Here the poor creature’s story became confused and broken, and her listeners could only guess what had followed. The tale of what followed must be told for her. “‘Ah!’ said one of the soldiers, ‘Glaucus has it. He will never move again, I reckon. A good fellow, but overstrict.’ ‘But how about the Jewish girl whom he calls his wife?’ said the other; ‘I shall take her.’ ‘Nay, nay; let there be fair play between us, comrade, as there has always been. Why you more than I?’ ‘Because I was the first to speak.’ ‘Not so; ’twas I that first spoke of her.’ ‘Well, we won’t quarrel, comrade. No woman is good enough to separate old friends. Let us cast the dice for her, and the man that wins shall stand treat for a flagon of wine.’ And then Eglah heard them cast the dice, and count the numbers—they would have twenty throws a-piece, they said—and curse and swear when they threw low. And when they had finished their dice-throwing they came in to see how Glaucus fared; and just as they entered the chamber, he drew a long breath and died. One of them put his hand upon his heart and said, ‘’Tis all over with him; he will never toss a flagon or kiss a pretty girl again.’ And then he laid his hand upon Eglah’s shoulder, and said, ‘Cheer up; we will find another husband for thee as good as he.’ But the first said, ‘Nay, Timon, leave her alone. The women are not like us. You must give them a few hours to cry.’ ‘Well, well,’ said his comrade, ‘you were always soft-hearted. Let us come and have our flagon; there is no reason why we should wait for that.’” The comrades went on their errand and left the widow alone with her dead husband. She kissed him, and cut off a little curl of his hair, and then went forth on the wall—for the chamber in which he lay was in one of the wall-towers—and threw herself down to the ground. It was better, she thought, to die than to sin again. “Daughter,” said Joel, “you should thank the Lord that, without your own doing, the tie that bound you to this heathen man is broken.” “O sir,” broke out the poor woman, “do not say so. I cannot find it in my heart to thank Him, though I do try to say in my heart, ‘Thy will be done.’” “Brother,” said the old Shemaiah, “you are too hard upon her. ’Tis right that a wife should mourn for her husband, be he Jew or Greek. Before the Lord, I had thought ill of her had she been of the temper that you would have her.”