When Mor-de-ca-i heard of the law that Ha-man had made, he rent his clothes and put on sack-cloth, and went out and cried with a loud cry. And he came and stood in front of the king's gate, though he could not pass through, for it was the law that none should pass who wore sack-cloth. And all through the land the Jews were in deep grief, so full of tears that they could eat no food; and not a few of them put on sack-cloth to show the depth of their woe. Queen Es-ther had not heard of the law, but her maids came and told her of the state Mor-de-ca-i was in. And her grief was great, and she sent food and clothes to him, and bade the men take the sack-cloth from him. But Mor-de-ca-i would take nought from their hands, nor change his clothes. Then the queen sent one of her head men, Ha-tach, to ask Mor-de-ca-i what was the cause of his grief, and why he had put on sack-cloth. And Mor-de-ca-i told Ha-tach of the law that had been made, and what a large sum Ha-man had said he would give to the king if he would kill off all the Jews in the land. And he told Ha-tach to tell the queen, and to show her what the scribes wrote, and bid her see the king and ask him to save the Jews. And Ha-tach took the word to the queen. Es-ther bade him tell her kins-man that it was well known that those who went in to the king when they had not been sent for, would be put to death. But if the king held out his gold wand it was a sign that he would spare their lives. The king has not sent for me for a month, said she. How then can I go to him? Mor-de-ca-i sent back word to the queen to think not that the king would spare her life if the Jews were put to death. And it might be that God had put her in the place she held that she might keep the Jews at this time. Then Es-ther sent word to him that he and all the Jews in the king's court should fast and pray for her, and not eat or drink for three days and three nights. I and my maids will do the same, said the queen, and I will go in to the king in spite of the law; and if I die, I die in a good cause. So on the third day af-ter the queen put on her rich robes, and went in and stood ve-ry near to the throne on which the king sat. [Illustration: ES-THER AT SHUS-HAN.] And when the king saw her, God put it in-to his heart to be kind, and he held out to her the gold wand that was in his hand. And the queen drew near, and touched the tip of the wand. Then the king said, What wilt thou, Queen Es-ther? and what wouldst thou ask of me? Were it half of my realm I would give it to thee. The queen said, If it please the king, I would like him and Ha-man to come this day to a feast I have made for them. And the king bade Ha-man make haste, and they both went to the feast. And while they drank the wine the king told the queen to make known her wish. But she put him off and said she would tell him the next day, if he and Ha-man would come to the feast that she would spread for them.