When the feasting was over, bridegroom was led to bride-chamber.

And now, remembering what the angel had said, he took out from his wallet a piece of the fish’s liver, which he burnt on live coals.

With that, the evil spirit fled; it was overtaken by the angel Raphael in the waste lands of Upper Egypt, and there held prisoner.

Next, Tobias must plead with his bride; Leave thy bed, Sara; today, and to-morrow, and the day after, let us pray God for mercy. These three nights are set apart for our union with God; when the third is over, we will be joined in one, thou and I.

We come of holy lineage; not for us to mate blindly, like the heathen that have no knowledge of God.

Side by side they kept vigil, and prayed together that no plague should mar their mating.

Lord God of our fathers, Tobias said, praise be to thee from heaven and earth, from seas and fountains and rivers, and from all creatures of thine that make in these their homes!

When Adam was made of earth’s clay, it was by thy hand; when Eve was sent to cheer him, it was of thy gift.

Thou, Lord, art my witness that I wed this sister of mine not from love of dalliance; only in the dear hope of leaving a race behind me, a race in whose destiny, Lord, may thy name be ever blessed!

And thus Sara prayed, Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; safe from all harm grow we old together, he and I!

And now it was cock-crow, and Raguel had all his men out betimes to help him dig the grave;

Like enough, thought he, this one will have fared no better than the other seven that took her to wife.

Their digging done, he went back to his wife, and bade her

send one of her maids to find out if Tobias were dead; it were best to have him in his grave before the sun was up.

So the maid went on her errand, and ventured into the bride-chamber, where both lay asleep together, safe and sound.

When she returned with that good news, Raguel and Anna fell to praising the Lord;

God of Israel, said they, we thank thee that our fears were vain!

Great mercy hast thou shewn us, in ridding us of the fiend’s pursuit;

great mercy hast thou shewn on these two, Tobias’ only child and ours. Ever may their hearts, Lord, swell with thankfulness, ever may these lives thou hast preserved be a sacrifice of praise to thee, till all the Gentiles around them know thee for the only God that rules on earth!

With that, Raguel bade his men fill up the newly dug grave before sunrise;

bade his wife spread a feast, and prepare such food as the travellers needed.

Two fat heifers and four rams must be slaughtered and a banquet made for all his neighbours and friends.

And now he was urgent with Tobias to be his guest for two whole weeks;

half of all his goods he bestowed upon him there and then, while the rest, as he declared in writing, should follow when he and Anna died.✻