shall be given thee, even to the half of my kingdom." "My desire is," Esther answered, "that the king and Haman come to another banquet, which I shall make ready for them to-morrow, and then I will tell the king what it is I would ask of him."

So the king and Haman went from the queen's house that day, and Haman's heart was filled with pride that he had been to the queen's banquet. But as he went out, and passed Mordecai at the king's gate, and saw that he did not bow to him, nor do him reverence, he was filled with anger. He hurried to his home, and calling for his friends and for his wife, Haman boasted to them of his riches and greatness, and told them how the king had set him above all the princes, and above all the king's other servants. "And Esther, the queen, allowed no one to come in with the

king to the banquet that she had made ready, excepting myself!" he cried. And to-morrow

I am invited to come again! Yet all these things cannot make me happy while Mordecai, the Jew, sits in the king's gate." Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high, and to-morrow ask the king that Mordecai may be hanged on it!" cried Haman's wife. This pleased Haman, and he went out and commanded the gallows to be made at once.

That night the king could not sleep, and he bade his servants to bring him the book, in which was written down an account of the things that had happened in the kingdom. The book was brought and read before him; and there it was found written that Mordecai, a long while before, had saved the king's life by telling of two of the king's officers who had intended to kill him. "What reward has been

to

given Mordecai?" king Ahasuerus said to his servants; "or what honor has been done him because he did this?"

Just then some one came into the court of the palace.

Who is it in the court?" the king said. Now, it was Haman who had just come, that he might speak with the king and ask his permission to have Mordecai hanged on the gallows which had been made ready for him. "It is Haman who stands in the court," the king's servants answered.

"Let him come in," the king said.

"What

shall be done for the man whom the king wants greatly to honor?" the king said to him.

The

Then Haman thought to himself, king means me; I am the one whom he wants greatly to honor." So he answered, "Let the royal robes that the king wears, and the horse