuation mine, Does Lysias mean?' he closely asked himself; But calmly, with deep candor, said aloud: "Yea, even for Paul, beyond belief too base! Paul never meant it, I shall still insist. He meant at most such sleep as should prevail Over Gamaliel's scruple to take part Willingly in his surreptitious flight. And such a master of his arts is Paul, I shrewdly doubt if here his mark he missed. Were Paul but now at hand to try his skill, I should not wonder yet to see this swoon Yield to some potent drug of counter force, And good Gamaliel wake to life again. Once, as they say--in Troas, I believe-- Where he all night was lengthening out harangue, After his manner, in an upper room, A youngster, tired to death of hearing him, And sensible enough to go to sleep, Not sensible enough to seat him safe, Fell headlong out of window, whence he sat, A good three stories' fall--which finished him. Stay, not so fast--thou reckonest without Paul! Yea, Paul performed some sort of magic rite Over the body of the luckless lad, Which, presto, brought him round as brisk as ever! A mighty master in his kind, that Paul!" "Perish thy Paul with his accurséd craft!" Burst out the chiliarch in indignant heat. "Would I but had him back here safe in thrall!-- I should have let them rend him limb from limb!" A sudden hope beyond the bounds of hope Flourished up rank, gourd-like, in Shimei's breast. Were it but possible to have Paul back, To take that walk yet to the judgment-hall! The forty faithful should not fail their task! "Might I propose if it be yet too late?" With timid daring, Shimei inquired. "A fleet-foot horse should overtake the troop, If so thou choose, and turn them hither back. And thou couldst cause that Paul exert his power To lift this corpse into a living man-- Which were a famous spectacle to see! Besides that then thou mightst assure thyself, Through counsel of our Sanhedrim, what crimes Worthy of death are proved upon this Paul."