THE YOUNG SYRIAN
Princess, Princess, thou who art like a garden of myrrh, thou who art the dove of all doves, look not at this man, look not at him! Do not speak such words to him. I cannot endure it. . . Princess, do not speak these things.

SAL0ME
I will kiss thy mouth, Iokanaan.

THE YOUNG SYRIAN
Ah! [He kills himself, and falls between Salome and lokanaan.]

THE PAGE OF HERODIAS
The young Syrian has slain himself! The young captain has slain himself! He has slain himself who was my friend! I gave him a little box of perfumes and ear-rings wrought in silver, and now he has killed himself! Ah, did he not say that some misfortune would happen? I, too, said it, and it has come to pass. Well I knew that the moon was seeking a dead thing, but I knew not that it was he whom she sought. Ah! why did I not hide him from the moon? If I had hidden him in a cavern she would not have seen him.

FIRST SOLDIER
Princess, the young captain has just slain himself.

SALOME
Suffer me to kiss thy mouth, Iokanaan.

IOKANAAN
Art thou not afraid, daughter of Herodias? Did I not tell thee that I had heard in the palace the beating of the wings of the angel of death, and hath he not come, the angel of death?

SALOME
Suffer me to kiss thy mouth.

IOKANAAN
Daughter of adultery, there is but one who can save thee. It is He of whom I spake. Go seek Him. He is in a boat on the sea of Galilee, and He talketh with His disciples. Kneel down on the shore of the sea, and call unto Him by His name. When He cometh to thee, and to all who call on Him He cometh, bow thyself at His feet and ask of Him the remission of thy sins.

SALOME
Suffer me to kiss thy mouth.

IOKANAAN
Cursed be thou! daughter of an incestuous mother, be thou accursed!

SALOME
I will kiss thy mouth, Iokanaan.

IOKANAAN
I will not look at thee. Thou art accursed, Salome, thou art accursed. [He goes down into the cistern.]

SALOME
I will kiss thy mouth, Iokanaan; I will kiss thy mouth.

FIRST SOLDIER
We must bear away the body to another place. The Tetrarch does not care to see dead bodies, save the bodies of those whom he himself has slain.

THE PAGE OF HERODIAS
He was my brother, and nearer to me than a brother. I gave him a little box full of perfumes, and a ring of agate that he wore always on his hand. In the evening we were wont to walk by the river, and among the almond-trees, and he used to tell me of the things of his country. He spake ever very low. The sound of his voice was like the sound of the flute, of one who playeth upon the flute. Also he had much joy to gaze at himself in the river. I used to reproach him for that.

SECOND SOLDIER
You are right; we must hide the body. The Tetrarch must not see it.

FIRST SOLDIER
The Tetrarch will not come to this place. He never comes on the terrace. He is too much afraid of the prophet.

[Enter Herod, Herodias, and all the Court.