SOKITI. I was not wrong-- NOURM. Yes! wait! I understand--If you steal, another may steal from you. Likewise if you kill-- SATNI. Right. And why is it necessary to be good? NOURM. Wait [_To Sokiti_] If you do good to one whom you know not, another who knows you not, may do good to you. STEWARD. Ah!--Do you understand, Sokiti? SOKITI. I think so. SATNI. Explain. SOKITI [_after a great effort_] You do not want us to steal bracelets from you-- SATNI. I do not want you to steal from any one--Do you understand? SOKITI. No. STEWARD [_to Bitiou, who listens open-mouthed_] And you? BITIOU. I--I have a pain in my head-- _Satni comes to the Steward. Bitiou and Sokiti slip off._ STEWARD. Look at them-- SATNI. The tree that was bent from its birth, not in one day can you make it straight? STEWARD. We must leave it what it is, or tear it down? SATNI. No, we must seek patiently to straighten it. [_With feeling_] And above all we must keep straight those that are young. _Cries are heard outside._ STEWARD. What cries are those? SATNI. Women in distress. _Yaouma enters, leading Mieris. Both are agitated._ YAOUMA. Come, mistress--come--We are at the house of the potter, the father of Satni--Satni help--quick! quick! Run! your father, Satni! SATNI. Mieris, Yaouma, how come you here? YAOUMA. They will tell you--go! MIERIS. Fly to the rescue, he is wounded!--I have sent to the palace for those who drive out the evil spirits. YAOUMA. We were set upon by some men. MIERIS. He defended us--But they will kill him--go! _Satni and the Steward seize some arms left by Nourm and run out._ MIERIS. Yaouma! He is wounded! Wounded in saving us-- YAOUMA. Alas! MIERIS [_listening_] Who is there? NOURM. I, mistress. MIERIS. Nourm! Run to the palace, bid them send hither those who drive forth the evil spirits-- YAOUMA. Alas! mistress, I do fear--already he has fallen--struck to earth. MIERIS. They will save him, they will bear him hither-- YAOUMA. Will they bear him hither alive? MIERIS [_to Nourm_] Run!--You hear!--Run to the palace, bid those who assist at the last hour be ready to come. If he have died defending us, the same honors shall be paid him as though ourselves were dead! Go! [_Nourm goes out. A pause_] Now, Yaouma, lead me out upon the road to the Nile. YAOUMA. Mistress, you seek to die? Many then must be your sorrows! MIERIS. Alas! Alas! Why did you discover my flight? Why did you seek me, find me, and bring me back-- YAOUMA. Had I not guessed your purpose? MIERIS. What have I left to live for? YAOUMA. You have lived all these years in spite of your affliction, what is there that is changed? MIERIS. What is there that is changed! You ask me what is changed! Until now I lived in the hope of a miracle. YAOUMA. Perhaps it would never have come. MIERIS. Even at my last hour I should have still looked for it. YAOUMA. Then you would have died believing in a lie--if what they say be true.