RHEOU. You will never triumph without doing so. Profit by events. Do not deny the power they believe to be yours. Men will not follow you, if you speak only to their reason. You are above the crowd by your learning; that gives you rights. You would lead them to the summits; to get there, one must blindfold those who suffer from dizziness. SATNI. I refuse. RHEOU. One would think you were afraid of victory! SATNI. Rheou, 'tis not the victory of my ideas you seek, 'tis your own vengeance, your own ambition. RHEOU. They wish to rush the people of Egypt into an unjust and useless war. They hesitate; they feel the people lacking zest, that is why they have delayed the going of the army till the feast of Prodigies. To-morrow they will make the goddess speak, and all those poor creatures will be led away. You can save thousands of lives by sacrificing a few. SATNI. I refuse. The truth will prevail without help from cruelty or falsehood. RHEOU. Never. The crowd is not a woman to be won by loud wooing, but one who must be taken by force, whom you must dominate before you can persuade. SATNI. Say no more, Rheou, I refuse. RHEOU. Blind! Fool! Coward! _Mieris enters, led by Yaouma. A moment later some men--Bitiou, Sokiti, Nourm._ MIERIS. Rheou!--where are you? where are you? [_Yaouma leads her toward him_] It is true, this that I hear?--Exile--Misery? RHEOU. It is true. MIERIS. Courage--As for me, a palace or a cottage--I know not the one from the other. RHEOU. [_to Satni_] Satni, can you still refuse? SATNI. You torture me! No, I will not be credited with power that is not mine; to stir men up against their fellows--I would not kill, I tell you. MIERIS. I understand you, Satni--it is wrong to kill!--But look once more upon me--I am poor now, I am going away, will you not consent to heal me? SATNI [_anguished_] Mieris--Could I have healed you, would it not be done already? MIERIS. You can do it! I know you can do it! Work a miracle. YAOUMA. A miracle! Show that your god is more powerful than our gods. A MAN [_who has just entered_] Heal us! SATNI. I am not able. ANOTHER. Work a miracle. SATNI. There are no miracles! A MAN. Then your gods are less mighty than ours. SATNI. Yours do not exist. THE PEOPLE [_terrified at the blasphemy_] Oh! A MAN. Why do you lead us away from our gods, if you have no others to give us? ANOTHER. You shall not insult our gods! ANOTHER. We will hand you over to the priests lest the gods smite us for hearing you! ANOTHER. Ammon will chastise us! SATNI. No. A MAN. Isis will abandon us! SATNI. It will not make you more wretched. ANOTHER. Then show us you are stronger than our gods. MIERIS. A miracle! RHEOU. He is stronger than our gods! } [_Together_] YAOUMA. A miracle or I die! }