[Enter Herod, Herodias, and all the Court.] HEROD Where is Salomé? Where is the Princess? Why did she not return to the banquet as I commanded her? Ah! there she is! HERODIAS You must not look at her! You are always looking at her! HEROD The moon has a strange look to-night. Has she not a strange look? She is like a mad woman, a mad woman who is seeking everywhere for lovers. She is naked too. She is quite naked. The clouds are seeking to clothe her nakedness, but she will not let them. She shows herself naked in the sky. She reels through the clouds like a drunken woman.... I am sure she is looking for lovers. Does she not reel like a drunken woman? She is like a mad woman, is she not? HERODIAS No; the moon is like the moon, that is all. Let us go within.... You have nothing to do here. HEROD I will stay here! Manesseh, lay carpets there. Light torches, bring forth the ivory tables, and the tables of jasper. The air here is delicious. I will drink more wine with my guests. We must show all honours to the ambassadors of Cæsar. HERODIAS It is not because of them that you remain. HEROD Yes; the air is delicious. Come, Herodias, our guests await us. Ah! I have slipped! I have slipped in blood! It is an ill omen. It is a very evil omen. Wherefore is there blood here?... and this body, what does this body here? Think you I am like the King of Egypt, who gives no feast to his guests but that he shows them a corpse? Whose is it? I will not look on it. FIRST SOLDIER It is our captain, sire. He is the young Syrian whom you made captain only three days ago. HEROD
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