UPSALL. 
                  Then come with me. 
You shall be welcome for your father’s sake,
And the old friendship that has been between us. 
He will relent erelong.  A father’s anger
Is like a sword without a handle, piercing
Both ways alike, and wounding him that wields it
No less than him that it is pointed at.
                                [Exeunt.

SCENE III. —­ The prison.  Night.  EDITH reading the Bible by a lamp.

EDITH. 
“Blessed are ye when men shall persecute you,
And shall revile you, and shall say against you
All manner of evil falsely for my sake! 
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great
Is your reward in heaven.  For so the prophets,
Which were before you, have been persecuted.”

Enter JOHN ENDICOTT.

JOHN ENDICOTT. 
Edith!

EDITH. 
      Who is it that speaketh?

JOHN ENDICOTT. 
                       Saul of Tarsus: 
As thou didst call me once.

EDITH (coming forward). 
                      Yea, I remember. 
Thou art the Governor’s son.

JOHN ENDICOTT. 
                         I am ashamed
Thou shouldst remember me.

EDITH. 
                    Why comest thou
Into this dark guest-chamber in the night? 
What seekest thou?

JOHN ENDICOTT. 
                  Forgiveness!

EDITH. 
                           I forgive
All who have injured me.  What hast thou done?

JOHN ENDICOTT. 
I have betrayed thee, thinking that in this
I did God service.  Now, in deep contrition,
I come to rescue thee.

EDITH. 
                   From what?

JOHN ENDICOTT. 
                         From prison. 
EDITH. 
I am safe here within these gloomy walls.

JOHN ENDICOTT. 
From scourging in the streets, and in three towns!

EDITH. 
Remembering who was scourged for me, I shrink not
Nor shudder at the forty stripes save one.

JOHN ENDICOTT. 
Perhaps from death itself!

EDITH. 
                      I fear not death,
Knowing who died for me.

JOHN ENDICOTT (aside). 
                   Surely some divine
Ambassador is speaking through those lips
And looking through those eyes!  I cannot answer!

EDITH. 
If all these prison doors stood opened wide
I would not cross the threshold,—­not one step. 
There are invisible bars I cannot break;
There are invisible doors that shut me in,
And keep me ever steadfast to my purpose.

JOHN ENDICOTT. 
Thou hast the patience and the faith of Saints!

EDITH. 
Thy Priest hath been with me this day to save me,
Not only from the death that comes to all,
But from the second death!

JOHN ENDICOTT. 
                        The Pharisee! 
My heart revolts against him and his creed! 
Alas! the coat that was without a seam
Is rent asunder by contending sects;
Each bears away a portion of the garment,
Blindly believing that he has the whole!