At this moment the slow jarring vibration of a great bell was heard from the topmost tower--the cannon of the fortress thundered forth, and were answered, peal after peal, from the lighted mountains--a volume of white smoke rolled heavily toward the earth and covered the people--the sea-fog trembled--parted--and slowly drifted away in patches and fragments, through which the blue sky appeared, and the hot sunshine flashed with an arrowy brightness, while the mighty ship swung round with her broadside to the shore, and lighted matches were seen moving about hither and thither, like wandering meteors, through the damp hazy atmosphere; and instantly there went up a slow half-smothered wail from the multitude, with a weight and volume like the unutterable and growing earnestness of the Great Deep, when it begins to heave with a pre-appointed and irresistible change; and all eyes were upturned, and all arms outstretched with a troubled expression toward the stranger, who walked forward a few steps to the verge of the scaffold--and looking about him, on every side, called out with a loud voice,--Of such are the Gods of the Unconverted! and of such their followers! The answering roar of the multitude reached the prisoner, who lifting his head and listening for a moment with a placid smile, asked what more they would have?--and whether they were not yet satisfied?--and then straightway began balancing another of the glittering seeds and eyeing the window-- Most pitiable! cried the other, covering his face with his hands, moving afar off, and appearing to be entirely overcome by what he saw. And why _pitiable_, I pray thee! shouted the former, with a voice like a trumpet, lifting his calm forehead to the sky and gathering his magnificent robe about him as he spoke. Art thou of a truth Adonijah the Jew--the unconverted Jew? Of a truth am I--the unconverted, the _unconvertable_ Jew; and thou! art thou not he that was my brother according to the flesh--even Zorobabel, the _converted_ Jew and the preacher of a new faith? Yea; of a new faith to such as thou; but a faith older than the Hebrew prophets to them that believe, Adonijah. But why _pitiable_ I pray thee?