JUDITH (_gaily_). Let us feast.
HOLOFERNES (_animated by her responsive tone_). Take off thy tunic; thou
art in thy own house. Let Holofernes be thy tire-woman. (_Approaching
her_.)
JUDITH. No! (_Moving from him to the further side of the couch_.) But he
shall be my slave to serve me. Pour out the wine, great slave.
(_While_ Holofernes _cheerfully obeys_, Judith _takes the knife from her
garments and places it behind the couch. Then, as he stands with the
wine, gazing at her and separated from her only by the couch, she slowly
removes her tunic and appears in indoor attire. She comes towards him
and takes the wine from him and drinks_.)
HOLOFERNES. I feared that in the strictness of thy Hebrew scruples thou
wouldst not drink of my wine.
JUDITH. I will drink again. (_She does so_.)
HOLOFERNES _(taking the goblet and drinking)._ Dost thou verily know thy
power and thy dominion, Judith?
JUDITH (_simply_). Yes, I know it now better than thou.
HOLOFERNES. Thou dost not. For I am mad for thee, and thou hast set thy
seal upon me for evermore. My heart cannot hold thee, for thou hast
filled it to overflowing, and all men see that my heart is full of thee
and runneth over.
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