Rudely thus parted from his sister, Saul Straightway sought certain of his synagogue-- The synagogue of the Cilicians--men Less alien from himself than Shimei was In spirit, while compatriot too by birth As was not Shimei, an Asian he-- And these made privy to his changed resolve. They, glad of such adhesion, opened free Their counsel to him, telling, with grimace Added, and shrug of shoulder, to attest Their scorn of Shimei, Shimei's scheme, which they Sourly, as from compulsion, now took up. Saul, swallowing a great throe of innermost Revolt that well-nigh mastered him, subscribed Himself, by silence, partner of their deed. Rachel, spurned from him by her brother, sat Moveless a while, the image of dismay, Her two ears caves of roaring sound, her mind A whirling void of sheer astonishment. When presently the storm a little calmed Within her, and she knew herself once more, She cleared her thought by settling it in words-- Words which through fluent mood and mood changed swift From passionate soliloquy to prayer, And from prayer back to soft soliloquy: "My brother shall not excommunicate His sister! While I love him he is mine, And I shall _not_ be 'separate' from him 'Forever'--let him hate me as he will, Who hates himself, and otherwise amiss Hates liberally. Why did I let him go? I should have held him, should have told him I Am of one blood with him, as high as he In spirit; though a 'woman,' not to be Put down; he gave me right, with speech like that, To equal him in stinging word for word. I could have done it. Woman am I? Yea, And Deborah was a woman, Miriam too. I feel my blood a-tingle in my veins With lust to have him back, and make him know The lion with the lamb lies down in me Together; and I showed him but the lamb! The lion rouses late, occasion gone! Did he cow me? So tamely I endured His contumely! Anger none till now, Nor shame not to be angry at such speech From him; but now--anger with burning shame Turns inward and incenses me like fire. I scorn myself for that, reed-like, my head I bowed before the tempest of his scorn, When blast for blast I should have blown him back His tempest."