Hassan: A Fellah - Forgotten Books

H assan : a Fe llah

3

CH APTER I

SH ALL wait ti ll she returns, he said. Myhope i s as the fi rst-fru its i n harvest. My

heart i s lifted up for joy because of her . Surely lovecomes of i ts own accord ! H ow can a man help it ?Who shall say i t nay ?

” And he settled himself witha complacent air under the shelter o f a great rock, i n aposition from which he could watch hi s sheep while theycropped the early and sti l l meagre herbage ofthe hi l lside.Below

,i n the hollow of the valley, was the p rincipal

well of the village , to which the women , from long distances , came to d raw water ; for the wel l was noted forthe abundance and purity of i ts supply of the prec iou sl iqu id . And the words which the stalwart young shepherd had spoken to himself had reference to a chi ldl ikegi rl who had just tripped by , with nicely-balanced kulleh ,or water-jar , on head , on her way to the ai n , or fountain .

The young man , H assan , his shepherd’s crook in his

hand , sat partly i n the shade of the rock , partly in theclear penetrati ng blaze of the Palesti ne sun , and , exceptthat he was of unusually noble statu re , was a perfect typeof the native fellah or peasant.H e had not qu ite completed hi s eighteenth year , and

was as handsome, after hi s kind , as he well cou ld be .The single scanty garment of the country , of coarsewhite cotton , clung here and there to him , barely savinghim from the divine nudity of a Greek statue . On theright s ide the pol ished round of the shoulder protruded ;and from there , downward , over the well-tu rned flank andthigh , to the tip of the toe , the full sweep of his contourwas absolutely beyond cri tic i sm .

2 H assan a Fel lah

It gladdened the heart to see so much perfection i n aman .

The almost uniform equali ty o f the fine bronze of hisskin told of his habitual d isregard of dress . H is head ,for the time being without any other covering than i tsthickly-clustering raven-black hair, was bent slightlyforward

,the chin resting on his right hand . H is dark

hazel eyes looked out confidently from under the pai rof strongly accentuated cu rves— narrow black dashesthat formed hi s brows , and which seemed l ike marks

o f attention inviti ng to the i nspection o f hi s beauty .

The dress , doubtless , was similar to that worn byDavid as he kept the sheep o f his father Jesse a dresssanctioned by the usage o f scores upon scores o f generations of the men o f the country . To -day the unbreechedpeasant of Palestine , free o f al l constraint , immodestlyi nnocent of al l shame in his state of semi—nudity, goes hisway in unconfined l iberty of heart and l imb , wearing thevesture that Abraham wore , and with the motion andaction of a lord of creati on . H abi t and custom areeverything ; and no o ffence i s taken where none i smeant.No raiment, to be dress at al l , could certainly be less

conventional . But i t had its advantages . I t was su itedto the cl imate and the people , and i ts very simplic itymade it gracefu l , and permitted full and wholesomeventi lation o f all parts of the body . Its longest sweepreached l i ttle below the knee ; and , as occasion requ i red ,i t cou ld be tucked up and rendered much shorter . Ifit had the stai ns of the outdoor l ife upon it, the odou rof the pastu re also clung about it ; and , as old Isaacsaid , i t had the smell of a field which the Lord hathblessed .

For cold weather,and morning and evening wear

,was

the heavy brown and white striped abai , woven of camel’s

or goat’s hai r . This was waterproof, and a perfect prote ction from the storm ; and , wrapped i n it , a man couldsleep comfortably out-of-doors all n ight . And peasants ,and espec ially shepherds , as the season demanded , alsooften might be seen in a short coat or jacket formed o f

sheepskin, the woolly side turned in or next the body .

H assan a Fe llah 3

I t was plain that H assan’s attention was more thand ivided from the care of his sheep by his i nterest i n theyoung girl . H e watched her every motion with appreciative glance and an earnest feeli ng that was not thegrowth o f a day . Frequently, on other occasions , hadhe followed her wi th ardent gaze , and finding out thehours at which she was wont to pass by , of late hadmanaged to pastu re hi s sheep , at such times , near tothe way she went.So far , he had not ventured to speak to her ; though ,

more than once; he had made up his mind to the act .Even a simple peasant has a pecul iar reserve

,shame

facedne ss , o r d ifli dence under such c ircumstances ; andthe habits and customs of the land , even in the countryparts , are not fr iendly to very famil iar i ntercourse on thepart of the opposite sexes .With the Moslem in c ities , and among the Turks , of

course , nothing of the kind i s ever permitted ; a mannot even being allowed to see his wife ti l l the night ofthe wedding , or the morni ng after thei r marriage .

That th i s last i s the prevail ing custom in the Ori ent,is well known ; and how long i t has kept a footholdthere i s fully attested by the story of Jacob and Leah ,and the sharp practice o f Laban on the wedding night.But the peasant in his village has , under certain l im itsand restrain ts

,much greater freedom in this respect, and

from necess ity ; the seclusion o f women , as practised i nc i ties and towns

,being out of the question in the country.

Neither do the women go with face vei led i n the latte r,as they invariably do i n the former . A common sayingwith the men , who do not mince matters i n expressingthemselves on the subject , i s : “ H ow does anybodyknow whether the thing which i s behind the cu rtainbe handsome or ugly ? whi ch suffic iently explainstheir posi tion .

H owever, i n the case of H assan , the young shepherd ,there existed other reasons of restraini ng influence .

The girl resided i n a village onlya short d istance fromhis ; but between the two villages had exi sted , from timeimmemori al , a blood-feud which , though i t had had itsorigin i n a cause long since forg otten ,

‘

still perpetuated

4 H assan : a Fellah

i tsel f in many d i ssentient customs and a general unfriendlyfeeling between the communities . Intermarriage wasprohibited , and whenever , under some pecul iar c i rcumstances , such an event took place , i t was made the occas ion to sti r up , from the very depths , the old rancour andi ts antiquated Observances .O f late years , i t must be admitted , there had been , to a

certai n extent, a relenting from the worst phases of thesenseless enmity . But that i t should be altogether laidaside was not to be thought of. There i s a cruel adh e rence to custom in the Orient, which 1 5 scarcely to bebel ieved by those who never have resided there .

H assan had not inaptly been called the handsomeyoung giant .” . This grand young man , of noble formand mien , physically a masterp iece , and in the full perfection of his manhood whi le yet in his eighteenth year,was a descendant of those tal l Canaanites o f the hillcountry , who , i n the days of the H ebrew invasion of

the land , struck such terror into the hearts of the chi ld ren of Israel . H e was a son of Anak , though the facthad been unknown to him and to those among whomhe dwelt, - lost i n the misty trackless past .Who can stand before the children ofAnak ? I t

had become a proverb more than three thousand yearsago . They were described as giants ; and the nomadicH ebrews , though toughened from their forty years ofwandering in the wilderness , had wept cowardly tearsas they shuddered at the thought of encountering thosehigh and mighty men of the hills .

“ The people i s taller and greater than we , theycried

,and they wanted to turn back i nto Egypt. “We

have seen the giants, the sons ofAnak , which come o fthe giants : and we were in our own s ight as grasshoppers , and so we were i n thei r s ight .

”

I t was a strange co i ncidence that an Engl i shman , atraveller of note , who had met H assan while yet a lad ,and was attracted by his tal l stature and fine bu i ld

, un

usual in one of his age , had called him “ a son of

Anak ” and given him the name o f Talmai,with refer

ence to the individual o f that name , who , at the time o fthe visit o f Caleb and the Spi es , was a chief or prince

H assan : a Fellah 5

of the Anakim , l ivi ng near H ebron , and nigh to theBrook Eshcol

,which was even then , as we know, cele

brated for the superior quality of its grapes , fig s , andpomegranates , as i t i s unto this day .

As in the case of many other usages , certain nameshave a dec ided permanency among certain tribes of thepeople o f Palestine and the Engl ishman , aware of thi s ,and observing that H assan smiled , saying he l iked thename wel l

, for i t had been hi s father’s and hi s father’s

father’s name,made direct i nvestigations . H e found ,

among other interesting facts , that H assan and h ispeople were from the hi ll-country , not far from H ebron ,which stimulated further research , — the resu lt beingthat he finally became fully persuaded in hi s own mindthat the lusty youth was a descendant of the Anakim .

True , the ancient record states , as he was aware , thatthe Anakim were cu t off utterly i n the mountains o f

Judah , on the incoming of the Israel i tes . But he con

sidered all such sweeping statements must be taken witha grain of salt requ ire qual ification ; and Gaza , Gath ,and Ashdod are particu larly excepted from the extermination . Now Gath , the Ci ty of Giants , was i n thehi l l-country , and nearly four hundred years after thisextermination was sti l l the abode of the Phil istines

,and

sent out, to defy Israel , a notable giant i n the person ofGol iath , whom David slew . Moreover, subsequently,did not King David take as one o f hi s many wives thedaughter of Talmai , king of Geshu r , who bore him hishandsome , faithless , but well-beloved son Absalom ?It, however , must be added that H assan gave l i ttle

heed to anything of thi s , as connected with h imself, re

gard ing the matter with almost subl ime ind ifference .

As the girl , on her return from the ain , approached ,bearing on her shoulder the heavy water-jar

, H assanarose and stood upright, fi lled with the determinati onhe had formed to speak to her .It was an impulse he could no longer resi st . Day

after day it had grown upon him ; and now, with thefatal ism of the East, he felt the time had come . Advancing a few steps to meet her, he waited by the pathway where she must pass .

6 H assan a Fe llah

H e had resumed his head-covering , a tarboosh of somewhat faded crimson with blue si lk tassel , and su rroundedwith turban-l ike cloth of white , banded with stripes of adead-gold colou r .I t was astoni shing to one unaccustomed to i t to se e

the ease and rap idi ty with which he wound this clothi nto the turban shape around hi s head . A few defttu rns of the hand , and i t was done , the end passed beneath the folds securing all in place .

Standing thus , ready to receive her , hi s crook restingagainst hi s shou lder , he must have p resented a strongl ikeness to the youth of fai r countenance , afterwardsknown as the shepherd-king , and the man after God

’sown heart, — the sweet singe r o f Israel , who so manycenturies ago had tended sheep on these very mountainsides , and who was the result of more than one i ntermarriage with the people of the land .

The fresh breeze , rushing through the valley and upthe slopes , no respecter o f persons , and no aider andabetter of prudery , at each gust, l ightly swept aside hi sloosely-hanging raiment, more fully reveal ing hi s perfeet form . H e had thru st h is feet i nto his sandal- l ikesl ippers , as a protection from the sharp stones . H ow

large and lustrou s hi s eyes looked ! H ow bright the redo f h is full l ip s , beneath his dark mustache ! H is cri spy,almost wiry hai r , a characteristic o f the -people , was nowconcealed beneath his tarboosh , all but a luxuriantlydefiant tu ft which ravi shingly protruded in front. Anunusual glow lighted and warmed his ol ive cheek.

Yes , he was an uncommonly handsome man , fearfully and wonderfully made ,

” as the Scrip ture has i t ,a noble representative descendant o f the most ancientpeople of the land , even the Canaanites , as they gene rically had been named from thei r country , which wascalled Canaan .

There was not the least expression of shame or embarrassment on the part of the young girl as the twomet. H e salu ted her with the easy , almost pri ncelymanner of the O riental , raisi ng his hand with the usualelegant gesture to hi s breast , l ip s, and forehead .

Niharak-sa’

fd Good morning,” he said .

“Wil l the

H assan : a Fe l lah 7

damsel give me to drink ? The water is spent i n my bottle

,and I am famished with thirst.”

The lover spoke in his every word and action ; for ,except in the case of aged women , men are not expectedto salute members of the opposite sex .

“ Thou art very welcome , she repl ied , and preparedto lower the jar

,i n which act he ass i sted her .

I t i s considered almost inhuman to refuse any one adraught of water .H aving stooped , and sati sfied hi s thirst , he thanked

her,repeating rapidly , i n a s ingle sweep , the courteous

gesture of hand to breast , l ips , and forehead . Theireyes met. They were face to face .

This was what he had looked forward to , these manydays . And yet i t came to him as a glad surpri se .

H ow i t warmed and qu ickened his blood A soft, yetwhat might be considered a somewhat famil i ar smile , andan express ion of great sati sfaction , parted hi s ful l l ips ,reveal ing two dazzling rows o f perfect, pearly teeth .

To this , ever so sl ight a response was el ic ited on herpart ; and she prepared to replace the jar upon hershoulder . But in this he gently interrupted her.I have somewhat to say to thee .

”

Say on ,” she repl ied .

Thou dost pass here very often .

Every day .

I have watched thee coming and going,and have

wanted to speak to thee , and ask thee to give me of thewater to quench my thi rst ; but I d id not make bold todetai n thee .

”

I have seen thee tend ing thy sheep , was her simpleresponse .

H er eyes were now cast down , very modestly ; andshe partly concealed her face wi th her white headdress .

Ye s , he said , I tend the sheep here . And and,

reverting to the former top ic the subjec t at heartI see thee coming for water to the ain the fountai n .

And and I should l ike to help th ee .

“ I t i s not necessary or fitting my lord should troublehimsel f to do that .”

“Oh, i t i s no trouble ! I should no t mind doing it for

8 H assan : a Fe llah

thee,and much more than that, even i f it were a

trouble .

At thi s her great luminous eyes turned on him a questioning , penetrating glance but she said nothing .

I have been inqu iring about thee , he resumed ;and I have found that, l ike me , thou art an orphanwithout father and mother .I t is true . I am an orphan .

We shou ld be good friends , then he said .

“Weought to be very kind to each other .A hesitating, somewhat startled look crossed her face .

I l ive at Malha ,” she simply answered .

I know it .”

And thou at B ettir,” she added , as though that

settled the question .

Plenty ofwater at B ettir thou hast not to go far todraw it

,

” was his d iplomatic and significant remark , intended to suggest certain possib i l ities , and divert herattention .

H ow l ike a chi ld she looked ; and i n mere years shewas l i ttle better than a chi ld . She was almost fifteen ,so that there was about three years’ d ifference i n thei rages ; but i n Palestine , where men marry in thei r earlyteens , and women at a sti ll earl i er age , and where grandmothers of l i ttle more than twenty may be found ,— toall intents and purposes

,he was a man and Sh e a woman .

The Ori ental i s a precocious animal .Meanwhile

,she had replenished his porous water-bottle

from her jar,restoring to the former the wisp of straw

with which i t was stopped a convenient but poor substitute for cork .

H is various l i ttle devices for detaining her were atlength exhausted . It was not well they should be seentogether . She began to show her anxiety to depart ;and as she had quite a d i stance to traverse , and most ofi t steep cl imbing , up the slopes of the rocky tell , he felti t best not to delay her longer .Yet, though he considered it hardly prudent , he couldnot resi st walking beside her for a short distance onher return , after having restored her water-jar to hershoulder .

H assan : a Fel lah 9

Though their hearts kindled within them as they talkedy the way, thei r words were few .

Is i t not well , H ilwe ? he asked proudly. I carenot for the blood-feud . l have nothing to do with i t.And though all the rest of the people in the two vi llagesshould be enemies , I am determined we shal l be goodfriends . Shal l we not always be friends ? ”

H ilwe looked down , half afraid .

Yea , yea . Shal l i t not be so he rei terated . Shal lnot be well ?To this her only reply was a smile l ighting up everyature . But i t was answer enough for him .

They were now within the borders of the terri tory ofalha.

H e saw he must retu rn .

With a full heart he said courteously : Khaterake or p leasure , the customary expressiong departu re.was time fo r him to attend to his sheep

,and

together , for they had become widely scatout the shepherd .

Thou hast a rough way to go , up the steep tell , hesaid , glanc ing up the heights .Yea . But thou hast made i t smooth , she repl ied .

As he turned away from her , softly fell from her lovelyl ips that most beauti fu l expressi on i n the Arabic thegood-bye or farewell : Ma’-e s- salameh .

” This i s l i terally With peace ,

” and means , Go in peace ,”or Pe‘ace

abide with thee .

”H e thought he had never heard i t

sound so sweetly , yet so sadly .

Allah yase llamak May Allah give thee peace , herepl ied . Rightly art thou named H ilwe . Thou arti ndeed sweet .”

This was in accordance with the Moslem custom , whichenjoins that in retu rning a good wish you must heightenor i ncrease i t, or wish something better .H e more than once turned to look after her , as she

moved with even pace over the hi lly way, stead ily balancing her water-j ar .She i s l ike a gazelle of the mounta in , he murmured

to himself. My soul yearns for heras the parched land

I O H assan : a Fe llah

for the rain . Allah be merci fu l to her, and blessher.And now he had to tu rn his attenti on to hi s truant

sheep .

They sorely needed hi s care, and were scattered widelyapart

,i n al l d i rections , and where they ought not to

be . But as soon as he gave his pecu liar cry or call ,every sheep rai sed its head , recogni sing his voice ; and ,going before them

,he led them into fresh and green

pastures .I t was an actual real isation of the o ld psalm . I t was

the putting into action the words of the Great Teacheri n describ ing the Good Shepherd : The sheep hear hi svo ice : and he calleth his own sheep by name , and leadeth them out . H e goeth before them , and the sheepfollow him : for they know his voice .

And thi s beauti fu l s ight i s one which may be seen , tothi s hour , any day in Palestine . A hundred memoriesand gentle impulses are sti rred as one sees the great flocksof sheep , accompanied by thei r black and more bri sklymoving comrades , the goats , feedi ng up and down ,among the huge out-cropping rocks of the hi l ls ide , withthe alert , fai thful shepherd cari ng for them , and lead ingthem in the way they should go .

”

H assan was wonderfully elated now, as he went beforehis flock , playing on his reed p ip e o r nay, calli ng to thesheep and gu iding them . H e soon had them al l collectedand feed ing together ; and , i n the fulness of his soul , hebroke ou t i nto s inging one of the wei rd minor-l ike strainsof Palestine, set i n one of those crude , primi tive scales ofi ndefinite tonal ity which we , l ong ago , have passedbeyond , and have left far behind . It was an archaic lyric

,

without any beauty ofmelody to the unaccustomed ear,

yet full of untold pathos and heart-sti rring assoc iationsto the native .

Doos ya le l lee , Doos ya l le e . .

H assan a Fellah I I

Doos ya le l lee , Doos ya . .

le e .

’Eshke mah - boo be e fe te n - nee .

Leap, O my joy ! Leap, O my joy ! (repeated)Ardent de sire of my be loved hath invo lved me in earnest.”

Everything seemed to stop to l isten as he sang .

“ Doos ya le lle e ! Doos ya le lle e ! H ow seductivelythe refra in rang ou t at the c lose of each stanza ! H ow

far the clear ai r carried the sound It was startl i ng .

The hollows and rocky caverns echoed and re -echoedthe rude barbaric notes, as though they were fami l iaraccents , akin to them , to which they responded withfriendly utterance . The sheep , too , sympathi s i ng withthei r master’s happiness , which they well understood asexpressed in those impassioned resonant tones , fed al l themore contentedly ; whi le H assan walked l ike a kingamong them

,si nging i n deeper and louder outbursts

,

and as i f the music had stimulated him and exalted hi ssp iri t to the most exhi larated p itch .

And thu s he sang :

B yAllah , I am inflamed with intense love !T he lover, sure ly, is not to be blamedH ow can he hold back his eag er heart ?H ow can he stay himse lf from loving ?

The black eyes have overthrown me .

The lips red as pomeg ranate have betrayed me .

F rom love of them I beg an to s ing ,

And the song hath increased mymadness .

Unite me to my true love , one nig ht,And if the beloved ofmyheart come to me ,I will bring her to mymother

’s house ,

I wil l make the cashmere shawl her canopy.

I 2 H assan a Fe llah

The crew of reproachers leag ued tog etherTo debar me from mybe loved .

B

yAllah , I wil l not re l inq uish my love ,

T oug h with swords they should cut me in pieces !

Up with me,0 true love Let us del ig ht ourse lves

Under the shade of the jasmineWe will pluck the peach from its mother,While the reproachers are unconscious .

O ye beautiful ones, fear God !And have mercy on the lover for the sake of God .

The love of the fair is ordained byH im

Allah hath decreed it ag ainst me .

Then he changed to another and more plai ntive nativemelody . This was more positively minor than the former , and abounded in that remarkable pecul i arity of

Eastern music the d ivision of tones into thi rdssomething unknown to European music , which has nofiner d ivisi on than semitones . These O ri entals , sp ite o fthei r archaic scales , have a nice disc riminative ear .H ilwe stil l heard him in the d i stance , and thrilled to

the sound,moving with gladdened step . She recognised

the well-known ai r — the song of a bridegroom searchi ng for hi s missing bride .

Perhaps it was the original , or, i f not that, an echo of

Solomon’s anc ient Love-Song,

” i n its s imple unaffecteddeclaration

In the nig ht I arose and soug htm be loved.

I soug ht h erwhom my soul lovetI soug ht mybride , but I found her not.My life is wasted without her.

The strains,the very notes , belonged to the people

and the country . They were born of the envi ronment,were its ou tcome , i ts creation .

Besides those imperfect primitive scales of i ndefinitetonal ity

,already referred to , and other as strange pecul i

aritie s of the music , there i s no doubt that the languageitself, differing in many respects from pure Arabic , hassuggestive indications of simi lar import ; and has preserved and requi res certain organs of vocali sation wantingin the European . It seems impossible for the latter to

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1 4. H assan a Fe l lah

They have departed .

H ow so ?

They know thee , Aga .

At thi s famil iar reply of one of the men , the aga, instead of being offended , bu rst out laughing .

“ It i s more l ikely they know thee ,” he presently

retorted .

The man , however , modestly decl ined the honourattributed to him .

But to whom are we indebted for the music ? askedthe captain .

Ah ! some fellah with hi s sheep , on the other side of

the hi ll .And i s he sad or happy ?Oh , happy ! Why , that i s a love-song , Aga .

A love—song ! And does the man sati sfy his love i nthat way ?Partly , Aga .

Assad , thou knowest enti rely too much for thine owngood . But, come ; to saddle ! Let us mount . Thehorses have had all the water they want. We are due i nJerusalem early to -day , remember , and have no time tolose .

As'

they turned i nto a bend in the road, H assan caught

sight of them .

There go the zaptiehs , he said , as he stopped singing. I warrant they have been up to some mischief.To expect p ity from them i s l ike begging a husband froma widow .

”

CH APTER I I

T now may be necessary to state that , when l itt l emore than a mere boy, H assan had once acted as

a mu l eteer to a party of Engl i sh and Amer i can tour ist st rave l l i ng through the H oly Land . On e of thesest rangers

,the w ife of an Amer ican gent l eman , on

whom H assan was espec ial ly deputed to wai t, took so

overween ing a fancy to the br ight,handsome lad, who

H assan : a Fe l lah 1 5

had been so pol i te, attent ive and k i nd to her throughout the jou rney, that , not sat i sfied w i th g iv i ng h im agenerous presen t over and above h i s pay

,she persuaded

her husband to make i nqu i r i e s respect i ng h im,w ith

the obj ect of hav ing him educated .

The resu l t was that,for three or fou r years , H assan

was sent to one of the school s kept by the m iss ionar i e sin J erusal em . There was the l ess obst ruct ion offeredto th i s , from the fact that, though a Mosl em ,

he wasan orphan

,and the pres su re was not exerted wh ich

otherwi se wou ld have been brought to bear upon h imthrough h i s parents, had he had such , by zealou s andfanat i c Mohammedans , who usual ly look upon sucheducat ion as a spec i e s of prose lyt i s ing ; though i t mustbe confessed that, as to the effect produced , there isl i tt l e or noth i ng whatsoever to susta i n any such op i n ion .

As is wel l known,the convers ion of a Mos l em to

Chr i st i an i ty i s an almost unheard-of event . I t isnear ly as rare as ange l v i s i t s ; far rarer than the apparent convers ion s from Juda i sm . Indeed

,the convert

from Mohammedan i sm,if such there were

,wou ld not

,

in al l probab i l i ty, be suffered to l ive many days afterthe fact of h i s convers ion became publ ic. H e wou ldbe promptly deal t w i th by the fanat i c I s lam ites.Any one at tempt i ng to assert contrary to th i s i n

Jeru sal em wou ld not on ly not be cred i ted, but wou ldbe laughed to scorn .

I n H assan ’s case,at l east, not much change in a

re l ig i ou s sense was to be not i ced . Perhaps i t wasnot to be expected . Indeed, i t was st ipu lated heshou ld not be i nte rfered w ith in h i s be l i ef, and thathe shou ld be al lowed to keep the Mohammedan fast sand feast s

,such as the Ramadan , Ba i ram, etc. If

such was the shape of th ings w i th h im w i th i n the wal l sof the Chr i st ian school , i t cou ld scarce ly be supposedthat after w ithd rawa l from i t s influen ce he wou ld befound l aps ing from the Mosl em fa i th .

At the c lose of those three or fou r years of instruc

t i on,the payment s of h i s Amer i can fr i end ceas ing

,

H assan was prompt ly d i sm i ssed from the school , and

re l egated back into h i s former l ife.

1 6 H assan : a Fellah

After a va i n struggl e to find employment i n theH oly C ity, he natural ly fe l l back on B ettir, and resumedh i s o ld l ife there .

H e cou ld now read and wr i t e as we l l as speak Arab i c,and had some knowledge of the F rench language, aswel l as of the Engl i sh branches i n genera l , i n cl ud ingar i thmet i c. The she ik of the v i l l age found h im use

ful i n keep i ng for h im the accounts of the t i thes andtaxes

,and H assan ’s employment i n th i s field gave h im

a certa i n pos i t ion of importance, though an unenv iabl eone , as i t rou sed an i nev itabl e j ea lousy and an imos i tyagain st h im . H is ch i ef employment, however, wash is former one of keep i ng sheep ; and he, perhaps tooeas i ly

,dropped back i nto i t and h i s o ld ways , once more .

There was someth i ng inexpress ib ly fasc inat i ng andnatura l to h im i n lyi ng unde r th e canopy of heaven ,day afte r day, watch ing and guard i ng h i s sheep. T o

fee l the fresh breeze s laden w i th the sme l l of th epasture sweep over h im was i n i tse lf a de l ight. Thefree

,untrammel led l i fe, in genera l unburdened w ith

very hard work, was su ited to h is t emperament .Even the s impl e change of d ress—back into the

loose easy-fitting ra iment, was a gratefu l re l i ef. I nthe school he had been put into the European coatand trousers

,and i n th i s att i re he s eemed qu i te another

ind iv idual . Almost i n the flash of an eye he cast h isshe l l , and what a metamorphos i s ! H e was a d ifferentan imal , i t seemed . But i t was on ly the o ld H assan

,

aga i n come to l i fe.The pr incipal re l ief, however, was the emanc ipat ion

from the control of others and once more be i ng,to

a great extent , under h is own contro l . No man i si nherent ly or by inc l i nat i on a s lave ; and the l i fe wh ichis subservient to the wh ims

,capr i ces

,and

,i n short

,

the w i l l of others , is, no matter what we may say,more or l es s in s l avery.

And now we have h im , as we first behe ld h im,the

ch i ld of Nature ; changed somewhat by h is late mou ldi ng, i t is t rue ; yet, though qu i ckened in h i s i nt e l l ectby the educat ion and exper ience he had rece ived amongthose Chr i st ian s and European s i n J erusa l em

,dropped

H assa n : a Fe l lah 1 7

back completely i nto the l ife of the peasant , and, toal l outward appearances, i n every respect a fe l lah of

Pal est i ne.I n meet i ng H as san

,the young g i r l H i lwe had

natura l ly looked upon h im, as her super ior. Th i s isthe i nvar i ab l e hab i t of the count ry, where even an oldwoman w i l l k i s s the hand of a mere boy w ith reverence

,address i ng h im as “my l ord,

” s imply becau se hei s a mal e and she a femal e . But success ive meet i ngsgradua l ly m it igated the con stra i nt of th i s h igh respect ;and H ilwe soon began to come in contact w i th H assanwi th bu t l itt l e of the reserve and shynes s characterisi ng her fi rst meet i ng w i th h im .

I t was Natu re t r i umph ing over custom and artificial lycu l tu red hab i t . H ilwe was too young

,and of too free

born a sp i r i t to have accepted many of those cramp i nginst itut i on s w ith ease or pat ience. And though she

l ived i n or among them ,to a certa in ext ent i t m ight

be sa i d that she was not of them .

Week after week , H assan managed to pastu re h i ssheep at certa in t imes each day near to the path shewou ld be obl iged to pass . Th i s

,indeed

,as we have

seen,h e had done long before he had summoned cou r

ag e and found opportun i ty to speak to her.On the day succeed i ng that fi rst meet i ng

,H ilwe

expect ed that,on her return from the founta in

,he

wou ld aga i n speak to her,and sh e was not disap

poi nted . It cannot be den i ed i t was w i th someth i ngmore than mere sat i sfact ion sh e saw h im , as sh e

approached,l eave h is sheep and d raw near to the

pathway.

There were the inev i tabl e sal utat ion s and goodw ishes

,fo l l owed by the request for water.

Give me to dr ink .

Th i s t ime the word s were spoken by h im in a moreconfident accent

,and w i th a ce rta i n a i r of fam i l iar i ty

part ly assumed for the occas ion ; and were fo l lowed byher more than w i l l i ng compl i ance.There was someth i ng wonderfu l ly pl eas ing to her inbe i ng ab l e to sat i sfy the wants of th i s come ly st rongyoung man of hero i c bu i ld , her acknowledged super ior,


and that he shou ld be dependent on her in anyth ingeven to al l ay h i s th i rst .As he stooped and drank, she stood, respectfu l ly

s i l ent,watch ing h im . She fe l t glad at heart for h is

sake that the Water was so sweet and cool .The i r looks were l ike a conversat ion ; and were more

than words .H e ra i sed h i s head and thanked her

,touch i ng h i s

hand to h is forehead i n the u sual— i ndeed,never

om itted gracefu l acknowledgment .She l ifted her eyes

,at fi rst t im id ly, then tru stfu l ly.

H is glance shot through her wi th a l l the assureddom inance of the mal e ; yet H ilwe d id not l ower hergaze

,but w i th nat ive confidence l et h im look upon

her.The woman natural ly is made to comply or yi eld .

Every act ion of the man toward s her requ i res th i s ofher. I t is the resu l t of a comb i nat i on of facts

,moral

and phys i cal . But i n the East al l th i s i s espec ial lyaccentuated.

“Taieeb—Good. The water i s cool

,he sa id ;

and al l the sweeter for com ing from thy hand .

”

I am wel l p l eased thou finde st i t so , sh e repl i ed .

God the most merc ifu l be pra i sed for send i ng theeto me. Sure ly

,beaut ifu l are the feet of thos e who

br ing peace and comfort.H e spoke w ith a p l easant warmth . Though he was

a man , rather becau se he was a man , he cou ld not

he lp but fee l the glad react ive influence of her great,

m i racu lou s eyes, a lmost sta rt l i ng i n the i r myster iou sbeauty

,as they held h im w i th a fasc i nat ion that h e “

cou ld not res i s t—that he d id not w i sh to res i st,and

wh i ch was the outgrowth of the i r mutual fee l ing.

As they two,H assan and H ilwe , stood together on

the lone ly h i l l s ide,i t was imposs ib l e not to not i ce how

handsome they were . They seemed made for eachother ; and they knew i t . Love had told them.

The s lopes were pu rpl e w i th thyme,i n fu l l flower,

sweeten ing the a i r ; and al l was so st i l l around themthey cou ld hear the low soft sough ing of the w i ndthrough the grass, l ike the pu l se of Nature

,and the

H assa n a Fe l lah 1 9

buzz of the l itt l e brown , yel low-banded Syr ian bee, as

i t flew from blossom to blossom , prob ing each to itsdepths for i t s rav i shed nectar wh ich i t carr i ed off to

store i n some rocky cav ity near by. Except thes egent l e murmurs and the occas ional b l eat i ng of a sheep

,

few other sound s reached them i n that sec luded p lace .

These two ch i ldren of the land seemed to grow out ofthe scene

,and to be long pecu l iar ly to i t , l ike the

pr imeval man and woman i n the unt i l l ed w i ldern ess,

the anc i ent Eden wh i ch they cal l ed a garden or parad i se

,as wel l they m ight.

B ut if H assan fel t those warm influences contro lh im

,how much more so was th i s the cas e w i th H i lwe !

She had spoken t ru ly when she had sa id to h im,i n

her s impl e language, I have seen thee tend i ng thysheep .

oShe had neve r passed below h im,i n the w ind i ng

path,that her eyes had not i n st i nct ive ly been att racted

by the wel l-favoured young shepherd, stretched at fu l ll ength upon the ground , or stand i ng erect , stra ight asan arrow

,out l i n ed aga i n st the sky, watch i ng h i s flock

from some prom i nent crag.

I t was on ly to be expected that h is image shou ldl eave it s impress i on upon her.And now they were alone together, face to face,

once more .

Someth i ng of the fi rst shyness,i t i s t ru e

,st i l l l i n

g ered w ith them,and he ld them i n a certa i n reserve .

But beh i nd th i s the warmer fee l i ngs gathered andstrengthened, as a stream gathers to a great body of

water and an overwhelm i ng force beh i nd the restra i ni ng dam .

H assan ’s c l ear haze l eye s swept with search ingglance the ent i re range of landscape. There was no

one i n s ight . Th i s gave h im courage . H e stretchedout h i s hand to her, wh ich sh e took, afte r hav i ngenve loped hers i n a part of her flowing ra iment ; an o ldcustom

,a mark of respect ; for w ith the Moslems,

punct i l iou s et iquette says a woman i s unc l ean ,and

must not touch a man with her naked hand .

“H ilwe ,

” he sa id ,“ I have been th i nk i ng of thee

2 0 H as san : a Fe l lah

e ver s ince thou spakest to me yesterday. I have beenwatch i ng for thee . But I began to fear thou wast notcom ing th i s morn i ng .

“Ye s ; I am late . I have had much of wh ich thou

knowest not to de lay me. Fat ima, my unc l e’s w ife,

g iveth me more and more to do each day.

”

She had drawn before her mouth some of her draperywh i le speak ing to h im,

a further mark of respect andof modesty, and as i s common ly the cu stom wi thMohammedan women when add ress i ng men, even whenwe l l acqua i nted w i th them .

“ I w i sh thou wou ldst l et me go w i th thee, eacht ime

,and help thee to draw the water.

H e spoke'

wi th downcast eyes, in thoughtfu l mood,knowi ng the prej ud i ce .

No,no ; that must not be . I t wou ld not be proper ;

and i t wou ld on ly make t roub l e . Bes ides , I do not

m ind i t . I t i s noth i ng to me to draw the water. Iam accustomed to i t . ”

Under the strength of h i s emot ion s al l the grace ofthe man awoke and proj ected i tse l f from h im . I t wasan immeasurabl e powe r. Whether stand i ng mot ionl ess before her, or, i n the energy of h i s feel i ng , unconscious ly sh ift i ng h i s we ight, fi rst to one foot

,then to

the other,or sudden ly advanc i ng a step or two upon

her,al l was grace, the natural outcome of the beauty

that was i n h im ,—someth i ng wh ich cannot be taught

by th e fenc ing-master or dr i l l-sergeant, and wh ich no

i n st ructor i n deportment ever yet imparted .

Th i s t ime,i t was ev ident, H i lwe was i n no hurry to

replace her water-jar and g o her way. Stand i ng Oppos i te to th i s strong , gen ial young man, of such generou sproport ion s , who spoke to her so pleasant ly, whatwonder i f she was begu i l ed

,moment after moment

,

i nto de lay ing ?“ Fat ima wi l l scold anyway

,she thought

,and if I

am a l i tt l e l ate , what matters it ?H ow she l oved to hear h im speak ! H is vo i ce st i rred

her. But sh e must not l et h im perce ive i t .“ I t i s t ime I were retu rn i ng she sa id, to keep up

appearances.

2 2 H assan : a Fel lah

honest,amorou s ardour of wh i ch they are the outcome

or exponents . There is noth i ng e i the r wrong or umnatura l in al l th i s . I t is God ’s g ift. I t is as s impl eas breath ing.

With in the last few weeks H assan had undergoneth is beaut ify i ng change . H e had exper ienced th i swonderfu l awaken i ng.

As, dayafter day, he behe ld the young g i r l pass onhe r e rrands

,near by, the work was accompl i shed .

H er image was burnt i n upon h is sou l ; and he fe l t hemust possess her—must have her for h i s own. In thesudden expans ion and glow that came upon h im ,

hewas l ifted up i nto a new exi stence. Al l obstac l es andimped iments van i shed i n the presence of the one fact

,

h i s imper iou s des i re.Al l her s imple ways , her l itt l e do ings and s l ightest

movements were known to h im and stud i ed by h im, so

far as he cou ld know and study them under the restr icting c i rcumstances.In pol i te l ife i t wou ld have been pronounced a case

of i nfatuat ion .

But,whatever m ight be sa id on the subj ect

,whatever

cr it ic i sm m ight be made on i t by some who from the i rh igher c iv i l i sat ion look down on the emot i on s and actsof those they m ight be pl eased to cons ider a sem ibarbarous man and woman , i t must certa i n ly be adm i ttedthere was noth i ng vu lgar about i t . Nature is nevervu lgar.

H ilwe , thou wou ldst have no troubl e draw i ng waterat B ettir.

”

H assan spoke i n a subdued tone and wi th a s l ighthes i tat ion .

H ilwe understood h i s mean ing, but made no reply.

“ There is abundance of water there , and near athand

,he cont i nu ed , warm ing with h is subj ect. There

are l iv ing founta i n s of water burst i ng out of the rock ;and garden s of del ight

,as fine as K i ng Suleyman

’

s atUrtas, below the three great pool s , the vast tanksthe w i s e k i ng made to water h i s parad i se

,—yes, and

finer, fu l l of a l l manner of fru i t s and herbs. Beaut ifu ltrees

, such as wal nut and mu lberry,are pl ent ifu l ;

H assan a Fe llah 2 3

pomegranates , apr icot s, fig s , almonds , peaches andpears abound ; and there are many ol ive-groves andvineyards . ”

“ I know i t is a pl easant place ; butA perp lexed

,a lmost troubl ed look crossed H ilwe ’

s

face as she paused .

H ow happy we shou ld be there ! ” he proceeded, as

if not not i c i ng h er anxious express ion .

“ I wou ld doeveryth i ng for thee—everyth i ng to make thee comfortable and contented .

”

I n the monotony of the peasant l ife there is a samenes s i n the top ic s and i n the forms of conversat ionwh ich seems a necessary consequence of the s impleex i stence .

“ Thou dost not speak,H ilwe . Thou needst not be

afra id of me. Dost thou not bel ieve me ? Dost thouth ink I wou ld t reat thee badly ?

“ I am not afra id of thee ; I th ink not that thouwou ldst i l l -t reat me ; but I am ashamed to t e l l thee a l l .What dost thou mean ? ” he asked, w ith some token

of impat ience.The Thar—the b lood-feud, was her br i ef reply.

The Thar. I care noth i ng for i t , as I have toldthee al ready.

”

But that is not al l .Not a l l ? ” he repeated. What more can there beThou sayest thou dost not care for the Thar. But

they wi l l make thee care. And ” - after a moment ’ss i lence she added ,

“ there is worse than that . I donot know how to te l l thee . ”

Nay, speak. Fear not, he pl eaded .

If I te l l , i t is bad ; if I keep s i l ence, i t i s equa l lybad.

She hung her head and tu rned away her eyes fromh is too ardent glance. H e saw i t was someth i ngser iou s.

“ Thou art ashamed to tel l me, he sa id ; but thatought not to be . Thou shou ldst have no secrets fromme. H old noth i ng back . Tel l me al l . Do not fear.I shal l not be hard on thee. And if they are ev i l t idings, and I must hear them ,

I wou ld rather have them


from thy l ips than from another ’s . I can bear i tbetter.

“ Thou art very k i nd,

she began,and I bel i eve a l l

thou sayest ; but what am I that thou shou ldst careabout my troubl es to take them to heart

, or why shou ldI weary thee w i th my weep i ng ?

“ On ly show me the matter , and I w i l l do al l I canto he lp thee , even though i t take my l ife,

” he exc la imed .

“ Show me thy whol e heart . ”

She supported herse lf aga i n st a fragment of rockthat had broken away from the cl iff

,wh i l e her l ips

parted s lowlyMy unc l e has prom i sed me to Abd-e l-nour.She added not another word ; and i t was not needed

for H assan .

H e was great ly moved . H e was pass ionately angry.

“What,that m i serabl e o ld wretch ! ” he cr i ed .

Cursed be h i s father and h i s father ’s father ! Why,

the o ld ass has three w ives al ready ; why shou ld hewant to take a fou rth ? ”

“ The law al lows i t,

”she sa i d .

Ay, so i t does ; but that does not make i t r ight .I overheard them speak i ng of i t the other day

,i n

the Wady-e l -Werd ,”

sh e cont i nued .

“ They d id not

know I was so near them ; I was h idden from them bya rose -bush

,and I heard every sound . Abd-e l-nour

told my Uncl e I smai l he wou ld soon have the amountmade up that he had prom i sed h im for me .

”

“ Yes,i n terrupted H assan ,

“ he wou ld buy thee as

he wou ld buy a horse or an ox ; and, when he had thee,wou ld use thee as badly as a beast of burden ,

or

worse.

“ I know it , sh e sa id,w ith a dej ected a i r. Thou

speakest the truth .

I t wou ld be worse w i th thee then than i t is now.

Ye s ; i t i s i ndeed so .

I t i s hard to be l i eve— hard to th ink thy uncl eI smai l wou ld do th i s th ing to thee . H ow could hewant to br ing th i s ev i l upon thee ? ”

The young man ’s countenance had darkened,h is

whol e express i on had changed in the last few m inutes ;

Hassan a Fel lah 2 5

so that he looked l ike a d ifferen t be ing, and H ilwefeared to face h im .

“ I t is t rue, she sa id . H e cares more for themoney than for me . I heard them talk of the barga i nas they stood togethe r

‘under the b ig o l ive-t ree.There

,thou can st se e the very spot from here , i n the

hol low of the Wady And sh e po i nted out the p lace,as i f i t were an unquest i onab l e confirmat ion of herstatement.

CH APTER I I I

ASSAN tu rned mechan i cal ly toward the d i rect ioni nd i cated by H i lwe .

The Wady-e l-Werd , or Val l ey of Roses,lay i n many

a wi nd ing curve below,w ith i t s o l ive-groves

,v i n eyards

and rose -garden s,the latte r g iv ing i t its name

,wh i l e

above towered the v i l lage of Malha, seated on its ar id ,rocky acc l iv i ty. The agglomerat ion of hou ses on theh ighest summ i t of the con i cal t e l l or h i l l gave thecrowded v i l lage the aspect of a fo rt ificat i on . Bare andbl eached

,l ike a ca l c ined bone, i t g l eamed, help less ly

exposed to the unm i t igated glare of that merc i l es sPalest i ne sun , wh ich i s a burn i ng as wel l as a sh i n i ngl ight. I t was a re l i ef to tu rn from the p i nnac l ed v i ll age to the val l ey below, w ith its green pastu res , itsroses and o l ive-groves

,and l ong-reach ing mu lt ip l i ed

shadows.I t was the on ly home or place of abode H ilwe had

ever known . H ere she went i n and out i n the monotonous round of h er s impl e da i ly l ife, cogn i sant of nextto noth i ng of the great outs ide world, save what shem ight have l earned when

,i n an occas ional v i s i t

, she

accompan ied some of the o lder women , conveying theproduce of the i r fie lds to the market i n J erusal em .

At such t imes the men,the lords of creat ion , m ight

be seen r id i ng the i r donkeys,wh i l e the women t ramped

on foot over the rocky,weary way w i th the ir heavy loads .


Perhaps i t was grapes they carr i ed ; and p i cturesqueenough they looked with the tal l baskets on the i rheads

,fi l l ed w i th the golden or purpl e c l u sters, and

wreathed on top w i th the long tra i l i ng branches andsoft green leaves of the v i ne . O r the load m ight be ofapr i cots

,almonds

,fig s or o l ives, or the cr imson-flush ed

globes of the pomegranate, the royal fru i t w i th sp ikedcrown .

I n the season of roses, the burden cons i sted of greatsacks and crates of the fragrant b lossoms, pr i nc ipal lyto be made i nto rose-water for spr i nk l i ng the p i lgr imsand obj ect s of p i ety at the sacred shr i n es i n the H olyC ity

,or the guests at wedd i ngs and other fe st ive

occas ions .The roses in the i r natura l state were large ly soldin the market or to the hotel s ; and cons iderabl equant i t i es were bought by the convent s and otherrel ig iou s establ i shments. But there were few of theo ld fam i l i e s of J eru sal em that d id not know how tomanufacture rose-wate r, and that d id not, each year,put up a goodly supply, drench i ng the i r favoured guestsw i th i t

,and us i ng i t lav i shly i n var iou s ways . The

monks of the great Armen ian Convent had , i ndeed ,obta i ned a h igh repu tat ion for mak ing a pecu l iar andsuper ior descr ipt ion of the sweet water.So the re was a large demand, and a h igh pr i ce was

pa id for th i s product of the Val l ey of Roses ; and therose harvest was always looked forward to wi th muchi ntere s t and anxi ety by the peopl e of Malha . Eventhe rose-garden s along the shore of the Med iterraneanat Tyre and S idon had

,not i nfrequent ly, to be drawn

on to eke out and sat i sfy the demand for the supply of

the queen ly flower, wh ich i n the val l eys around J erusalem was of the most i ntense ly odourou s spec i es

,

resembl i ng the damask and Provence roses .At the t ime of blossom ing, the fenced fields were

c lose ly watched and guarded a l l day,and even dur i ng

the n ight, to prevent depredat ion and theft . And earlyeach morn i ng the l uxur iant b looms were cut w i th muchrejo i c i ng, and immed iately conveyed to market .Al l along the w i nd i ng road groups of women m ight

H assan a Fel lah 2 7

be seen bear ing on the i r heads the fragrant burdensdest i ned for the anc i ent c i ty ; and H i lwe was on ly tooglad to be ab le to escape from the gal l i ng rout i ne ofher wear i some da i ly tasks

,and jo i n the hurry i ng t r00p.

She was l ight of foot,and bore her share of the

work we l l and w ith sp i r it ; and th ere was much to

rel i eve the tedium of the way, the st imul us of thecompany be i ng i n i t se lf a pl easu re.Then there were the wonderfu l s ight s of the c i ty

and its var i ed l ife. Vi s i tors from al l quarters of theglobe m ight be seen throng ing the narrow st reet s .What a reve lat ion i t was to her to watch them wh i l ethe bazaars

, to her u ntutored m ind , seemed a v i s ionfrom another world .

I t is t ru e the loads borne over th i s long d i stance,

from Malha to J erusal em,were not a lways of as agree

abl e a k i nd as those ment ioned. Often they were of

wood,the roots of the o l ive or oak grubbed out of

the ground,and form i ng wi th charcoal

,brought i n i n

sacks or pan i ers,the pr i n c ipal fuel of the land . At

the proper season they cons i sted of great bund les of

grass . O r most frequent ly,they were water from the

founta in,carr ied i n goat -sk i ns

,for the supp ly of the

‘

weal th i er fam i l ies of the H oly C i ty.

Th i s water has a great reputat ion for its sal ubr iouspropert i es ; and as Jerusal em , i n i t se lf, is otherw i sealmost total ly dependent on the ra i n wh i ch fal l s du ri ng the “ ra i ny season

,

” and is stored for many monthsi n underground c i stern s

,—wh i ch ra i n -water, gett ing

low and doubt l es s fu l l of extraneous matter towards theautumn

,is, more or l e s s, dangerous to health , — a l l

those who can afford i t procure water from some outs ide sou rce

,such as from the we l l at Malha, or from

Ai n Kar im,whose water i s he ld i n even h igher repute,

as be ing from the b i rthplace of Sai nt John the Bapt i st .More than once on su ch occas ion s H assan had

formed one of a company com ing i n from B e ttir. Andthough he had kept apart w i th the men of h i s v i l lage,H ilwe had overheard the women

,as they walked to

gether, commend h im for h i s good looks. I ndeed,they d id not hes i tate

,i n what m ight be con s idered


rather broad language,to expres s the i r op i n ion of h im ,

pronounc i ng h im of shapely bu i ld, comely, and we l lfavoured above the common , and, i n short, a man to bedes i red .

And now,as he stood bes ide her on the h i l l s id e, h is

gaze d i rected to the spot sh e had ind i cated i n theVal l ey of Roses, i t a l l appeared l ike a d ream to

H ilwe .

The imposs ib l e has come to pass, sh e sa id .

H e who had seemed so far off from her— so unap

proachable , was now so near,speak i ng such k i nd

words as m ight make any woman proud and happy.

And yet there was a horr ib l e dread overhang i ng i ta l l . Yes

,i t was l ike a n ightmare , from wh ich she

feared sh e wou ld wake and find h im gone, and lost toher forever .She wanted to tel l h im everyth ing that had be en

sa id i n that fatefu l conversat ion sh e had overheard ;but when she saw the pecu l iar express ion of h is face,sh e feared to speak to h im . Even when he tu rned toher once more

,she cast her eyes down , and covered

her mouth wi th her robe .

H ilwe , i t i s best I shou ld know i t , at last he sa idwith a great effort . I t i s best to tel l me every word .

What d id they say? What d id thy uncl e I sma i l andAbd-e l -nour say, under the g reat ol ive-tree ?The sound of h i s vo ice went through her l ike fine

melancholy mus i c as he spoke,deep and low

,i n a sub

dued but manly tone. She cou ld have d i ed to saveh im the pa i n . She cou ld have done anyth i ng for h imthen . H er shame or shyness was forgotten .

“ They spoke of the com i ng harvest,”she began ,

and the crop of roses,wh ich they sai d wou ld be abun

dant and fine. And Abd—e l -nour sa id the barl eyharvest wou ld be ear ly and good . And then be countedwhat everyth i ng wou ld br ing i n to h im ,

—the l en t i l s,

the bar l ey,wheat , ol ives , grapes, and al l .

She hes i tated for a moment,then cont i nued .

H e sa id , with what he a l ready had la id up, that bythe t ime the doura was r ipe and garnered he wou ldhave enough to make up the amount he had prom i sed

30 H assan a Fel lah

neous ly. That pecu l iar i nterm i ttent t i nk l i ng cou ldhave but one source, as they knew qu i te we l l . I t wasthe melod iou s r i ng of the camel s ’ be l l s , softened bythe d i stance

,and wh ich had reached them before the

caravan appeared i n s ight .I t pla i n ly was a large company ; and the beasts of

bu rden were heav i ly laden w i th merchand i se.The cr ies of the camel -d r ivers by th i s t ime were

heard .

Through v istas i n the great shou lder i ng masses ofrock wh i ch outcropped from the green sward

,at l ength

m ight be seen the t ra i n of camel s wi th the i r curvednecks and mal ignant ly i n sol en t express i on , as theyst rode by

,into a more d i stant road , l ead i ng into the

h ighway.

“ They are not com i ng near us. They are go inganother way

,sa id H assan

, to reassure H i lwe ; wh i l ethe caravan passed too far off to not i ce them .

“ I t i s we l l,

”sh e sa id, rel i eved, when al l had gone

And now he came very c lose to her wh i l e he spoke.“ I am determ i ned to s ee th i ne uncl e I sma i l and the

she ik,

” he sa i d . I am not going to s it st i l l andsuffer th i s great shame, th i s ev i l th ing, to come topass . ”

H e l i fted up h i s vo i ce i n a proud and confident tone.She kept her eyes bent down , and was s i l ent.I am determ ined,

” he repeated .

And yet no one knew better than they d id the almosthopel ess character of the case . The prejud i ces , customs and hates of generat ions presented obstac l es we l ln igh i nsurmountab l e . The superst i t ious hab i ts of asem i -barbarou s peopl e are not eas i ly overcome ; and i twas these H assan had undertaken to conquer.Even now,

as they fond ly supposed themselves so

secu re from observat ion , a mal ign eye was watch ingthem .

H assan , know ing too wel l the dangerous ground hestood on,

and the r i sk they ran i n be i ng seen togetherunder such c i rcumstances , had more than once sweptw i th sent i ne l gaze the approaches . H e apprec i at ed

H assan : a Fellah 3 1

fu l ly the uneas iness man ifested by H ilwe , and fe l t hewas re spons i bl e , and must guard and protect her fromany ev i l con sequences wh i ch m ight en sue shou ld the i rmeet ing be detected

,hav i ng in the fi rst p lace taken

due precaut ion aga i n st be ing surpr i sed .

These fe l laheen are savage i n the i r pun i shment ofany infr ingement of the i r immemor ia l u sages. Theyse ldom over look the i r be i ng tampered w i th, though ,at the same t ime

,i t i s t ru e that some of the most

ser iou s offences and cr imes among them, inc lud i ngeven mu rder

,can

,with proper management, be com

pounded for,not se ldom on a money bas i s .

St i l l more often the i nfl i ct ion of a sort of retal iat i onis resorted to

,someth i ng on th e old pr i nc ip l e of “ an

eye for an eye,and a tooth for a tooth,

”not even

stopp i ng short of “ a l ife for a l ife. ” The methods ofprocedure in such cases are not unfrequent ly of themost extraord i nary and bruta l character, and scarce lyto be bel i eved by those l iv i ng under a c ivi l i sedgovernment .I t was therefor e not w ithou t some t rep idat ion

, at

l east on the part of H i lwe , that , i n the m id st ofH assan ’s more ardent demonstrat ion s

,they sudden ly

h eard th e no i se of an approach ing footstep among theloose rocks and stones not far beh i nd them . At firstH assan was i nc l i ned to th ink the sound m ight havebeen made by a stray i ng sheep

, or some lo i ter ingmember of the caravan wh i ch had passed . But he wassoon undece ived .

“ I t i s Kadra,gasped H i lwe .

Turn i ng qu i ck ly i n the d i rect ion of H ilwe’

s gaze,H as san beheld the intruder

,who now was rap id ly com

ing towards them .

The young peopl e had instant ly sprung apart ; andH assan at once began ass i st i ng H ilwe to replace thewater-jar upon her head . Th i s he had succeeded i ndo ing just as Kadra reached them .

Before them stood, in the dark-b lue dress of thecountry, dyed of the nat ive ind igo

,an old woman

old at l east i n appearance,i f not i n years , with some

what of a hag-l ike aspect . She had a beak-shaped

32 Hassan : a Fellah

nose, and her black eyes had a sharp unp l easant glare,that one had rather not encounter , for they seemed tolook through and through the unhappy i nd iv idua l whocame under the i r inspect ion .

Over her forehead and around her head, beneath theflowi ng wh i t e drape ry or ve i l wh i ch covered i t, she

wore several rows of the s i lver Turk i sh co i n known asthe bish l ik, wh i ch had been rendered convex, andperforated and l i nked together for the pu rpose . H er

face was further embel l i shed by a pl ent ifu l tatoo ing of

a blu i sh colour. Not on ly were stars, c i rc l es and dots,a s wel l as other figu res d i str ibuted over her cheeks ,forehead and ch i n

,as we l l a s around her eyes, but even

the t ip of her nose was not negl ected, be i ng ornamented ,if so i t may be ca l l ed

,w ith three s ign ificant c l u sters of

dots . H er hands and arms were a p i ctor ia l wonderw i th s im i lar adornment

,— on ly that

,i n compl iance

w i th the re l ig ion, noth i ng that has l i fe was there or

el s ewhere repre sented upon her.I n t ruth , Kadra

’

s ugl ines s was almost phenomenal,

and on ly seemed i ntens ified by these art ific i a l attemptsto improve her looks . “ The husband of an uglywoman shou ld be bl i nd

, say the nat ives,wi th the i r

unconquerabl e love of beauty. I t may be added,she

was the goss ip and scandalmonger of the vi l lage,

whose presence was d readed by a l l , men and women,and o ld and young al ike . Some sa id sh e possessedthe ev i l eye and th i s added to the fear sh e i n sp i red

,

and gave her a certa i n i nfluence.Fat ima has been ask i ng for thee, she sa id

,with

a mal i c i ou s gr imace,as she came up, and address i ng

H ilwe , who was hasten ing to take her departu re .

I am go i ng,

” repl i ed the g i r l,after sal ut i ng her.

I th i rsted and asked the damsel for a l i tt l e water,

and she gave me to dr i nk,exp la i ned H assan

,with an

ease and coolness worthy of a pr i nce of the bloodroyal .

“ Thou wast long enough about i t to sat isfy a leg ionof sold i ers

,

” retorted Kadra.

“Why sayest thou thus ?I saw the e from the h i l l .

H assan a Fel lah 33

Thou hadst naught to see,answered the young

man, d i sda i nfu l ly.

H ad I not, indeed ?Thou sawest me quench my th irst .Ah , I perce ive the nobl e young man chooses to be

playfu l ! I te l l thee I saw thy do i ngs . I saw thee andH ilwe .

I t was true she had seen them from the h i l l,and

had gon e around another way,dete rm ined to s t eal upon

them unawares, and overhear the i r conversat ion . Andhad not a loosened ston e ro l l ed down and g iven thea larm ,

she wou ld have succeeded in her purpose . As

i t was , her su sp i c i on s were suffic i ent ly aroused i n thematter ; and she came to the conc lu s ion that she knewqu ite enough to condemn them

,though sh e had not

heard a word of what they had sa id .

As for H assan and H ilwe , they knew but too we l lit wou ld be next to a m i rac l e for Kadra to refra i nfrom g iv ing, w i th the most exaggerated colour ing, theaccount of what sh e had seen . They were a lmost su rei t wou ld be told i n Malha that even ing. The i r on lyconsolat ion was that Kadra

,from h er repeated s landers

and ev i l-speak i ng, had earned such d i stru st and d i s l ikeon al l s ides, that her story wou ld not be bel i eved , butwou ld be se t down to her mal ic i ou sness . I ndeed

,her

name had become, w ith her ne ighbors , the synonymfor falsehood ; so that, were any improbabl e statementmade

,i t was common to hear the remark, Oh, that is

a KadraA consc iousness of th i s fee l i ng, no doubt, i nfluenced

the woman when,after hav i ng stood her ground t i l l

H i lwe had departed, she resumed her journ ey to th e

founta in . With the most se lfi sh cal cu lat ion , the inve tcrate old goss ip argued with herse lf the pros and con sof th e affa i r. At fi rst she had thought what a del i c i ou sp iece of scandal i t wou ld make i n the v i l l age ; thencons idered how

,at best

, sh e wou ld ga in noth ing byreveal ing the fact s

,even cou ld sh e get them to be be

l ieved ; wh i l e by keep i ng them secret sh e cou l d controlH assan and H ilwe

,and

,perhaps

,l evy tr ibute on them ;

or, at l east, get a good backsheesh from H assan .

34 Hassan : a Fellah

Before sh e set out on her return tr ip, she had cometo the conc l us ion to act on th i s latter assumpt ion . Atleast sh e wou ld try i t s effect . And now, wi th herfi l l ed water-j ar

, she went somewhat out of her way toreach the p lace to where H assan meanwh i l e had movedwi th h i s sheep.

Li tt l e d id he th i nk he shou ld se e her to ta lk w i thher so soon agai n . True , at fi rst he had half i nc l i nedto appeal to her covetousnes s

,and br ibe her to be

s i l en t. But the more he thought of i t , the l ess u sethere seemed to h im to be i n tak i ng such a course. Atmost i t cou ld on ly ava i l to br idge over the t ime t i l l hehad Opportun i ty to see the she ik and the unc l e of

H ilwe . Yet, under certa i n c i rcumstances, even thatm ight prove of importance .

“ Surely,th i s gr i ef of m ine of be i ng i n love is i n

add i t i on to my other gr i efs,” sa id H assan , i n the

qua i nt language of the country.

She found the young man stretched at fu l l l engthupon the ground, h i s shepherd

’s crook cast as ide, andhe seem ing i n anyth ing but a happy frame of m ind .

I n h i s troubl e H assan looked more i nterest i ng andhandsomer than ever ; and, woman as she was , perhapsth i s was not withou t its effect upon her. Yet he d idnot appear to not i ce her .As she lowered the jar from her shou lder

,H assan

reta i ned h i s recumbent posture,langu id ly tu rn i ng h is

eyes on her, but not attempt ing to ass i s t her. H e fel tthere was someth i ng s i n i ster i n her thus approach ingh im , and he d id not know how to take i t .With her pecu l iar d i spos i t i on

,she cou ld not bear to

lose the opportun i ty of mock ing h im .

“Ah, if i t were on ly H i lwe , she exc la imed, how

soon he wou ld run to he lp her ! But the wel l-madehandsome young man lets the o ld woman groan underthe bu rden w i thou t l ift i ng a finger to ass i st her. ”

In sp i te of h i s dej ect ion,the humour of her words

had the i ntended effect,and drew a sm i l e from H as san .

But st i l l he d id not move or speak.

She was emboldened to carry the joke further ; and,com ing nearer, sh e offered h im some of the water.


Art thou not th i rsty ? Dost thou not want todr i nk ? ” she asked i n a sat i r i cal accent . “ But Ip la i n ly perce ive the water thou th irste st for i s of anent i re ly d i fferent k i nd .

” And lower i ng her vo i ce, she

wh i spered d i st i nct ly,Stol en waters are sweet

,and

bread eaten in secret i s p l easant . ”

H assan ’s eye s remai ned fixed on her ; st i l l he d idnot rep ly, nor d id he move ; but lay st retched out

before her,i n h i s or ig i nal posture . And fasc i nat i ng

enough he looked to tu rn the head and capture theheart of any woman

,young or old .

“H assan , my son ,

”she sa id , speak i ng i n an earnest

tone,wh i l e she set as ide the water

,and drew st i l l

nearer to h im,

“ I have i t i n my power, a s is wel lknown to thee , to do thee much ev i l or a great good .

Which sha l l i t be ? I t i s for thee to dec ide. Thoushou ldst not have spoken to the young g i r l . I n thatthou didst a gr i evous wrong . As thou d idst dareventure thy affect ions on a woman of Malha

,thou

shou ld st have gone,accord i ng to our custom , to some

old woman to speak for thee . Why d idst thou notcome to me ? I wou ld have been thy g o

-between,

thankl es s and dangerous work as i t i s l ike to be . ”

St i l l there was no reply.

H is s i l ence was exasperat i ng, and she wou ld h avel eft h im

,i n anger ; but h is great unearth ly- look i ng

eyes, l ike the eyes of some sp i r i t,held her

, as theserpen t holds the charmed b i rd . Spe l l -bound

,and

half-magnet i sed, she fel t someth ing om inous musthappen—perhaps someth ing fatal—at l east he mustmove or speak, or she must scream out or gow i ld.

“ Speak, H assan ; I beseech of thee, speak to me !Merc ifu l goodness ! is he dy ing or dead that he dothnot speak or move ?Then came an uncontrol labl e impu l se to touch h im .

She la id her hand upon h is arm— h i s naked chest .I t was a great rel ief. H e was warm

,he was al i ve.

Thank Al lah ! What a thr i l l went through her fromthe glowing flesh !Just then a fine sheep

,in tol erable cond i t ion , came


up to them,n ibbl i ng the grass. Its l ong fawn-colou red

ears drooped g racefu l ly ; and its enormou s ta i l , thet id-b i t of the nat ives, was looped up, to prevent i tt ra i l i ng on the ground. The s ight recal l ed to Kadra’

s

m ind her or ig i nal pu rpose— at l east, to obta i n from

H assan a good backsheesh a valuab l e present.“ That i s a fine fat sheep , she sa id .

“ The grac iou sand comely young man H assan wou ld find i t to h isadvantage to g ive i t to Kadra— Kadra, who has i t i nher power to do h im much evi l .She placed her hand upon the imper ial - l ike, po i nted

beard wh ich covered h i s ch i n,tak ing hold of i t, and

strok i ng i t gent ly, to emphas i se her request, as is thecustom , meani ng there must be no den ia l . And mostnat ive persons con s ider that a pet i t ion so presentedmust not be refu sed

,i f i t is poss ib l e, wi th i n reasonabl e

l imi ts, to grant i t .Wi l l not my lord favou rably con s ider my request ?

she asked .

Sudden ly,wi thout the l east warn ing, he threw h is

head forward,and caught her hand i n h i s mouth

,w ith

a snap l ike that of a w i ld an imal , b i t i ng sharp ly i ntothe flesh w i th h i s br ight

,m i lk -wh ite teeth .

A loud yel l bu rst from her l ips, and she flung herse lf backward in an agony of pa i n and terror ; but probably suffe r i ng more from the latter than the former.Thou hast b i tten me to the bone, she screamed .

What does al l th i s mean ? ” sa id H as san, affect i nggreat aston i shment

,and at l ength s i tt ing up, and final ly

stand i ng erect .“ Thou hast b itten me badly, she repeated, nu rs i ng

her hand .

I t was ev ident he had formed h i s purpose, and wascarry i ng i t out.

“What art thou talk i ng about ? Thy words are as

those of the fool i sh woman . What art thou t ry ing tosay?

I have a l ready told thee, she answered b i tterly.

Th i nkest thou I am bl i nd,and d id not see thee w i th

the damsel ? ”“ Because I, a man of B ettir, when per i sh ing w ith


Pra i se be to Al lah,I am not so bad-look i ng . Nor

am I as o ld as I look . Am I ? ”

Far from i t,was h is t erse reply.

But thou knowest,i n sp i te of what thou sayest ,

H assan , thy m ind i s set on the damsel . Love andmusk do not remai n concealed. I cou ld be of goodhelp to th ee ; or do thee much evi l . And there isthat sheep . Dost thou not th i nk thou wou ldst find i tprofi tabl e to g ive i t to me ?

“As to the daughter of her people, what can sh e beto me

,as al ready I have told thee ? Ne ither of us i s

so fool i sh as to try for what i s out of our reach . Butso far as the sheep i s concerned, that i s d ifferent. Ican refuse thee noth ing thou askest of me, Kadra .

The sheep i s th i n e . On ly l eave i t w i th me for a fewdays longer

,and it w i l l be i n better cond it ion to g ive

i t to thee. Meanwh i l e, say noth i ng as to what thou

hast seen . There i s naught i n i t . And why makemore m i sch ief ? The blood -feud i s bad enough .

”

H e fe l t the postponement i n g iv i ng her the sheepwou ld help to keep her on her best behav iou r .

“ Blessed mayest thou be,and thy ch i ldren ’s ch i l

dren ! ” excla imed Kadra .

“ I knew, al l the t ime , thatthy heart was i n the r ight place .

” And she k i ssedH assan ’s hand for respect and grat i tude . I shal l doas thou sayest

,

”sh e added . And I shal l speak sweet

words for thee, bowi ng low.

“ My lord ’s eyes havelooked grac iou s ly upon h i s handmaid . I t sha l l beaccord ing to thy word.

”

She had accompl i shed her purpose,after al l . She

had obta i ned a good backsheesh . The sheep was hers ;and she had al ready planned i n her m i nd the feast shewou ld have w i th i t , cal l i ng i n al l her n e ighbours andfr i ends . It shou ld be stuffed w ith r i ce

,butter

,sp ices

,

and p in e seeds i n ga lore, and shou ld be baked ent i re,and served i n a lord ly d i sh .

But I must be go ing , she sa id,adj ust i ng the

water-j ar on her shou lder, i n wh i ch H assan th i s t imeass i sted her, and to whom she was profuse i n herthanks .

“Thou art as stra ig ht as anyyoung woman , he sa id .

H assan : a Fe llah 39

Good-bye, and the bl ess ing of Al lah be upon thee,

was her sm i l i ng reply.

“ Peace be w ith thee,sa id H assan . Go i n peace.

Ma’-e s-sa lameh .

”

She t rotted off, w ith a we l l sat i sfied a i r, chuck l ing toherse lf at the success of her stratagem .

H as san stood mot ion less and s i l ent,look i ng after her

w ith thoughtfu l countenance t i l l she was out of earshot .“ She is a daughter of Eva and of Del i lah

,at last

he broke out.

“ I have no confidence i n her. She i sa dangerou s woman, such as our Prophet— to whom bepra i se— has warned u s of i n the Koran . Ver i ly

, she

is even the brawl i ng woman of whom Su leyman theW i se spake i n h i s Proverbs . Yet though I tru s t hernot, nor value her fa i r words , a br ibe may b i nd her,and the prom i sed backsheesh may hold her.The innocent sheep , unconsc iou s of its impend i ng

doom,had d rawn nearer and nearer, t i l ! , at last , i t

cropped the herbage at H assan ’s very feet.“Ye s, he sa id , wi th sadness, address i ng the dumb

an imal , thou art hers . I have g iven my word . Aprom i se i s a prom i se ; and thou w i l t have to g o to

her. ”

H e t u rned as ide to put on h is aba i .“ But

,after al l

,i t is for H ilwe ,

” h e sa id, a sm i l ere laxing h is l ips .

CH APTER IV

H E Spol latos were an o ld t i t l ed Neapol itan fam i ly,now mu ch decayed

,and reduced from the i r

former h igh estate ; but st i l l , wi th the nat ive pr ide ofpos i t ion and b i rth

,keep i ng up appearances to the best

of the i r ab i l i ty. Though so l ong res ident i n Napl es ,they had come or ig i nal ly from Ven i ce, and the fam i lytrad i t i ons had i t that they were descended from one of

the Doges . I n both Napl es and Ven i ce the fam i lyhad been possessed of great weal th . They were ves se l

40 H assan : a Fel lah

owners and merchant pr i nces i n the days of Venet ianSplendour and glory

,now long departed, apparent ly

forever ; and the pal try remnant of the i r grand sea

ventures and reduced fleet was now managed w i thdecl i n i ng fortune by Giovann i Spo l lato and h i s nephewLeone

,the last of the i r race.

The o ld man , who, as wel l as h i s nephew, borethe t i t l e of count, had fond ly hoped that i n Leonethe honours and d ign i t i es as we l l as the wealth of theSpo l latos wou ld be rev ived. H e wou ld not confess,even to h imself, that the i r fortunes were gradual lygrow i ng worse

,and to the last he kept a brave fron t

to the world, so that i t was general ly be l i eved he was

much bette r off than in real i ty he was . Any l it t l etemporary improvement i n the i r affa i rs was dwel t onby h im

,and g iven undue prom i nence, to the exc l us ion

of the i r m i sadventures .Tru e

,some years ag o , on the death of h is wife

,

wh ich had short ly succeeded the death of h i s son, anon ly ch i ld

,i n h is afll iction he had put down the i r

carr iage as an unnecessary p i ece of extravagance, se l ling the horses. The carriage i tse l f he cou ld not qu i t emake up h is m ind to part w i th ; and i t st i l l l ay i n thecoach -hou se

,w ith a l l its equ ipment s, the coat-of-arms

of the Spol latos, surmounted w i th coronet , on its pane l s.H e argued, one cou ld a lways h i re a pa i r of horses, andthe world be none the w i ser a s to the ir ownersh ip .

But the carr i age was very se ldom used by e i ther h imse lf or h i s n ephew ; though i t seemed to g ive the o ldman pecu l iar comfort to th i nk i t was there, ready foruse.There is no doubt that whatever fee l i ngs the uncl e

m ight natural ly have toward h i s nephew'

were i ntens ifiedby the fact that i n Leone was now centred a l l thefuture of the fam i ly, even its very perpetuat i on . Pr ide

,

therefore, was a pronounced factor i n the affect ion of

the o ld man for the younger. And as Leon e enteredthe room , th i s morn i ng, the presence of the good-looki ng young fe l low with h i s gracefu l

,d ign ified move

ments s en t a thr i l l of happ i ness to h i s unc l e ’s heart .The g reet i ng s over, and breakfast be i ng served,

H assan : a Fe l l ah 4 1

Count Spol lato, as they took the i r seats, returned tothe exam inat i on of a p i l e of l etters wh i ch had arr ivedby the last ma i l

,and had been placed on the tab le .

The occupat ion en l ivened without interrupt i ng h i sbreakfast .

“You were out late last n ight, Leone, he sa id , l ook

ing up from h i s employment w i th a pl easant g lance .

Leone bowed h is head , wh i l e he s imply assented tothe remark.

“ I wa ited up for you t i l l I became so s l eepy Ihad to go to bed . You were at the opera, I suppose.And

,wi thou t wa it ing for reply, the unc l e cont i nued,

“What was the p i ece ? Let me se e . Ah , Don izett i’s

Lucia d i Lammermoor I a lways l iked i t— a lwaysl iked Don izett i ’s mus i c w i th its effect ive changes andsu rpr i ses . Was the performance good ?Now

,a few n ight s before, i t had happened that

Leon e was pres en t at a rend i t ion of th i s Opera . H e

therefore cou ld speak w ith knowledge on the subj ectthat i s

,as to the characte r of the performers .

S ignor ina Tantorini is , as you know, con s idered tohave a very fine vo ice,

” he sa id . I l i ke her great ly ;and she i s wel l s upported. You wi l l see what thepaper says .Leone

,i n the m idst of the quest ion ing

,had d ropped

h is fork and se ized the morn i ng paper, and , l ook i ng upthe theatr i cal not i ces , he p laced before h i s u nc l e therather br i ef comments w i th wh i ch the Ital i an journal susual ly sat i sfy themselves and the i r readers i n th i sdepartment.

H igh ly art i st ic performance . Exqu i s i te rendering of the ar ia s

,and refined percept ion of the d i fferent

read h i s unc l e. “ I w i sh I had gone w i thyou,

” he added,w ith a burst of enthu s iasm .

A fa i nt se lf-con sc iou s sm i l e played about Leone ’smouth for an i n stan t as he cons idered where the real isat ion of that w i sh wou ld have taken h is uncl e, whopresent ly cont i nued : “ But I am gett i ng too o ld for

th i s n ight-work . It does not any longer agree w ithme to be out so late . It

’

s a l l wel l enough for youyoung peop le.

4 2 H assan : a Fe l lah

There was no abso lute des ire on Leone ’s part todece ive h is uncl e ; ne i ther for personal reason s wasthere exact ly any neces s i ty that he shou ld do so.

On ly i t wou ld certa i n ly have been i n conven ient andunusual , i n short,

“not the th i ng,

”to have g iven the

fact s i n the case. H ad h i s uncl e known the truth i nthe matte r

,he wou ld probably have fe l t l i tt l e surpr i se

,

and wou ld have sat i sfied h imse lf by adm i n i ster i ng toLeone a m i ld rebuke qual ified by a joke or a laugh.

There is noth i ng stra i t laced i n the Ital i an character.“ But I am negl ect i ng to hand you your l etters ,

Leone,sa id h i s unc l e, pass ing to h i s nephew three or

fou r notes wh i ch he had se l ected from the p i l e beforeh im .

Leone se ized them w ith av id ity, glad to cover whatever embarrassment he m ight have fe l t , by qu i cklybreak i ng the seal s of the notes, and devour i ng thecontent s w i th h i s breakfast. They seemed to bemost ly i nv i tat i ons to part i es ; for Leone was muchsought afte r

,even among the best fam i l i es.

H is unc l e, s im i lar ly occup i ed wi th h i s correspon

dence,gave vent

,from t ime to t ime, after h i s manner,

to var ious comments on the l etters he had rece ived,

somet imes read i ng a loud br i ef extracts from them . Atlast he Opened one

,the contents of wh i ch seemed to

ag i tate h im . H e glanced through i t rap idly ; andthen

,w ith contracted brows and compressed l ips

,sat

s i l ent ly ponder i ng what he had read,

~ wh ile he keptsmooth i ng out the c reases of the paper.Leone, you w i l l , I am sure, do me the cred it of my

hav ing always spared your fee l i ngs,at l east on one

subj ect,at l ength he sa id .

“ Though wh i l e spar i ngyours

,I have a l so, no doubt , spared my own .

”

H e pau sed for a moment,as i f not knowing how to

cont i nu e the subj ect to wh ich th i s awkward brace ofsentences was seem ingly but the i ntroduct ion ; wh i leLeone bowed h i s head

,and br i efly acknowledged i n

advance the tru th of the statements , though wonder i ngas to what was to come .

You have a lways been too k ind to me i n everyway, he sa id .

Hassan a Fellah 43

The O ld man st i l l he ld the l etter in h i s hand,and

h is eyes were bent on i t as be resumed i n a d i st inct butsuppressed tone of vo ice. I t seemed as if he d id notcare to t ru st h imse lf to speak loud.

“Th i s l etter i s from Jerusalem , from you r mother’s

brother—you r uncl e Anse lmo, ” he sa id, tu rn i ng to

the s ignature at the foot of the l ett er, as though i t wasnecessa ry to ass i st h i s memory, but in rea l i ty to avo idlook ing, wh i l e he spoke, at Leone. I t seems he fee l sthe we ight of h i s accumu lat i ng years ; h is heal th ispoor ; and before the end of h i s days, wh i ch he fanc i esi s not far off, he longs to see the on ly ch i ld of h is

deceased s i ster. I n short , he has some spec i a l commun ication to make to you, and begs you wi l l vi s i t h imin the H oly C i ty.

And you you do not approve of th i s .I t appears to me you shou ld have someth i ng to

say i n the matter, Leone. Indeed I want you to doexact ly as you w i sh .

“ My w i shes are yours, Uncl e G iovann i . I shal l begu ided by you i n everyth i ng. You know very wel l i tw i l l be far from pleasant for me to unde rtake such ajourney. H ow can I care very much to meet Unc l eAnse lmo

,whom I real ly never knew ? To say t ruth ,

I shr i nk from the meet i ng—from al l assoc i at i on w i thh im and his peopl e . H ow cou ld i t be otherwi se ? ”

The'

young man’s face was a study as he spoke . I t

glowed with a certa i n touch of ind ignat ion , and as i fsometh i ng rose up w i th in h im i n protest aga i n st h imse lf

,aga i n st h is very flesh and b lood . The cr imson

flush burned through the ol ive cheek .

“ It was so unfortunate, Leone, so unfo rtunate . PoorFrancesco

,my father never forgave h im for the mar

riag e ; and , much as I loved my brother,I dared not

pl ead for h im . Indeed my father wou ld not have h isname ment ioned i n h i s pres ence . I have n ever talkedto you much about the c i rcumstances ; they were toopa i nfu l to me ; and I fe l t i t wou ld be happ i er foryouto be ignorant of them . I wou ld have kept you ig no

rant . But fate has orda i ned otherwi se .

“ Unc l e G iovann i , I th ink i t best that you shou ld


te l l me al l . I know the worst , I suppose ; and I canbear what further you have to say. We are a lonetogether ; i t is on ly r ight that I shou ld know al l .

”

Leone tu rned to h i s unc le wi th a look the l attercou ld hardly face.I t seems on ly yesterday when i t a l l happened , when

Francesco when your father l eft for Ven i ce. H e hadgreat ly d i spl eased your grandfather by h is d i s s ipat ion sand negl ect of bus i ness . H e had the fam i ly fa i l ing,too much adm i rat ion for women , and , I suppose, inherited i t . When I th i nk of i t now, i t appears to mei t i s h igh ly improbab l e that he was a wh i t wors e thanhalf the young men I se e around me. But there i s away of do i ng ath ing. I t i s that makes a l l the d ifference . And if one has those fa i l i ngs, he shou ld havesuffi c ient d iscret ion to be govern ed i n them by commonprudence

, and not to l e t them interfere w ith his bu s ines s or h i s reputat ion , you know.

“Ye s, ye s ,

” assented Leone, who had ar i sen and

begun to pace the room i n some ag itat ion ; but present ly returned and resumed h is seat .The wor ld can forg ive much fol ly in a man if he

on ly has sense enough to know where to stop,

”con

tinued h is unc l e .

“ There must be a ce rta i n l im i t toi t a l l . H e must not tran sgress aga i n st the acceptedpr inc ipl e s or the prejud i ces of soc i ety.

But to resume. The agent for our house in Ven i cehad become i nvo lved in certa i n d ifficu l t ies ; yourgrandfather, whose heal th had then begun to fa i l ,cou ld not spare me to go and attend to the mattersthere, and so sent F rancesco, with many charges as towhat he shou ld do i n the case ; giv i ng h im to understand that in th i s he had one more and last Opportun i tyof redeem i ng h i s character. But if, i n Naples, underh is father ’s eye, F rancesco fa i l ed to rest ra i n h imse lf,i t i s not to be supposed that away

,i n Ven i ce

,he

wou ld be any bette r. Certa i n i t is that he total lym i smanaged the bus i ness he was sent on,

negl ect ingi t for h i s pl easures

,to you r grandfather ’s great indig

nat ion . It rea l ly seemed as i f Francesco had gonefrom bad to worse . H is excesses ended in a severe

46 Hassan : a Fe llah

Oh,how cou ld my father do i t ? ” exc la imed Leone,

mov ing h i s cha i r away,and bu ryi ng h is face i n h i s

hand s. I t a lmost makes me hate myse lf to th i nkof i t .

Do not ta lk so, Leone, sa id h is unc l e. You mustnot take i t so to heart . I t wou ld not be r ight . You

must not imag in e that these were of the common sortof J ew. The Jacob inis had made more than one i ntermarr iage w ith some of our better c lass of I ta l ianfam i l i es

,and i n the more remote past th i s had occurred

doubt l ess repeatedly. They bore l i tt l e or no trace of

the anc i en t peopl e i n the i r appearance. At any rate,i n the case of your mother

,I may say, you never wou ld

have imag i ned her be i ng Of H ebrew descent . True,taken together wi th the loss of our Venet i an bu s iness ,wh ich our father a lways had great pr ide i n , as be i ngthe or igi n of our house, and wh ich d i saster was large lydue to Francesco ’s m i smanagement

,i t preyed so on the

o ld man ’s m i nd , i t affected h i s heal th and shortenedh i s days . H e

, too , had planned a d i st i ngu i shed matr imon ia l al l iance for Francesco. I have often heardyou r grandfather say i t broke h i s heart.

”

“No wonder,

” sa id Leone, who had been mov ingh i s cha i r farther and farther from h i s u nc l e

,and now

,

with an i ndescr ibab l e look of chagr i n on h i s handsomeface, sprang up, and walked rap id ly to the other end ofthe room .

“ Calm you rself, I beseech of you, Leone . I sure lyd i d not te l l you th i s to pa i n you, but because yourequested i t , and we both con s idered i t n ecessary,

”

sa id h i s unc l e, as he aros e and fol lowed h im .

Leone hung h is head w ith an express i on of shameand gr i ef.Some of the best fam i l i e s of Cas t i l e have an infu

s ion of Moor i sh or Jewi sh b lood,re sumed h is unc l e .

“You have heard of the K i ng of Spa i n who decreedthat every man i n Spa i n who had any H ebrew blood i nh is ve ins shou ld wear a yel low hat . The decree wasabsolute, includ i ng from the h ighest to the lowest i nthe land. The next day the court Chamberla i n enteredthe k i ng ’s presence bear i ng three yel low hats. The


k ing,annoyed

,asked h im why he brought them there ,

and who they were meant for. One i s for your Majesty

,

’

was the reply, another for the Pr ime M i n i ster,and the th i rd i s for myse lf. ’

You se e , Leone , what afool ish th i ng such prej ud i ce i s.

“Ah ! ” exc la imed Leone , sorrowfu l ly, I have readSpan i sh h i story

,where i t states that the weal th of the

J ews furn i shed an obv iou s resource for repa i r ing, bymarr iage

,the decayed fortunes of the nob i l i ty

,and that

there was scarcely a fam i ly of rank i n the land whoseblood had no t been contam i nated, at some per iod or

other,by m ixtu re w ith the male: sang re bad blood , as

i t came afte rwards to be termed of the house of

Judah ; an ignom in iou s sta i n , wh ich no t ime has beendeemed suffic i en t whol ly to purge away.

Leone ’s face grew dark as he proceeded.

“ These are the words of an Amer ican h i stor ian,

he resumed,

“ the c i t i zen of a repub l i c, remember ; andhe fu rthe r speaks of the anx i ety shown by the modernSpan iard to prove that the sang re ae ul , blue blood,flows through h i s ve ins, uncontam i nated by anyMoor i shor Jew i sh ta i nt .

H e s imply descr ibes the Span i sh prejud i ce on thesubj ect , Leone .Yes, and man ifest s h i s own prejudice .

I can hardly th i nk that ,” sa id the o ld count .

Then , as he saw the gr i eved look i n h i s nephew ’sdark eyes , he threw h is arms around h im and embracedh im , aga i n and aga i n , excla im ing, Oh , Leone, do notfee l so ! H ave I ever t reated you unk indly ? H ave Inot always loved you as my son ?

You have been far too good to me a lways, as I havetold you, repl i ed the young man . I have not deservedhalf your k indness . I am unworthy of i t. And now Ifeel I am l ike a debased co i n — a degraded Spol lato,that ought not to pass cu rrent .

“ Don ’t, don’t ! ” cr i ed h is uncl e. You are every

inch of you a Spol lato—every inch of you,I say !

” andhe warm ly pressed Leon e to h im repeated ly. H e hadnever s i nce h i s nephew was a l itt l e boy shown so muchlove and pass ionate fondness for h im .


I t was imposs ib l e for a man of Leone Spo l lato’

s

impu l ses not to respond to such fee l i ng demonstrat i ons. H e was deeply moved at the k i nd ent reat i esand assurances of one whom he had l earn ed to respectand love from h is youngest years— who was to h im afather i n every sen se but the one—h e was not theauthor of h i s be i ng. The two men stood locked i neach other ’s arms for several m i nutes w i thout speak ing

,

the nobl e face of the elder look i ng l ike the grand countenance of some great doge or emperor

,al l i t s best

po i nt s brought out and accentuated by h i s affect ion forh is nephew, and the fear l est that nephew shou ld beundu ly wounded by what had been sa id .

As they stood so c lose together,the l ikeness between

them seemed stronger than ever. I t was a l so commonto more than one of the fam i ly portra i ts that hunground the room . There was one , espec i al ly, a remarkab l e portra i t of a Venet i an ancestor

,wh i ch had been

ascr i bed to T i t i an, i n wh ich the l ikeness was almoststart l i ng.

“When your father came here, a w idower, w ith you,on the death of our father,

” con t i nu ed the unc l e,

“ every one not i ced how l ike me you were, though youwere such a l i tt l e fel low. No one outs ide Of thefam i ly knew anyth i ng of the pecul i ar c i rcumstances ofthe marr i age

,and so i t has rema ined to th i s day.

Who wou ld dream you had a drop of J ew i sh blood i nyour ve i n s ? Not one . Ever s i n ce you r father ’s ear lydeath

, you have been as my own son ; and after thelos s of my Giovan i n i

, you have been doubly my son .

The o ld count ’s vo i ce trembled,and tears gathered

i n h i s eyes as he spoke . H e pressed Leone closer toh im

,as if he feared some c ru el fat e were about to

depr ive h im of h im .

Prom i se me,he added

,that you w i l l not l et th i s

dwel l on your m ind to t roubl e you .

“ I do prom i se,dear uncl e ; I shal l not l et i t t roubl e

me, so far a s I can help i t,

” answered Leone . I w i l ldo anyth i ng you requ i re of me.

”

“And now,Leone

,

” sa id h i s unc l e,revert i ng to

the or ig i nal subj ect,

“ as to th i s v i s i t to J eru salem, I


real ly do not see how you can avo id i t. Your unc l eAnse lmo is pecu l i ar ly urgent, and, apart from thec la ims of common human i ty, h is commun i cat ion maybe of great importance to you. From what he says, heseems so to cons ider i t . ”

Though Leone sa id l i tt l e or noth i ng , h i s att itudewas far from encourag ing. I t ev ident ly was pol i t i cnot to pres s the subj ect any furthe r at present ; atl east so h i s un cl e thought .

“Wel l,wel l

,l et u s say no more about i t , he sa id .

You w i l l , meanwh i l e, th i nk over i t . There can beno immed iate haste requ i red, I suppose . The old man ,in sp i te of a l l h i s forebod i ngs, i s, no doubt , far enoughoffyet from be i ng in artz

'

eulo mom'

s . And now, Leone,remember your prom i se . You must not worry overanyth i ng I have to ld you . I t wou ld, i ndeed, be rid iculou s to do so . And

,for the matter of that , what fam i ly,

i nc l ud i ng even royal ty i ts e lf,i s without blot or sta i n

of some sort ? Why, I remember hear i ng my fathersay that, i n the olden t ime, they had a joke about ourname

,and used to declare i t was or ig inal ly Spog l iato

from spog lz’

a,spo i l

,booty, hav i ng reference to the

or ig i n of our weal th and r i se, through our sea-venture s,in the ear ly Venet i an days, when , no doubt , as i n thecase of many another nobl e fam i ly, the do i ngs too Oftenpartook of a plunder ing and almost p i rat i ca l character.The world has improved s ince that t ime .

”

And so h i s unc l e ran on, tryi ng to make l ight of

what had been a sore matte r to h imself, and wh i ch hesaw Leone took so b i tter ly to heart .The tru th was , as has been shown, that the affa i rs

of the fam i ly were da i ly grow i ng worse, and , moreurgent ly than ever, forc i ng themse lves upon the attent ion of the e lder Spol lato, who kept hop i ng they wou ldmend present ly

,and who w i l l i ngly wou ld have con

cealed the exact state of the case even from h imse lf.As he sat that day in h i s anc i ent dusky offi ce

,over

hau l i ng h i s papers,h i s cou rageou s O ld heart gave way

suffic ient ly to confes s the fear that he shou ld not l eaveLeon e as wel l off as he had expected. I t meant muchcom ing from such a man .


I w i sh he wou ld v i s i t h i s unc l e i n J eru sal em , headded . Those Old J ews have a p i l e of gold la id by.

Poor- look ing and shabby as they keep themse lves,I

never knew i t to fa i l . Whatever he has, much or

l i t t l e,he w i l l probably g ive or l eave to Leone, espe

cial ly shou ld Leone v i s i t h im . I t may,perhaps, make

up for my losses . The i r money i s j ust as c l ean as anyone ’s

,even if they are J ews. And Anse lmo must

have a good share of the Jacob i n i hoard i ngs,wh ich

ought to be long to Leone if he on ly managed r ight .But there i s no use te l l i ng my h igh-st rung nephewth i s ; i t m ight spo i l everyth i ng. I don ’t b lame h im

,

though, for desp i s i ng the mamme the rubb i sh .

Peop le of God , i ndeed ! Ch i ldren of the dev i l ! ”

Thus ended the old man,h is innate prej udice gett ing

the bette r of h im .

CH APTER V

ONTH S passed by, and Leone st i l l postponedl eavi ng Napl es for J eru sal em .

H ad one been abl e to look i n on Count Spol lato inthose days

,as he l i ngered alone i n h i s offi ce

,por i ng

over h is papers and account -books,h e wou ld have been

found, oftener than ever, shak i ng h is head and sayi ng ,“ I fear I shal l not be abl e to l eave Leone as wel l offas I expected , when I d i e. It was a lways Leone andnot h imself he thought of, the handsome brave o ld man .

Long had he fought,almost s i ngl e-handed

,and with

out a murmur, aga i n st adverse c i rcumstances . TOO

unselfish and courageous to recogn i se there was anyth i ng of pecu l iar mer i t i n h i s devot ion to others , or

i n the fort i tude that carr i ed a subl ime head h igh aboveal l t roubl e, he moved among h i s fe l lows on ly as anord i nary man .

H e even d id not perce ive he was advanc i ng i n l i fe—growi ng o ld , and l es s ab l e to contend w ith thetroubl es wh i ch , each year, were becom i ng more compl i cated and more d iffi cu l t to deal w i th . I t was,


i ndeed,not easy for h im to acknow l edge age or its

i n roads ; for there was l i tt l e appearance of phys i ca l ormental decay about h im . Of h im i t cou ld t ru ly besa id : H is eye was not d im nor h i s natural forceabated . H e wou ld str ike

‘

h i s chest and say,I am a

young man yet, i n every respect -

potefl te, vigor/ore .

”

But new methods and new dev i ces that he was l i tt l efam i l i ar w i th, or comparat ive ly ignorant of, had beeni ntroduced in

'

bus i ness . The power and tyranny of

cap i ta l , too , were mak ing themselves fe l t i n largecomb i nat ion s and far-reach i ng schemes

,unknown i n

former t imes .Nor was Leone, however wel l -d i sposed he m ight be,

qu i te capab l e of afford i ng de l iverance from th i s stateof th i ngs , for h i s unc l e had a lways brought h im upmore as the gent l eman than as the man of bus i n ess .I t was when the e lder Spo l lato found h imse lf a lone

w i th h is accounts that the truth was forced upon h im,

and he was ob l iged to adm i t a constant ly d im in i sh i ngi ncome.For these and other s im i lar reasons

,though he d id

not advance them to Leone,he had urged h is n ephew ’s

yis it to J erusa lem . There was abundant occas ion forth i s

,for Anselmo Jacob i n i , weary under the de lay,

heart -s i ck from hope deferred,had wr i tten repeated ly

s i nce the fi rst memorabl e l etter,beseech i ng h i s nephew

no longer to postpone com i ng to h im . In th i s connect ion he aga i n al luded to h i s advanced age and dec l i n ingstrength as mot ives for the v i s i t .

“ For the sake of common human i ty, Leone, h is

uncl e G iovann i wou ld say to h im ,

“

you cannot neg l ectth i s duty. You have prom ised . You ought not topostpone i t . Suppose you r u nc l e An selmo shou ld d i ewi thout your see i ng h im

, you wou ld never forg ive yourself. It wou ld always be a subj ect of remorsefu l regretto you.

I w i l l do as you w i sh,unc l e

,Leone wou ld rep ly ;

and st i l l he l et the t ime pass.I t had now been severa l years s i nce Anse lmo Jacob in i

had l eft Ven ice and gone to res ide i n the H oly C i ty.

P i ous Jews, a l l over the world, have an intense long

52 H assan : a Fe l lah

i ng not on ly to v is i t the anc i ent cap i ta l of the i r forefathers, but al so to res ide there. Apart from thegeneral re l ig iou s fee l i ng, or the mere matter of sent iment wh ich under l i es th i s des i re, there i s the w ish tobe bur i ed on the Mount of O l ives . And th i s ar isesfrom the cu r iou s superst i t ion of th e J ews that a l lH ebrews who are not bur ied on that mounta

’

i n aredragged from wherever they may be i nterred, underneath the earth

,to O l ivet , to be j udged there on the

great day of final j udgment . With the obj ect Of averti ng or, i n some degree , m i t igat i ng the h ideous doom,

i t is that the cu stom has ar i sen ofp lac i ng a l i t t l e bagof earth from Jerusal em i n the coffin , beneath the headof the J ew who d i es i n other lands .Thousands of aged Jews find the i r way to J eru sal em

that they may d i e there , and be bu r i ed on the Mount .Scores of these l ud i crou s ly ant i quated- look i ng be i ngsmay be seen on any day upon the st reets of the c i ty, i nthe i r Odd dress

,of wh ich the pecu l ia r i ty of the head

gear is general ly the most not i ceabl e feature , cover ingas i t does the w idest of ranges , from the turban andtarboosh of the Or i enta l , to the low black plu sh hat ofthe H ebrew of J eru sal em , and the uncouth cap tr immedw i th br i st l i ng fur of the Pol i sh J ew.

Those b l ear-eyed old fe l lows , totte r ing w ith age,w i th tangl ed gray or snow-wh i te beards

,and corkscrew

r i ngl et s on each s ide of the face , are a wonder amonghuman ity. No other peopl e are l ike them . They havean i nd iv idual i ty of the most pronounced order

,separat

i ng them from al l other members Of the humanfam i ly.

The Ch i ldren of I srae l , Son s of Abraham ,the Peopl e

of God— the i r h i story i s as pecu l iar as the i r counte

nance. And , know ing the i r h i story, you wou ld say thatthe Jew i s j ust what you m ight expect h im to be. Neverhad any peopl e Of the i r t ime greater l ight . Never haveany peop l e so s i n ned aga i n st the l ight as they haves i nned . Never have any people been so d i sgraced anddegraded.

These are they who were de l ivered w i th a m ightyhand, and with a stretched-out arm,

and w ith great


wa lked and taught ; here was revealed Redempt ivelove

,and the great sacr ifice was consummated .

The vo i ce Of the Al l -Merc ifu l r i ngs out now, over i ta l l

,down the centur ies

,w i th the p iteous gr ief of

unfathomabl e love“0 J erusalem

,J eru sa lem

,thou that k i l l est the

prophets,and stonest them wh ich are sent unto thee,

how Often would I have gathered thy ch i ldren together,even as a hen gathereth her ch ickens under her w ings,and ye wou ld not. Behold your house i s l eft u nto youdesolate. F or I say unto you,

Ye shal l not see mehenceforth, t i l l ye shal l say, Blessed is he that comethi n the name of the Lord.

”

Desolate enough,forsooth

,and worse than desolate

is the house. The dark,narrow streets reek w ith

unsavory odou rs . O rdu re and fi l th of every k ind rankl ei n the detestably offen s ive a l l eys and corners . Mos

l ems , Jews , mu l t iform Chr i st i an s , sem i -w i ld men , andstrangers from many lands crowd the c i ty. The carelessness

,looseness and want of modesty of the O r i ental

are seen on every s ide . I t i s an o ld story here . Theval l ey of the Dead Sea i s in s ight , wi th Sodom andGomorrah i n the depth s Of the b i tter lake.In the Jew i sh quarter of the anc i ent c i ty, so far as

fi l th,stench and degradat ion are concerned

,the acme

seems to be reached . With few except ion s,even the

better c las s of hou ses have l i tt l e to recommend them .

The worst abodes are mere den s of darkness and m i sery,no better than

,i ndeed scarcely as good as , the haunt of

the w i ld beast .The contracted

,i l l -paved street s , i n wh ich the bal

con i es on each s ide a lmost meet,may be p i cturesque,

but are unwhol esome. The odd proj ect i ng latt i ces ,l ike b i rd-cages

,are a pecu l i ar feature . These are a l l

wel l prov ided w ith i ron grat ings or gr i l l i ngs, neces saryfor protect i on from robbery ; and often have w i th i n afiner grat ing ofwi re

, or of cur iou s ly carved wood . Occas ional ly a few flower-pot s may be found adorn i ng them,

w ith tra i l i ng v i nes depend i ng. But th i s is a featurel ess common i n the Jew i sh than i n the Mohammedanquarter. I ndeed , the Mos l em open ly shows h is love

H assan a Fe llah 55

for flowers,wh i l e, apparent ly, the Jew has compara

tive ly but l i tt l e fee l i ng in th i s d i rect ion .

But i t is those parts of the streets wh ich are archedover

,houses connect ing with each s ide be i ng bu i l t

upon the archways , that present the most character i st i ct ra i t s—dark

,tunnel-l ike v i stas , Often c lammy w ith

foet id nast i ness , and even i n the dayt ime pervadedw ith sem i -darkness . Ou t of these aga in , on e i thers ide

,stretch s im i lar overarched passage s fu l l Of dra

mat i c poss ib i l i t i es and nocturnal dream i ness . Even atrag i c and sepu lchra l atmosphere i s not want ing.

H ere crouch i n groups or move w i th rest l ess stepsthe teem ing human i ty of the place ; the men i n long,gown - l ike garments that reach to the ground , the l astform of dress, one wou ld say, adapted to the cond i t ion sof such a loca l i ty ; the women genera l ly muffled inshawl s worn over the head.

They g o and come upon the i r petty bus i n es s, bythem magn ified out of al l due proport ion , w ith thehover i ng keenness of vu l tu res . S icken ing odours floatout with an acr id penetrat i ng qual ity from thoseanc i ent-look ing gabard i nes, wh ich are so st i ff w i thgreasy fi l th

,i t is imposs ibl e to imag i ne they cou ld ever

have been new and clean .

God preserve us from unc l eanness, and from com ingi n contact w i th them ! ” exc la ims the devout Mosl em

,

as he passes by, hav ing washed before prayer .Were i t not for the d ist i nct rea l i sm of certa i n fea

tures,these unmanl ike men wou ld seem to be phantoms

‘

Of unwhol esome creat ion , dark and vague appar i t ion sfrom Gehenna.

The sharp, p ierc ing eyes, w ith acqu i s it ive g l eam ,

and the beak- l ike noses, cu rv i ng over the flabby, pro

truded l ips, g ive an aspect of crue lty to many of thefaces . The shr i l l nes s of the i r vo i ces i s ha lf-choked i na rumb l ing guttura l ness of di scordant tone ; and the i rconversat ion is invar i ably accompan ied w ith uncouthgest icu lat ions

,in wh i ch the i r fingers

,hands and arms,

heads,and even ent i re bod ies part i c ipate.

I n one of the better parts of the quarter, frequentedch iefly by the Span i sh, Portuguese, and I tal ian Jews,


was the abode of Anselmo Jacob in i . The house waso ld and qua i nt, and had a super ior i ty and someth ing ofa p i ctu resquenes s possessed by few of i t s ne ighbou rs .I t was bu i l t of the yel low i sh cut stone suppl i ed by thequarr i es of the surround i ng h i l l s ; and cur iou s ly carvedbosses and arch itraves

,st i l l i n good preservat ion , orna

mented the weather -chastened facade. I t was furtherenr i ched by stones of a fine b lack

,and of a deep red

hue,wh i ch

,be ing spar ingly used, enhanced the i r

prec i ou sness . These were placed, w i th a s imple, jud ic ions arrangement , over the w indows, add i ng a charming note of colour . The i rregu lar i ty of the s i ze, form,

and d i spos i t ion of the w i ndows , wi th the i r Moresquelatt i ces

,great ly contr ibuted to the effect .

H ere,i n the pr i nc ipal

,ha l l - l ike room of the house

,

m ight be found,as was u sual , dur i ng the greater part

of the day, the o ld man , An se lmo Jacob in i (for he nowse ldom went abroad, except to the synagogue), seated ata pla i n desk

,on wh ich lay a large open book— a fine

copy of the law or Pentateuch . A mel low,subdued

l ight s ifted i nto the room through the curta ined latt i ceof the w ide

,proj ect i ng w indow, and i l l um ined the bent

head,now s i lvery wi th age . The face was most ly i n

shadow,the back of the h igh cha i r i n wh i ch he sat be i ng

tu rned to the w i ndow .

I t was a subj ect wh i ch Rembrandt wou ld have lovedto pai nt

,and , to wh ich , perhaps , he alone cou ld have

done ju st i ce . Though the featu res were dec ided lyJ ew i sh

,they were of the best H ebrew type

,and a

certa i n refinement,perhaps of Ital ian or ig i n

,subdued

and qual ified tra i ts wh i ch m ight otherwi se have beenof severe or unpleas i ng character . A lengthy beard

,

nearly as wh ite as h i s head,swept fu l l i n front

,over

the b lack sat i n robe, whi ch almost completely enve lopedh im , reach ing to h i s feet . These showed from beneathi t, and were encased i n a pa i r of Turk i sh s l ippers

,of

soft , yel low leather, and w i th po i nted, up-curved toes .The r ichness of the ent i re effect was enhanced by i t ss impl i c i ty, and was he ightened by the anc i ent aspectof the room , w ith its arched and gro i ned roof, th i ckfortress-l ike wal l s, and O r i ental furn ish i ng. The


s i lvery wh ite of the prophet- l ike ha i r and beard,the

intense glos sy black of the sat i n robe,and the yel low

of the s l ippers made fine broad contrast s,wh i ch even

the most un impres s ive cou ld scarcely have fa i l ed to

apprec iate .

The day was br ight and pl easant , and a fresh breeze,yet of treacherous , s i rocco l ike warmth, from the d irect i on of the Moab i te h i l l s, entered soft ly through thepart ia l ly opened latt i ce . T o the southeast those d i stant h i l l s stood up l ike a rosy-purpl e and amethyst i newal l

,as if barr i ng the entrance to the Cedron Val l ey

,

though far, far beyond i t , and even beyond the DeadSea ; wh i l e to the r ight , near by, was v i s ib l e a greatpart Of the castel lated wal l of the c i ty

,a lways a pictur

esque object .The o ld wal l s of Jerusal em are an i nterest i ng study.

The very stones have each an i nd iv idua l beauty.

Carved and pa i nted by the hand of Time,long s i nce

they left the hand of man , they put on a g lory and agrace hal lowed by the adm ir i ng gaze of count l ess generations who have dwel t beneath the i r protect i ngenv i ronment . H ow many t imes have those anc ientPhoen i c i an-cut stones been cast down and bu i l t upaga in ! H ow d i s t i n ct ive and e loquent they are w i ththe i r w ide marg i ns and sumptuou s co lour ! R i ch, warmochre t ints deepen i nto orange glows and p ink ve i n ing

,

re l i eved by coo l grays and n eutral shades . Whereverit can find a foothold

,the b los som i ng weed adds a

br i l l ian t key-note of scar l et , or a gratefu l accent of

soft harmon iou s green . And beh i nd a l l Spreads thatm i racu lou s backgrou nd of b lue, the c lear, c loud lesssky of Palest i ne .

As the o ld man arose and stood in the w i ndow recess,someth i ng of al l th i s must have entered h i s m i nd as hecaught a gl impse of the great wal l s, for he murmured,“ I w i l l lay thy stones w i th fa i r colours . And aga in,

Thy servant s love thy very stones. ”

H e was ev idently i n a restles s mood to-day, for, having more than once retu rned to h is read ing, he, fromt ime to t ime, wou ld ar ise and pace the stone-pavedfloo r, to and fro, over the rare, ant ique Pers ian rugs


wh ich strewed i t w ith the i r l uxur ious th i cknes s andconcordant arabesq ueries . Many of these wonderfu lspec imens of O r i ental art had been used by Mohammedans i n pub l ic and pr ivate worsh ip . Some of themhad been taken out of the mosques .The touch of the rugs had to some extent a sooth i ng

effect upon h im . H e enjoyed feel i ng h i s foot s ink i nthe i r velvety depths ; wh i l e he found the fantast i cpattern s

,wrought i n subdued harmon i es and rare con

trasts of colour, a so lace and a pleasure to the eye .

But was there not more than th i s ? Was i t not poss ibl e he fel t a v i rtue

,an effl uence of sanct i ty

,— a

myster iou s psych i c aura or i nfluence proceed fromthose anc i ent seg gadehs ,

- prayer-mats from wh i chhad ascended to the one true God thousands of ador i nginvocat ion s and pra i ses ?After tak i ng a further tu rn or two of the room

,he

wou ld come back to h i s desk w i th a certa i n rel i ef,and

resume h i s read i ng ; but on ly aga i n present ly to pushthe book from h im w i th an unsat i sfied express ion .

Cou ld i t be that those Mos l em prayer carpets gaveh im more comfort than the fivefo ld book of Moses

,

w ith i t s anathemas and exact i ng legal i t i es ?“ I ought to have had a l etter to-day

,

” he sa id,

th ink ing aloud to h imself, after the manner of personswho have l ived much alone .

“ I wonder i f that l azyO r i ental has n ’t forgotten to cal l for the ma i l . I twou ld be j ust l ike h im ; though he knows how anxiou sI am .

H e crossed the room , and threw open the door.Sel im ! Sel im ! ” he cal l ed i n an i rr i tated vo i ce .

There was no reply.

H e then clapped h i s hand s repeated ly, after the

Eastern manner Of summon i ng servants,but on ly wi th

a l ike resu l t .“ I rea l ly bel i eve the fe l low has fal l en as l eep

,he

sa id. “ Just l ike h im . And I cannot find my bel l .No doubt he has h idden i t away

,so that I cannot cal l

h im . There is no know ing these Mos lems . They areequal to anyth i ng. Son s of Bel i a l

,even though they

are ci rcumc i sed .

”


H is search for the bel l , however, at l ength resu l tedin h is find i ng i t on one of the kours is— the i n la idoctagonal stands of Damascu s adorn ing the room .

Se iz ing the bel l,he rang i t v i ol ent ly and repeated ly.

“After al l,the bel l was . in the r ight place. I have

wronged h im,he sa id contr i tely.

From a remote quart er of the house came Sel im ’sanswer i ng cry. And soon appeared i n the doorway ayoung man of attract ive appearance, c lad i n the looseflow ing t rou sers of the East

,and wear ing a c i t ron

co loured embro idered vest beneath a jacket s im i lar lyornamented

,and of a subdued blue shade . On h is

fine ly-po i sed head he wore a cr imson tarboosh

,rak i sh ly

set at the back, and perm i tt i ng a goodly proport i on of

h is glossy, blue-black ha i r to appear i n front . A sashof cr imson s i lk st r iped wi th gold enc i rc l ed h i s wa i s t

,

wh i l e h i s feet were enc losed i n h igh -laced canvas shoes,

a European i nnovat ion . H e had a ltogether an ins i nnat i ng a i r about h im ; and though , no doubt

,qu ite

youthfu l,was as fu l ly developed a s are most young men

of twenty-five i n the West . H is eyes were uncommon ly large and l ustrou s ; and he used them most effective ly. They were true i nd i cators of h is l i ngualpowers ; for he cou ld command the u se of severa lfore ign languages, at l east i n a smatter i ng way.

Stand ing in the doorway,he pushed as ide the port iere

and made salaam , ra i s i ng , as u sua l , h i s hand successive ly to h i s breast, mouth and forehead , w i th such agrace as i s unknown to the Occ idental , and wh ich one

neve r wear i es of w i tness i ng, espec ial ly i n the cou rteou sl i tt l e ch i ldren of the land .

I t was ev ident ly d ifficu lt for h i s master to be angrywi th h im . After an attempt or two at i t , the frownd i sappeared from h i s brow .

“ I have been cal l i ng foryou t i l l I am hoarse, Sel im .

Where have you been ? I real ly be l i eve you have beenas leep.

“No

,no

, S ignor ! I was on ly i n the courtyard.

And what were you do i ng there ? But no matter.The o ld man broke off abrupt ly

,wh i l e the s l im

young servant, almost as fu l l of s i nuos i t ies as a serpent

60 H assan a Fellah

or a l i zard, rema ined stand i ng , w ith fo lded arms, i nthe most gracefu l ly pat i ent att i tude imagi nabl e

,awa i t

i ng further quest i on i ng, w ithout the l east appearanceof anxiety.

What i s the use of tempt i ng h im to speak fa l se ly ? ”

sa id Jacob in i , as ide .

The astu te servant watched h i s eyes, as though heread h is very thoughts .D id you cal l at the post-Office th i s morn i ng ?Th i s t ime the O ld man spoke aloud and rather stern ly.

Yes, yes , S ignor ! I was there the fi rs t th i ng

after the Turk i sh post came i n , and I wa i ted t i l l i t wasg iven out. They take a long t ime to sort i t

, you know.

I had a l ready cal led and inqu i red at the Austr ianost.pAnd was there noth i ng for me ? ”

Noth i ng, S ignor.”

I t is very st range . I ought to have had a letter.Yes , yes , S ignor ; I to ld them so

,and made them

look a second t ime ; but there was naught .The o ld man s ighed , resum ing h is seat, and lean i ng

h i s head on h i s hand w ith a dejected a i r.“ Perhaps the next ma i l w i l l br i ng i t

,sa id Sel im

,

sympathet i cal ly,see ing h i s master ’s d i sappo i ntment .

The o ld man d id not seem to hear h im .

“ That i s a l l,he sa id . I n futu re come and tel l

me at once whether there are or are not l etters for me.Shut the door.I cannot expect much attent ion from the Spol latos,

he present ly sa id to h imself,after Sel im had departed.

It wou ld be too much to look for, under the c i rcumstances

,I suppose. And yet I th i nk Leone m ight

haveH e sudden ly ceased , h i s vo ice t rembl ing and fa i l ing.

My nephew my own s i ster ’s son,

” he cont i nu ed,

he ought to have some feel ing for me. But prejud i cei s hard to overcome. I t i s espec ia l ly strong whereperta in i ng to race or to caste

,and where i t has become

a hab i t a fixed idea for generat ions . ”

H e st roked h i s long beard in a way pecu l iar to h imwhen he was ag i tated.

62 H assan a Fe llah

bath , for i nstance , during the holy day an umbrellacannot be opened even i n the most deluging rain , or

i n the most scorching sun ; a handkerchief or a p ieceof money cannot be carried in the pocket ; no cookingmust be done ; nor can a match be lighted , nor a c igarette be smoked . H ebrews who would be H ebrewsi ndeed

,must d iscard al l European dress and wear the

pecul iar garb of the Israeli te . They must not shave ,or even trim thei r beards or side locks , lest they offendagainst the law which prescribes , “ Thou shalt not marthe corners of thy beard .

” The pecul iar and almostinvariably fi lthy garments seen on this people , on everyside are a positive testimony ; so are the d isgustingcorkscrew ringlets , known as peahs , worn on each sideof the men’s faces .The degree i n which Jacobin i was regarded as a spe

cially privi leged character therefore must not be underestimated .

On the other hand , i t must be confessed that thi sextremely rigid i nterpretation of the law, entering intothe most minute detai ls of everyday l i fe wi th an op

pre ssivene ss almost u nbearable , engenders on the partof many of its pretended observers a secret shirking of

the odious obed ience . There i s i n eve ry di rection asetting about to evade and shift responsib i l i ty . TheJews , from of o ld , have ever been past-masters i n the arto f evasion . Even the rab‘bis are known to go down tothe market on the Sabbath , and pu rchase what theychoose , with impunity , but are carefu l not to completethe transacti on by paying for what they buy . This i sdelayed til l the following day, which being the Christianholy day is all the more agreeable for the purpose.

Such action would seem to most unbiassed thi nkerssimply what i s described , i n language more graphicthan elegant, as “ Whipping the Devi l round thestump . Yet thei r rel igious law permits i t.The Rabbi Sloman had , on thi s occasion

,much to

consult about, and many chari table schemes to recommend ; and Anselmo Jacobin i l i stened to him with alldue patience , yielding a not ungenerous response .

They spoke Of the rap id influx of the Jews ; thei r


persecution in Russia and other countri es, and thenecessity of providing homes and support for thoseaffl i cted , poverty-stricken people, unti l one might wel lthink the subject exhausted , i f exhausted i t could be ;yet sti l l the chief rabbi l ingered . H e seemed to hesitate at del ivering some further message , ti l l admonishedby an expressive gesture from the Rabbi Ben Cohenwho accompanied him .

I t had always been a sore trial to the neighbouringJews that Jacobi ni employed as his personal attendantand dragoman a Moslem Syrian an unbel i ever, i nsteadof one of the Lord ’s people . This derel ic tion Of duty,the rabbi now, though with some misgivings . u ndertook to po int out, to the great annoyance of Jacobini ,who very properly considered i t was a private matter,pertain ing to himself, and i n which the rabbi had noright to interfere .

You might have one of your own co -rel igioni sts , oneof the sons of Israel ,

” continued the rabbi , after Openi ngthe subject, i nstead of this p rofane follower Of theFalse Prophet.

“ Ah ! Indeed ? gasped Jacobini , controll ing hi sd i sp leasu re but imperfectly .

“ I t i s an occasion ofmuch offence to our people , and ,i t seems to me , ju stly so .

”

Excuse me , but I do not see that they have any reason to be offended i n the matter. I simply exercise theright to choose my own servant . I f I prefer one manto another, i t i s my privilege . They have no right tocal l me to an account for so doing .

Jacobini spoke with dec ided warmth , and as i f determined to end the matter .True , tru e ; but consider , it i s not the custom of our

people to do this thi ng. When you might aid one of

you r own brethren andThe rabbi , a most amiable man , paused . H e fearedthat Jacobin i , from what he had said , and his angryglance , was not l ikely to be moved , and he wisely preferred not to i rri tate him by saying al l he had intendedto say.

“ The matter i s one no t apt to be mended,but rather

64 Hassan : a Fe llah

to grow worse . What would they say to find me inviti ng a Chri stian under my roof i nto i ntimate assoc iationwith me ? ”

God forb id ! exclaimed the rabbi .Nevertheless , i t i s l ikely to be so .

”

H ow may thi s be ? ”

I am expecting my nephew, my sister’s son, to come

and vi si t me— perhaps to stay with me for the te

mainde r of my days , which may not be long upon theearth . H e may arrive at any time . I do not know.

H e ought to be with me now .

The Old man’s voice trembled as he Spoke the lastwords ; while the two rabbis

.took snuff from an enor

mous silver box , glancing S ignificantly at one another .Your nephew— your S i ster’s son , repeated the

Rabb i Sloman ; then he must be a son of Israel .Surely

,su rely

,coincided the companion rabbi ,

Ben Cohen,who blew his nose on a soi led blue cotton

handkerchief, and leaned forward to help himself toanother l iberal pi nch of the snuff.

“ I t does not follow, apparently , repl ied Jacobini .H is father was of the Spo llato family , a Chri sti an ,

or, as you would say , one of the Nazarenes ; and mynephew was brought up a Christian .

H e has never had the anc ient ri te performedupon him , then ? responded the Rabbi Sloman in

terro g ative ly.

“ Never, so far as I know .

An almost comical expression overspread the featu resof Jacobini as the subject rather grotesquely presenteditself to him in connecti on with Leone and the pride andexclusiveness of the Spo llato s .

Ah , that comes of the evi l ofmixed marriages ! exclaimed the Rabbi Ben Cohen .

“ Doubtless . In al l probabi l i ty my nephew wouldlook on i t, as do most Christians , as a barbarous mutilation a savage ri te .

”

“ I have heard the unci rcumcised sons of Bel ial jestabout our holy things ; and I know what is i n thei rcorrupt natures . They are full o f all u ncleanness andwantonness . But what can you expect ?

”

H assa n a Fel lah 65

I t was the Rabbi Ben Cohen who Spoke , and with apecul iar vind ictiveness apparently wanting to the chiefrabbi . H is hooked nose , of monstrou s proportions andshape , gave an indescribably mal ic ious aspect to a facewhich otherwise also possessed i n a pronounced degreeunpleasant characteri stics . There could be no mistaking,for an instant, hi s id iosyncrasies .

“ But now, no doubt, you hope to bring the youngman to the true bel ief. Under you r i nfluence much maybe expected ,

” interposed the Rabbi Sloman .

I fear i t i s not reasonable to expect too much frommy nephew in that d i rection . H ad my poor si ster l ivedlong enough to insti l i nto his m ind the lessons of our

holy rel igion , how different i t might all have been . Butshe d ied when Leone was a mere infant.”

You have a duty upon you i n this , which you shouldnot l ightly set as ide . In any way that I can help i n thegood work you can command me . I shall only be tooglad to use my efforts with the young man .

”

“ Thank you , Rabbi , thank you . I fear he would lookupon all our interest wi th disdain .

”

“ It i s a bitter lesson , a sore warning , reiterated theRabbi Ben Cohen .

“ One cannot be too strict i n proh ibiting such marriages . There must be no len iency .

”

Yes , there must be no leniency,” repeated the chief

rabbi .Jacobini had ri sen whi le Ben Cohen spoke , and , standing i n the balcony- l ike window, looked toward the Mountof O l ives , whose southwesterly slopes were thickly set

with H ebrew graves . The innumerable tombstones , i ngeneral of the very rudest make , some of the oldest bei ng ,i ndeed

,hardly discernible from the unhewn rock itsel f,

stood out on the face Of the Mount, i n the brazen glareof the Palesti ne sun, l ike a leprous mass of eruption .

There was scarcely a tree or a shrub to Shade or Shieldthem . H igher up the mountain

,and below , and on

either side were scattered clumps of dusky ol ive-trees ;but the graves were u tterly exposed

,with an almost

dreadful ugl iness , a horrible nakedness , to the blaz ingeye of the sun . Yet there were few of even the rudest ofthose gravestones that some loving hand had not marked

5

66 H assan a Fe l lah

with brief memorial i nscription in the unmistakablerad ical characters that thei r ancestors had brought backwith them from their captivi ty in Babylon , where theyhad lost thei r anci ent alphabet .O ften had Jacob in i stood by thi s window in the night

time and watched the torches as they fl itted over thehi lls ide .Another poor Israel i te la id away , he would mutter ,

sorrowfully shaki ng his head .

“Well may they burythei r dead at night, hid ing thei r mise ry i n the darkness.Su rely no peop le have been affli cted as they have beenaffl i cted .

”

A half-suppressed s igh parted the o ld man’s l ip s as henow stood gazing on the d ismal view . H e was weary ofthe conversation , and would will i ngly have changed i t.

“There i s not such another sight i n the whole world ,he said . Poor H ebrews i t i s here we come , at the last,to lay our bones . There i s no compromising with deaththere— no pretence at beauti fying. Perhaps i t i s as wellthat it i s so .

Surely i t i s well , said the chief rabbi , hardly comprehend ing Jacobini . Every true son of Israel natu rally desi res to be buri ed i n the sacred spot. You and I—we all desi re i t, when the time comes . But, excuseme , will you not consider what we have spoken to youregarding your servant, thi s Sel im , thi s unbel i evingMoslem ? he continued , returning to the charge .

Could you change him for one o f the seed of Jacob ,i t would remove a great cau se of offence , and be a sourceo f peace and comfort to yoursel f. Ben Cohen and Ihave talked the matter over ; and we have selected aman for you in every way su itable , one who wil l give youevery sati sfaction .

”

H e i s Nathan , brother of the rabbi’s dragoman ,added Ben Cohen .

A flush of anger ti nged for a moment the pale faceo f Jacobini . H is eyes , which had been lowered , weresuddenly l ifted , showing a dangerous gleam in thei r darkdepths .Thank you , he repl ied , with a haughty incl ination

of the head ;“ I am g

'

reatly obl iged to you for your


thoughtful i nterest . The truth i s , however , that I havetaken a l iking to thi s unbel iever thi s Sel im . I n sp iteof al l his shortcomings , there is something about himthat pleases me ; and , now that I am expecting mynephew

,who doubtless would p refe r Sel im to an Israel

i te , I will make no change , at least for the present.”

“ You surpri se me ! exclaimed Ben Cohen , and suddenly stopped .

Both the reverend s were S i lent with chagrin .

Yes , added Jacobini , I am sure my nephew wouldprefer Sel im .

The rabbis saw that there was no use i n fu rther argument , and , having already partaken of the u sual Oriental refreshments , consi sti ng of conserves , l iqueu rs andcoffee , which Sel im had produced , they , after a few commonplace and compl imentary remarks , took their leave .

“ You will , at least , consider the matter , and let u sknow,

” they said , tenac ious of the i r authori ty, and bowing themselves out.I t was a rel ief to Jacobini as he returned thei r salu ta

tions.“ I really think it best for me to retai n Sel im . I be

l i eve he would su it Leone far better than the H ebrew.

Besides I hardly care to place mysel f so u tterly u nderthe su rveillance of those intrusive people . There i ssome l im it to forbearance These were the conclu sionsOfJacobini, spoken to himsel f when again alone i n hischamber . H e had given the rabbi s no promise to con

sider the matter .Sel im , after the manner of the O ri ental , with eye and

ear to keyhole , had learned the principal objec t of therabb is’ visi t ; and now, redoubling hi s attentions andfascinations with Jacobini , as a consequence held ahigher place than ever i n h is regard . The subtle Syrian ,l ike all h is people , knew to perfection how to make himsel f agreeable , and thoroughly ingratiated himself wi thh is master .What graceful gravi ty, what d ignified reserve blended

w i th every motion of the l ithe body of Selim , fully consc iou s of his good looks and handsome form , while careful ly conceal ing all appearance of that consc iousness !


H ow well he knew how to bestow upon h is master thosedel icate l i ttle attentions that are almost nameless , yetwhich are always acceptable ! H e called himself Jacobin i’s son

,while he endeared himself to him more and

more . AS he came and went with panther-l ike tread ,his physical fasc inations had no li ttle to do in holdinghim in the good graces o f the O ld man , who actual lyl iked him al l the better for the attempt of the rabbi s todeprive h im of him .

But the cl imax was reached when on the followingmorning the debonair young Moslem brought Jacobinithe long- looked—for letter from Leone . Nothing couldexceed the delight Of hi s master, who somehow associated the entire c i rcumstance wi th Sel im , giving h im ahandsome present i n the first exuberance of his g ratification .

And now, Sel im , you must watch the arrivals at thehotels

,

” said hi s master, as he adjusted hi s glasses , andpored over Leone’s bri ef letter . My nephew mayreach Jerusalem any day, and we must pay him everyattenti on

,and not let h im feel l ike a stranger i n a strange

land . I depend on you for this . You must let me knowthe moment he arrives .”

As Sel im bowed his head i n sign of acqu iescence , hiseyes sparkled with the pecul iar l ight— that bri ll iantrad iance that i s seldom seen at such perfecti on i n anybut Oriental orbs . This token of pleasure was repeatedi n the superb smile that parted his scarlet l ips , showinghis beauti fu l teeth , as even and white as a double stri ngof choice pearls . H e was a sound , wholesome fellowfrom the crown of his head to the soles o f hi s feet ; andhe fel t the warm animal l ife within him , or rather i t madeitsel f felt to him with an intensi ty that would not bedenied . The passionate glow was almost vis ibl e i n him ;and , as in most of his people , seldom fai led to impressthose who came in contact with him .

Next to rece iving honour or reward i n hi s own person ,there i s nothing that so thoroughly g ratifie s an O ri entalas to be made the dispenser or vehicle of another'sbounty o r ceremoniou s respect. I t transfig ures him .

A subl imity of exaltation possesses him ; and , for the


taste,though i n the height of the French fashion , h i s

grace and d ignity of movement suggested the Greek or

the so -called “ c ivi l ised ” Oriental . Perhaps one mightthink he had a mixture of both i n hi s veins with a p redominating dash of the Ital i an . As he paced up anddown on the extensive roof of the hotel , there was almost a touch of melancholy i n the pronounced featuresof his face that had in i t a remini scence of the eternallysad Antinous . Was he sorry for his sins ? And , again ,as one looked closer, glimpses of an older race might bedetected

,and the suggestion arise that here , perhaps ,

was such a man as Cleopatra or even Bathsheba mighthave smiled upon .

One thing was certai n he would not have failed toretu rn that smile with interest. There was , with all i tsrefinement and poli sh , a simpl ic i ty of audaci ty abouthim which told you , i n unmistakable language, that hewould have the courage of his passion .

All sorts and conditions of men , and of women too ,

come up to Jerusalem . One can only wonder whatattraction i t can possess fo r some of them . And thewonder i s i ncreased by finding that many of thoseanomalou s characters are frequently not merely transient visi tors , but that they come to the H oly Ci ty tomake it thei r abid ing place .

Allusion i s not now made to those poor Old Jews,who

,

i n thei r i ndomitable superstition , drag thei r miserableworn-out bodies to the place , that they may die wi thi nthe walls , and be buried where so many o f thei r raceand of the i r forefathers l i e ,—ou the scarred and sun

bleached Slopes of the Mount of O l ives . The fanaticor crank of all national iti es and of all religions findshi s way to Zion , imbued with the idea that he has amission which he alone can carry out. O r some d imnotion fl ickers i n the addled brain that here may befound that peace and joy in beli eving

,which he has

fai led to find elsewhere ; or that prayers said here havea hundredfold efficacy .

But such a young man as this , whether Ital ian , Greek,or O ri ental , to all appearance ful l ofworld ly-mindednessand unrestrained instincts , whose whole being seems an


embodiment of self-g ratification, he , the p leasu re-l oving fellow

,with sensuous i f refined tastes , the resu ltant

of a long li ne of warm-blooded ancestry, what obj ecthas brought him to the ancient ru i n-heap ? I t wouldnot be easy for the general beholder to answer . Andguesses are idle .

Men are not always what they seem . At any rate,

to-night, some ancient memory, drawn perhaps from along-forgotten past, surged withi n him ; an o ld feel ingfor which he had no recogniti on was resusc i tated andmoved him in a way surpri sing to himself.What archaic longings lu rk i n the blood , what di spositions l ie hidden there , waiti ng for the appointed timeto wake up and assert themselves , whether for good or

evi l . H e thought of his H ebraic ancestry , and tried tofeel backward through i t to the remote beginning of thethings that lay before him . Centuries retu rned

,passing

beneath h is mental gaze , and vanished as they had come .

At last he grew d izzy at the complicated scenes he cou ldnot grasp , and turned from them .

Looking toward the Turki sh barracks , on the nearslope ofZion’s hill , he saw the flat roof was covered withl ivi ng, moving obj ects . H e might well imagine i t the

‘ continuation of the vi sions of his brain . I t was the sold iers at thei r evening prayer . The greater part of aregiment was there , Moslems , all praying at once . H e

could see d isti nctly , against the flame -colou red sky,

every g enuflection and prostration , the bowing of theheads , the outstretched hands , —not a movement waslost . H ow wonderfu l i t was ! Nearly an enti re regiment worshipping at once . And every man of them ,

before ascend ing to pray , had performed the ablution ,and purified himsel f, with water , of all uncleanness ;where necessary , carrying out the abstersions knownas the Istingaand the Ghusl masuun, as requ ired by theMohammedan rel igion .

“Was there ever such another sight ! ” he exclaimed .

Does any other people or bel ief p resent a scene l ikethi s ? ”

H e was lost in wonder at i t, as wel l he might be.Every night, at sunset, th i s was repeated .


H is reverie was broken by the ringing of the last d inner-bell . H e looked around him , and saw that he wasalone . All the other guests who had been on the roofhad gone below . It was already commencing to growdusk

,and the stars had begun to appear .

Searching for the narrow stone stai rway by which hemust descend , he walked the enti re length of the housetop

,which was paved with broad stone slabs , and with ,

here and there , a low hemispherical dome risi ng to breakthe monotony of the flat su rface . Reaching the foot o fthe fl ight , he found himsel f upon the wide second landing

,which was l ike a log g z

'

a, and open o n the southward

and eastward to ai r and sky. . Below , laving the verybase of the bu ild ing , lay the darkl ing Pool of H ezekiah ,with an occasional reflection of l ight mirrored in its watersfrom the houses ri s ing o ut Of it on each o f its four sides ,and forming its inclosi ng bounds . H e noticed again thequaint i rregular structures with thei r curious , oddlyd ispp sed windows and their bracketed balconies overhanging the water. H ere and there , a tuft of hyssop or

some other ragged mendicant plant grew out of the walls ,or a bit of scarlet drapery, bri ll iantly vi sible by the lig htsbehind it

,made a pleasant note ofcolour in the fast-gather

ing gloom ; and , on the right, one palm—tree raised alofti ts plumy head .

Lifting his eyes , he beheld , i n the background , beyondal l

,the enti re front of the Mount of O l ives , spread out

l ike a panorama before him . On its southwesterlyslopes he could sti l l detect the clumps of ol ive-trees

,and

even those strange spotty marks dotting its surface , andwhich he knew to be H ebrew graves . Beneath , this s idethe Cedron

,l ay the Temple s ite , covered by the Mosque

ofOmar, hiding the Garden ofGethsemane behind it.What unspeakable peace broods over all !But what i s that sudden vapourous l ight, l ike a beacon

fire,shooting up into the heavens from behind the Mount

,

becomi ng each moment more i ntense i n i ts brightness,

til l , at last, every undulation of the enti re outl ine of thehistori c hil l i s c learly defined against the sky ? There isa golden core to the l ight, which rises and expands . Allat once , full-born, i t leaps i nto the air, free of earth, im


macu late,spectre-l ike . Glory of glories , i t is the virgin

of the heavens,the ful l-orbed moon !

It i s a sight never to be forgotten , that moon-riseover O l ivet .What wonder that he l i ngers to drink in the serenemajestic beauty of the scene ! H is pecul iar natu re madehim keenly al ive to all such sights . This sort of enjoyment was as necessary to him as the more material gratification of hi s bodi ly appetites . H e laved i n it, revelledin i t.H e almost started , as i f awaked from a dream , when a

waiter approached to remind him that d i nner was servedand

,entering his room and making some hasty prepara

tions,he went down to the sal le amang er.

In the enti re world , excepting Palesti ne , there i s not,perhaps

,another d ining—room similar to the one he now

entered . As in all the rooms i n the house , the floor waspaved with stone flags ; and the thickness of the walls i nwhich the arched windows were sunk suggested a fortressrather than a dwel l ing. The gro ined ceil i ng and thepi lasters gave i t an ecclesiastical aspect the characterof the private chapel of some nobleman or king. Thiseffect was heightened by its being principally l ighted bylamps o f antiqu e design , suspended by chains from overhead . Both walls and cei l ing were frescoed i n colours ;the former with landscapes , the latter with trai l ing vines .The largest and most pretentious of the paintingscovered the wal l towards the upper end of the room

,and

d id not fai l to draw the attention and wondering cri tic i smof the traveller . I t was a composi te design , an Easternlandscape , i n which i t was d iffi cult to determine as towhether the round face of the presid ing luminary wasmeant to represent the sun or the moon . The pyramidso fGhizeh , the glori ous columns of the temple at B aalbe c,and an oasis with palms , i n the desert of Sahara , wereconfusi ngly combined with the Tomb ofAbsalom i n theValley of Jehosaphat, while i n the background a riverresembl ing the Miss i ssippi rol led , l ike a ribbon of s i lver ,at the foot o f a range ofmountains suggesting the H imalayas . A decrep it, mangy- looking l ion crouched amongthe ru ins of the foreground .


H ow many a weary traveller has found this unfortunatecomposi tion a welcome rel ief, as afford ing a top ic forconversation, and an easy subj ect forhis wit and raillery !So it was on this occasion . As Leone Spo llato (for i twas he ) took h is place at the table , the threadbare subject was again under d iscussion . I t was a target alwaysset up , ready to render comparatively sharp the bluntarrows of the most wi tless cri tic .

H e found himself seated next to a young lady whomhe had seen on the roof, and had especially noticed asbeing good- looking . This last mentioned fact was qu itesufficient to put him on his mettle , and bring out his bestpoints , or those considered such by the fai r sex . I tstimulated h im l ike some rare wine . Under such c i rcumstances his manner visibly underwent a transformation .

Every motion had an elegance and grace that i ntensifiedall that was attractive about him . In j ustice to him i tmust be said there was no effort i n th i s ; i t was all natural ; and he was often qu ite unconsc iou s of i t.Uncommonly attentive in assisti ng the young lady at

table,the ice was qu ickly broken , and they launched into

conversation with wonderfu l ease . H e undoubtedly hada remarkable gi ft i n such cases , and seldom fai led toimpress the so -called weaker vessels with a certain admirati on for him . That the result was not wanting in thepresent instance

,he felt he had reason to flatter himself.

The sympathetic eyes sought his face wi th that pecul iarexpression he had learned so well to know, and i n whichhe thought he cou ld hardly be mistaken .

The young lady spoke Engli sh , i n which Leone wasprofic ient ; and p resently he discovered she was anAmerican

. H andsomely dressed , and wearing richjewel s

,there were other correspondent signs whereby

the conclusion was reached that she was probablyweal thy .

H e had heard her addressed as Miss Warren , and herlady fri end and companion had called her Augusta , therefore he knew her name . But, i t need scarcely be said ,he was by far too well-bred not to understand that thiswould give h im no right to use i t i n speaking to her atthis stage of thei r acquaintance .


The general conversation of the company had dri ftedfrom the most convenient, crude , and composi te offrescopainti ngs , and had at length reached that venerablesubject

,the Jew. There were few of those p resent who ,

having made a short vi si t in ‘Jerusalem , did not feel competent to di spose of the anc ient c ity and people i n a briefse t of jaunty off-hand sentences .Yet

,i t cou ld not be denied , that many a practical or

appropriate thought found succi nct express ion i n thi smixed company ; many a word of common sense andkeen apprec iation floated out on the stagnant atmosphereo f a land not given to common sense i n general .Some spoke of the overcrowding ofthe H oly Sepulchre

church with rel ics of doubtful authentic ity,associated

with historic ac ts which could not have taken place there,

thus pandering to the ignorant superstition of the multitude . Then they brought forward the contrad ictorysacred places and legends of the Greek Church , i n opposition to the Latins , throwing d iscredit on all . Twowealthy bankers from Moscow did not hesitate to proclaim they regretted having come to Jerusalem .

“ I t has spo i led our faith ! It has spoi led our faith !they continued to repeat, i n evident d istress .There was much to be said as to the abundant d isp layOf orders and So -called decorations .When I saw Tom, Dick, and H arry decorated , and

even the gu ides wearing those symbol s of suppositioushonou r

,

” said one young man , I looked around , expecti ng to see the porters and donkeys decorated , but wasgreatly d i sappointed , as I considered them much betterenti tled to the d isti nction than some of those who hadreceived it .”

You are qu ite correct,repl ied an elderly gentl eman ,

who seemed to have Spent some time i n the c ity .

Among the things most to be admired i n Jeru salem arethe porters and the donkeys . There i s a certain l ikenessand relationship between them those hard-worked andpoorly-paid fellow-labou rers . The more I know them themore I honour them . I cannot but feel a certain respectfor them beyond the common . What enormous loadsthose Coptic and Nub ian porters carry ! I t passes bel ief.

76 H assa n : a Fel lah

AS to the donkeys , they are the best i n the world , excepti ng perhaps those of Cairo .

”

The trouble abou t those orders ofmeri t and decorations

,

” added another speaker, “ i s generally th is : theworthless

, or rather u nworthy , strain after and usuallysucceed i n getting them , while the really meri toriou sand the great d isregard them , or desp ise them on accounto f thei r promiscuous bestowal .”

Leone,though understanding and Speaking English ,

j o ined but l i ttle in the general conversation . H e satisfied himsel f with paying qu iet attentions to Miss Warrenand her companion , addressing an occasional commentto the same lad ies .After d inner he agai n found himself i n M iss Warren’s

company. H e certainly had made himself agreeable toher

,and She d id not scruple to let him perceive i t, and

to encou rage him in further manifestati ons of a similarnature .

H e having mentioned the beau ty ofthe view by moonl ight from the roof of the hotel , she at once saw theromantic character of the position , and expressed so greata desi re to behold the charming effects as he had describedthem , that he could do no less than offer to accompanyher there . She was not sati sfied till they ascended to thehighest point upon the flat roof. The full c lear moonl ight had performed the work of enchantment with thescene . The S i lvery transparent flood , a vast overflowinglake of l ight, submerged everything . I t was a transfig uratio n a sp iri tual i s ing of each object they had al readybeheld i n the warm , voluptuous sunl ight . The dullestmind could not but have some appreciation of i t. Andthese two who were now enjoying the entrancing sight

,

were anything but dul l . No doubt, too ,the agreeable

companionship was not withou t its effect on both ofthem .

H ow remarkably beauti fu l ! H ow wonderfully fine !Far beyond the view by dayl ight !These were some ofMiss Warren’s admiring

,i f some

what commonplace exclamations , as She and Leonel ingered on the roof, and tried to make out and designatethe more important places and bu ild ings in the worldrenowned scene .


I t was a m ixed feel ing. Not a hint o fi t must be conveyedto M iss Warren . Yet what a fasc ination it had for him .

I t drew him to i t with a magnet-l ike force he could scarcelyre e l .IAn i rresi stible desi re se ized him to walk, down among

those l ights and shadows , under the Tower ofDavid , andthrough the arched streets . I f these places had for othersa sanctity and a wei rd charm , should they not have forhim a thousandfold more interest, an immeasu rableattracti on and delight ? The Jew was growing strongwithin him and gaining the ascendency . That which

,

through his prejud ice , he had abhorred and loathed , hadclu tched him and was compel l ing him hugging him toits heart . Was i t a bear- l ike grip that would not beshaken off

“ You are remarkably si lent . I would give much toknow what you are thinking o f,

” said M iss Warren,

notic i ng his enrapt expression .

I was only giving way to the feel ing that I wanted tose e those places near by—to walk those streets— totouch some of those objects and satisfy myself of thei rreal ity . And I want to do i t now thi s moment.H e spoke i n grave , measu red tones .Strange ,

” she said .

“ I have the very same feel ing .

Pray let me go with you . Let u s go at once .

”

“1 5 i t no t too late for you ? he asked , i n simple sur

prise , not understanding such independence .

No , no ,”she said . I assure you I do not mind it.

Nor do I consider i t late . I bel ieve you have i nfectedme with you r longing . I , too , want to walk among thosemysteriou s dreamy places, thi s very night. DO not d isappoint me .

I shall be only too well pleased to have your company ,

” he murmured .

H e descended through the long confusing corridorsand stai rways to the heavy bolted gateway and the street,she rashly accompanying him .

What is to be said ? he thought. “ It i s not formeto say .

The porter , seeing them approach , rubbed his eyes ,and shook off a l ittle of his drowsy state

,as he arose


from his d ivan , and , drawing back the bolt, opened one

leaf of the gate to let them through . H e awoke suffi

ciently to ask them if they wished for a gu ide with alantern .

But th i s would have spoi led eve rything for the romantic pai r ; and they qu ickly protested they had no needfor such an attendant.They bei ng forthwith enl ightened as to the fact thatthe law requ i red lanterns to be carri ed at night , andthat it was a necessi ty i n the dark and narrow streets ,they explained they were going but a l i ttle way , andwould be back i n a few minutes . As Leone , whi le hespoke , dropped a p iece o f si lver i nto the porter

’s hand ,the man had nothing more to say. H e had done hisduty .

I t was with a strange sensation , yet one of rel ief, thatthey heard the i ron-sheathed gate c lose behind them , asi f shutti ng them out from the last connection with c ivi l i

the anc ient weird city .

ing into the semi-darkhere and there at wide inering O i l l amps , was stum

of scavenger dogs encumbering theThe lazy brutes d id not attempt to getand continu ed thei r apparently unbroken

as if nothing had occu rred to d istu rb them .

a congen ial cond ition o f the land and o f theat are in the land . I t might be cal led the Land

Large numbers of these pariah-dogs , belonging to noone

, i nfest the c i ty ; they also are found i n packs , atnight , on the roads outside the walls , where , when famished with hunger , they are apt to become dangerousand attack a lonely traveller , as they have somewhat ofthe natu re O f the wolf i n them .

The efl'

e ct upon Miss Warren was to make her cl ingthe more closely to Leone’s arm ; and a mutual approcheensued . The ludic rousness Of thei r posi tion in themidst of the i nert dogs awoke the risible faculties of thefair American and her caval ier , and they ended i n ahearty laugh at thei r p red icament . It must be confessed


this comical affai r contributed to d i ssipate some of thegraver feel ings with which they might otherwise havecontemplated the scenes through which they moved .

They passed under sepulchre- l ike archways , throughdusky deserted streets , singularly impressive from thei rsi lence , and thei r empti ness of the dense crowd that hadthronged them al l day . During t hei r enti re ramblethey scarcely met more than two or three belatedpedestrians .Once a pol iceman glanced at them inqu iringly ; but,

perceivi ng they were respectable foreigners, made noi nqu isition .

The pol icemen ofJerusalem , armed wi th swords , havea general resemblance to the French

<g ena’

arme .

are a comparatively recent acqu i sition ; and seembehaved , polite , gentlemanly fel lows .i n referring to them qu ietly remark winimity : We have got them for your benefi tfor the strangers and foreign residents whotians) . We have no need of them .

”

Few such oflicials , anywhere , act with better judof which the present instance may be taken asi n point— the pair of strollers being unpthe requ ired lantern , and therefore subjecttion , were al lowed to pass without hindranceation . Like other pol icemen we might mention , thknow whom not to arrest .I t was late when Leone and Miss Warren returned

the hotel . But the porter was ready and waiting to opto them . Leone’s bounty had madherent .The friendship of Leone and Miss Warren , whstrangers only a few hou rs before , had ripenedextraordinary rate ; so much so , that the name ofCount Leone Spo llato appeared on most o f the yolady’s p rogrammes and plans i n connection withsojourn in Jerusalem .

H assan a Fell ah 8 1

CH APTER VI I I

IKE many a heavenly body, woman carries withher the elements of perturbati on, by the very law

o f attraction .

Leone had been more than a week in Jerusalem , andyet had not gone near hi s uncle Anselmo . This stateof affairs may well be charged to the fasc inati ons ofMiss Warren .

H e had escaped the i nqu iri es and scrutiny of thesubtle Sel im , who, to do him justice , had made d il igentsearch for him , not only in all the hotels of the c i ty , butat al l the convents and brotherhoods where travellerswere afforded hosp itality .

The d ifli culty i n finding him arose from the fact thatthe i ll- regulated hotel regi ster was by most strangers amuch—neglected book , and Leone , i n company with anumber of other visi tors , had fai led to record his name ,which , with his titl e , except to a few of the guests , wasqu ite unknown . The hotel proprieto r, a native , knewhim only by appearance . Sel im’s pompous inqu i riesand grandiloquent descriptions had overshot the mark .

Leone remained undi scovered , and free to come and goat the sweet wi ll of the fai r stranger who had him i n hertrain .

A certain dread or repulsion as to meeting hi s unclehad agai n settled upon him . H e feared the knowledgeof the relationship should spread and reach Miss Warren’s ears . H e would keep away from the o ld man forthe present. A few days’ postponement could matterbu t l i ttle . I t would be easy to find some excuse o r

evasion afte rwards , i n explain ing the matter to h isuncle . Thus he argued himsel f i nto an apologetic i fnot a sati sfactory estimate of his conduct.Whatever qualms of consc ience he might have felt

were forgotten i n the presence of the charming youngcreatu re who was not satisfied i f he was not with her .They visi ted , i n del ighted companionship , the Mosque

of Omar , luxuriating in the matchless colou ring of the6

8 2 Hassan : a Fe l lah

Damascu s ti les and world-renowned mosaics , and therare stained glass of the windows which had been ripening to that perfect mellowness for SO many centuries.They were not surprised when told that an Engli shnobleman had offered in vain thi rty thousand poundsfor one of the windows , for his private chapel . Thechaste octagonal p ile rose before them as i f formed Ofberyl and chrysoprase and clothed with supernaturalgolden l ight, the enti re the creation of the magic ian’swand , one stroke o fwhich would return i t to the impalpable ai r out of which i t was born . At first sight theyalmost feared thei r very breathing wou ld obl iterate i t.But i t was the huge mass of rock lying i n majestic repose , i n the centre , beneath the Great Dome that exc ited thei r wonder and their awe. The grand S impl ici tyof i t cou ld not but affect them , as it has affected mill ions ofworshippers for thousands of years— ever s inceKing Solomon bu i lt hi s glori ous temple over it—eversi nce King David made his sacr ifice here , at thethreshing-fl oor of Araunah the Jebusite— yea, eS i nce Abraham , build ing an altar , offered up here hisson Isaac . They saw before them the very summit o fMount Moriah the H oly Mountai napex , upon which , accord ing to Divinehad never been l ifted to pollu te i t , ri sing inoriginal natu ral grandeur, shaming in its pstrength the magnificence o f the bu i ld ing that ii t. Through all the vic i ssi tudes o f the H oly Plamighty summit had made i tsel f respected ; i n thof assau lts and changes i t had remaH ere was not a semb lance o f idolatrous worship .

And the Jews themselves are shutLeone , as he gazed upon the scene .

mitted , they would not enter, I am told ,commit the unpardonable sin of putting fooH oly Of H oli es .”

“ I t i s imposs ib le,as one stands here

,sai

Warren , not to sympath i se w ith them ,and p i ty

“ If they wou ld let you p i ty them ,

” retu rnedBut

,i t seems to me

,they want no man ’s p i ty.

i s a part of the i r obduracy.


H e wou ld have sa id further ; but , remember ing h imse lf, he changed the subj ect .Subsequent ly they vi s i ted the Church of the

_

H olySepu lchre

,and cou ld not forbear compar i ng unfavor

ab ly the Chr i st ian w ith the Mohammedan place of worsh ip

,the grand S impl ic i ty and scrupu lou s c l ean l i nes s

of the latter as compared w ith the former. When theyhad seen everyth i ng worth see i ng—even to the swordand spu rs of Godfrey of Bou i l lon , and the cha i r i nwh ich that Br i t i sh pr i ncess the Empres s H e lena sat

wh i l e d i rect ing the excavat ion s for the find i ng of thecross i t was suggested that they v i s i t the tomb cut i nthe rock i n the garden beneath the knol l of the ProphetJerem iah, outs ide of the Damascus Gate . Latter ly thebel i ef of many had strong ly i nc l ined to accept th i s asthe true place Of the cruc ifix i on and tomb of Chr i st .The gu ide d id not fa i l to po i n t out to them the s t rongpoi nt s favour ing th i s a s the local i ty of those greateven ts . H ad i t not been cal l ed Calvary Golgothathe place Of a Sku l l ? And, certa i n ly, the very h i l lbefore them resembled a cran ium . Jewi sh trad i t ion

,

too , perhaps the worth iest of trad it i ons, and the mostent it led to credence in such a case, i dent ified the spotas the ancient place of execut ion . Sa i nt Pau l

,a l so

,

pla i n ly says the cru cifix i on took place “ without thegate. ” What gate wou ld spec i a l ly occupy h i s m i nd as“the gate, except the Damascus Gate ? There aremany other remarkabl e correspondences to the gospelnarrat ive ; and what wonder i f Leone and h i s com

pan ion , com ing from superst i t iou s and meretr i c i ou sspectac l es , far from ed ifyi ng, and recal l i ng the wordsof the Russ ian bankers

,found here, i n these s impl e

surround i ngs,the gratefu l re l i ef they longed for

,and

wi th others were i nc l i ned to accept the rock tomb as“ the place where they la id H im ?

These and other excurs ions had thrown M i ss Warrenand Leone much together. The i nfluences were favourable to draw ing out that wh i ch was bes t i n each of

the i r characters . Fr i endsh ip someth ing more precious than fr iendsh ip is apt to r ipen under suchci rcumstance s .


They had‘

scaled the Mount of O l ives together,and

c l imbed the Russ ian belfry w i th i ts m ighty,sonorous

be l l “ sw ing i ng s l ow with su l l en roar. They hadpassed beyond the mounta i n to qu i et Bethany

,that

almost d i smant l ed and ru i ned v i l lage,sorrow i ng among

its l i nger i ng o l ive-trees,

- and oh , how heart-appeali ng in i t s dej ect ion ! They had descended the excavat ions w ith i n J eru sal em

,through four t i ers of underground

anc i ent bu i ld i ngs, to the Bethesda, the tw i n pool sw i th the i r five porches

,nigh unto the Sheep Gate

, now

St . Stephen ’s Gate ; and had made a p i lgr image to

Beth lehem and the fortress-l ike Church of the Nat iv ity—the oldest C hr i st ian bas i l i ca i n the wor ld . If

ord i nary, everyday exper i ences have power to touchthe sou l and i nfluence the l ife, h ow much more shou ldthese ? Leone confes sed he d id not th i nk he cou ldhave been so moved. But the son of I ta ly

,al though

not overburdened w i th re l ig ion,l ike many a son of

other lands, was fu l l of emot ions and sympath i es thatsu rv ive neglect and i l l -usage

,that l ive after we th ink

we have murdered them . H e had gone the rounds ofthe anc i ent c i ty

,as he wel l knew,

ch i efly for thep leasure Of M i ss Warren ’s soc i ety : he had been therec ip ien t ofmore than he had barga i ned for. The sacreds ight s had mel lowed the i r fee l i ngs

,and wh i l e d raw ing

them closer toge ther, had g iven a d i fferent colour to

the i r thought s .The poss i b i l i t i es that l i e h idden in man— and i n

woman,for that matter— there is no cal cu lat i ng on .

With the wantonness that has a genes i s more or l es sremote

,and that s tand s ready to come to the front

often when least expected, b ides under the same roof,the devot ional and re l ig iou s sent iments and asp i rat i ons.I t is l ike the Arab love-song, i n wh i ch we find themost sensual and even abandoned ideas assoc iated w i thor develop i ng sp i r i tual or re l ig iou s concepts . But thesoft tones of the angel s ’ vo i ces too often are drownedi n the carnal chorus . The serpent i s represented as

del ight i ng to h ide i n the grass, or am id banks of l i l i e sand roses . The heart of man i s descr ibed as dece i tfu labove al l th ings, and desperatelywicked.


the scene . I t was soon announced that c i rcumstancesobl iged a change i n M i ss Warren ’s plans. She was to

l eave Jerusal em the next day. It was someth i ng of ashock and a heartbreak ; but i t was i nev i table . Beforetak i ng her departu re

,there was more than one love

passage betwe en the weal thy young he i ress and Leone ;and

,denounc i ng the interference, she assured h im she

certa i n ly wou ld retu rn,at no d i stant day.

Ye s,i f from the uttermost part s of the earth

,I

shal l come,was her emphat ic l anguage.

Whi le the day-dream lasted, they had been i n a mazeof pleasure, wi th the holy places for a background. I twas a rude awaken ing . But th i s was not a l l .Whi l e the sad yet swee t regrets of h i s i namorata

were st i l l r i ng i ng i n Leone ’s ears, as he stood i n theopen corr idor or log g z

'

a of the hote l , he was approachedby a young man

,a nat ive, of uncommon self-possess ion

and engag ing address . H e sa l uted Leone w i th thegreatest respect and pol iteness, cal l i ng h im by h is

name,and stat i ng he had been d i rected to h im

,at the

same t ime hop i ng he had made no m i stake .

Leone,absorbed i n h is thoughts

,wrapped as in a

dream,barely aroused h imself suffi c i ent ly to answer i n

a most i nd i fferent perfunctory manner,hard ly know

i ng or car i ng what he sa id . H e mi stook the man forone of the numerou s dragomans who had been offer i ngthe i r Serv i ces to h im

,and whose importun i t i es had

wear i ed and d i sgusted h im .

I n h i s abstract i on he had been watch i ng the swal

l ows , in the i r imper ial pu rp l e plumage, as they wentc i rc l i ng and flash i ng, l i ke w i nged sapph i res , i n theOpe n space i nclosed by the h igh wal l s of the houses

,

above H ezek iah ’s Pool . The a i r seemed al ive w i ththem

, as they came teem ing on,on

,and on

,i n end less

fi l e , as if they were pour i ng out of heaven . Aroundand around they swi ng, now fl i t t i ng h igh

,anon swoop

i ng low, sk imm ing the water. With what fine impetuOsity of abandoned certa i nty they fl i ng themselvesupon the a i r, mak i ng as if they wou ld dash themselvesto p i eces aga i nst the bu i ld i ngs ! The w i ld gracefu lcareer i ng of the ir course has a method— a rhythm ical


order. Th i rty or more of them , with pass ionate precipitation ,

push out i n advance of the ma i n d iv i s ion,

then gradual ly restra i n the i r fl ight t i l l t he rear guardcomes up and final ly passes i n advance, i n i t s tu rnto be l eft beh ind at the next sw ing i ng of the c irc l e ;wh i l e those wh ich were, a moment ag o, at the s ides,are now i n the centre of the w inged troop . NO wonderwe are never t i red watch i ng them ! No wonder we arecheered by the i r a i ry g ladness !

“ I t is marvel lous ly beaut ifu l , Leone . thought andsa id

, as he relapsed i nto h is former rever i e .A pecu l iar movement on the part of the young man

bes ide h im recal l ed h i s attent ion .

“What ! ” exc la imed Leone . Are you st i l l here ?I supposed you had l eft some t ime ag o .

“ Oh no , S ignor ! I have not l eft . I am await i ngyour pleasu re.

“Awai t i ng my p leasure ! Then I fear you w i l l havea long t ime to wai t ; for I have no pleasu re . H ow

cou ld I have any,i n such a m i serabl e

, God-forsaken ,joyless o ld c ity as th i s is ?— Awa it ing my pleasure ! ”

repeated Leone. “Why,that is what I am do ing .

We seem to be both i n the same bu s i ness,and

,to a l l

appearance,a hopel ess one i t i s .

A pleased and know ing tw i nk le fl i ckered i n the darkeyes of the young nat ive

,i n sympathy w ith a sm i l e of

l ike nature that parted h is fu l l red l ips . H e flatteredh imse lf he understood the fine gent l eman whom he hadapproached

,and before whom he stood.

There is much more pleasu re here, i n sp i te of

appearances,than the S ignor th inks . If he wou ld on ly

tru st me, I Shou ld soon show h im,he ventured to

reply.

Real ly, wh i le I have n’t the least doubt of your

capab i l i t i es i n that or any other d i rect ion I do not

requ i re your serv i ces,

” returned Leone . I al readyhave a drag

I

oman,and he is too much for me—one

more than I want . ’

Th i s was ev ident ly a most unexpected reply, for the

young nat ive seemed qu ite taken aback and had noth ingto say.

8 8 H assan : a Fe llah

As for Leone, he appeared'

to imag i ne he had dism i ssed the subj ect and the man

,and was qu ick laps i ng

back i nto h i s or ig i nal fl ight of thought,a ided by the

fl ight of the swal lows , when someth ing i n the appearance of the Syr i an attracted and recal l ed h i s attent i on .

“You are a good- look i ng fel low,

Leone fel t com

pe l led to say, on a c loser i nspect ion .

“ I w i sh I hadseenH e was go ing to say I w i sh I had seen you before

engag ing my present dragoman,but he checked h im

self in t ime .

The O r i ental,i n cold weather, contracts and shr i nks

i nto h imse lf. H e drops h i s gay trapp ings,and wraps

h i s l i the body i n dun -co loured garments . I t is on ly i nwarm weather that you see h im at h i s best . I t i saston i sh i ng how the sunsh i ne expands h im

,the

trop i cal flower. Not but that i n the cold season hegeneral ly has a bit of br ight or r i ch co lour about h imsomewhere

,l ike the fu lvous streak at the hor i zon i n a

grey w inter sunset . If h i s tarboosh,wi th its scar l et

or cr imson flush,does not a lways make h im a “ red

head,

” h i s turban or h i s sash has a touch of yel low or

gold i n i t . Of cou rse al l Turk i sh sold i ers and officers,

and Offi c i a l s of every degree and rank,from the Su ltan

down, wear the fe z from morn i ng t i l l n ight, i ndoorsand outdoors, and are ver i tab l e

“ red-heads,

a namewh ich , wh i l e spec i a l ly appropr i ate as app l i ed to theTurk i sh Offi c ia l s, m i l i tary and c iv i l i an , may proper lybe extended to i nc lude the major i ty of the nat ion .

But i f the o rd i nary O r i enta l is a refresh i ng p i eceof form and co lou r, the young Syr ian upon whomLeone ’s eyes rested was a fu l l -blown flower of superla

t ive e legance, rejo i c i ng i n the he ight of i t s season , andspread i ng i ts petal s a l lu r i ng ly i n the gen i a l sunsh i ne.One m ight say, in the words of the wel l -worn phrase

,

he had been gotten up regardl ess of expense ; and , l ikethe k ing ’s daughter of o ld , he was a l l -glor i ous w ith i nand w ithout. The ra iment of needlework and ofwroughtgold was not want i ng, but was represented i n h i s goldembro idered j acket . Nor was he defic ient i n the mosta i ry graces and manners.

H assan a Fe l lah 89

The conce i t or van i ty of the O r i ental i s someth i ngimmeasurab l e and i nexpress i b le, not to say unimag inable, to the Western m i nd . I t i s h i s predom i nantcharacter i st i c . Adm i rat ion

'

is the breath of h i s nos

tri ls ; and the wound ing of h is self-esteem the mostat roc iou s of offences, not to be forg iven . Place h imi n the l east exal ted pos i t ion of honou r or tru st

,and oh

,

how he w i l l stru t, and assume the most i nto lerab l ea i rs of importance ! I t seems as if every ha i r on h i sbody put on an extra cur l of pr ide ; the toss of thehead

,the pose of h i s figure , and every mot ion of h i s

l imbs are stud i ed and pract i sed for the i r effect on theobservant crowd . I t is imposs ib l e not to not i ce th i s .I t i s th rust upon you, and you are compel l ed to see i t .In the c i ty Syr ians i t i s an unm i t igated unm i stakabl e

They are forever th i nk i ng of the i r l ooks,the i r

and personal appearance, and the impress ion theyWhen they dres s up,

”as they love to do

,

w i l l be sure to make some excu se to come andShow themse lves . They avert the i r eyes w i th what

cons ide r a “ k i l l i ng ” express ion , when theythey are observed . There is no exaggerat i ng theof flattery they are capabl e of accept ing. You

ub i t on wi th a wh itewash brush—you cani t on w ith a shovel . And yet there i s a fasc iabou t them that i s unaccountable, un less i ts to the t ra i t s descr ibed , or is re lated to aof sorcery. I t recal l s what Lord Byron sa id of

he Greeks : “ I know you are rascal s ; yet I can’t he lp

ov i ng you .

Of a l l th i s there was a l iv i ng exponent stand ing athe e lbow of the preoccup ied I ta l i an count.Leone ’s compl imentary express ion

,dropped as an

ide,as one throws a cru st to a dog , fel l on ears that

ce ived i t w ith no ord i nary grat ificat i on . I t was l ikeic bened i ct ion . The young dragoman beamedfrom head to foot

,i n recogn i t ion of it, and

Leone, to whom h i s heart warmed instanter,

e most agreeabl e,handsome and charming men

t,even had he not

of noble l ineage.


From the fi rst,Leone had pa id but i nd ifferent atten

t ion to what the Syr i an sa id, hav i ng taken for g rantedthat the man was impo rtun ing h im for employmentwh ich he cou ld not g ive h im , and not be ing abl e tofol low very closely h is broken Engl i sh . Agai n heturned to watch the swal lows , and was fast laps i ng i ntoh i s former tra i n of thought and absent -mindedness

,

when i n the monotonous murmur of the fore ign Engl i shhe caught the ment ion of h is unc l e ’s name .

“What i s that you say?” he asked

,sudden ly se iz i ng

the man by the shou lder.Excuse me

,S ignor ; I was on ly sayi ng what I have

al ready told you that S ignor An selmo Jacob i n i wasmost anxious to see you. I have come many t imes

,

these many days,seek i ng to find you , but fa i led . And

now I am i nformed you have been here al l the t ime . Idare not retu rn to S ignor Jacob i n i w ithout you. H e

wou ld d i sm i ss me on the spot, Shou ld I te l l h im youwere here and I d id not br i ng you to h im .

“And who are you ? And by what name may I cal lon ?

”

y“ My name is Sel im ; I am S ignor Jacobin i

’

s dragoman

,at your lordsh ip ’s d i spos it i on .

”

“Now

,Sel im

,no doubt you are a man to be

t ru sted .

”

“ That ’

S what I th i nk . I f you on ly try me you wi l lth i nk so too .

“ Very good Listen to me . If S ignor Jacob i n ishou ld deal w i th you,

as you say, for so t r ifl i ng anoffence, what do you suppose he wou ld do to you,

d idhe l earn you had fa i l ed to convey to me h i s message

,

al l th i s t ime,wh i le I have been here under your very

nose ? ”“ I t wou ld be bad for me, acknowledged Sel im

,

dejectedly.

Suppose we keep s i l ence upon the subj ect. Undercerta i n c ircumstances , S i l ence i s a great v i rtue, as Iimagine you very wel l know. Let us say noth ingabout i t .Sel im stepped forward, and , bend ing low,

se iz edLeone ’

s hand, impr i nt i ng a k is s upon it, wh i le he


uttered h is acknowledgments and thanks, assu r ingh im he wou ld do anyth ing for h im .

“And wi l l you perm i t ' me to conduct you to theS ignor Jacob in i ? ” Se l im inqu i red.

“H e has made

great preparat ion for your Excel l ency. H e has sparedno expense i n fu rn i sh ing and garn i sh ing you r rooms .They are l ike a palace.Leone sm i l ed at the descr ipt ion and the h igh

address .Ye s, he repl i ed ; I w i l l g o with you.

The words,wh i ch he had begun to fear he shou ld

never hear,were a great re l i ef to Sel im .

Thank God ! ” he sa id aud ib ly.

H e fel t as i f he we re carry i ng off a great pr ize wh ichhe had r i chly earned .

As they made the i r way through the narrow streetsto Jacobin i

’

s house, Sel im , lowe r i ng h is vo i ce to aconfident ia l tone, sa id to Leone,

“ If you ask S ignorJ acob i n i

,he w i l l g ive me to you. H e w i l l l et you

have me for your body-servant .

CH APTER IX

T cannot be den i ed that there was more than aShadow ofm i strust i n the heart of Leone as, ushered

i n by the effus ive Sel im,he stood i n the presence of

h i s uncl e, Anselmo Jacob i n i . Doubt less i t was a tryi ng moment for uncl e as wel l as for nephew. Theret i red H ebrew banker had been school i ng h imself notto expect too much i n the way of affect i onate feel ingor k indly demonstrat ion from h is h igh-toned nephew ;wh i l e Leone had been nerving h imse lf to concea l andrepress any repu l s ion he m ight have harbou red towardh is unc l e on account of that long-cher i shed

,b igoted

prej ud i ce the young man wou ld not measure or define,becaus e he hated to th i nk of i t .Leone, paus i ng for a moment i n the doorway, saw

before h im,i n the r i ch but d im sett ing of the room

,an

9 2 H assan a Fe l lah

aged man of d ign ified presence, who,for aught he

knew, so far as appearances went , might have been one

of the anc i ent pr i ests , k ings, or prophets of I srae l .There was a S ingu lar nob i l i ty or even grandeur i n themanner and bear i ng of Jacob i n i , that declared i n no

fal se or feebl e accents the i nner nature of the man .

Se l im announced w ith a flour i sh , as he had beeni n stru cted : “ The Count Leone Spol lato .

The firm,l ight step had but half-way cros sed the

floor when i t was met by the st i l l energet i c tread of

the proud O ld man , whom Leone had Shrunk frommeet i ng.

You are wel come—wel come indeed .

Thank you,thank you,

Uncl e Anse lmo. I h0peI find you wel l , was Leone

’s response,del ivered w i th

prepossess i ng manner and warm pressure of the hand .

The look of qual ified hope and subdued expectancyi n the face of Jacob i n i was rap id ly mel t i ng away i ntoa very d ifferent expres s ion . H e saw before h im thel ast sc ion of h is house, the son of h is beloved s i ster.H is pr ide was touched as he beheld the easy carr i age

,

the cu ltu red bear ing,the h igh-bred a i r of the young

patr i c i an,—al l ev ident, but subord i nated to a court e

ous, k ind regard that was del ightfu l .Noth i ng cou ld be better. H e is perfect.Th i s was what the unc le thought

,wh i l e he loved

h im , on the i n stant.A fee l i ng of awe as wel l as respect t inctured Leone ’s

greet i ng . H is prej ud i ces were almost forgotten . Surelythere was noth i ng mean or degraded here. The manwhom he cal l ed unc l e was of no common c lay. H e

might we l l have been some great ru l er,—aman hav i ng

author i ty.

The fu l l sat isfact i on and joy of Jacob in i in find ingLeone al l that was so adm i rabl e i n person and mannerwere of no ord i nary type, to be i ndu lged i n w i thoutd i scr im inat ion . They were born of the fee l i ngshad kept i n sacred reserve ever s i nce the death of

wife and ch i ldren .

That grand o ld face was not w ithout the sculpthat can be carved on ly by the hand of gr i ef.


H e remembered h i s b i tter prejud ice, and the intens ityof h is avers i on to the mala rang e of the hou se of

Judah d i splayed on the occas ion of that memorabl ei nterv i ew wi th h is unc le G iovann i , i n the i r ancestralhome i n Napl es . H ow h e hated h imse lf— h i s own

b lood—becaus e of the contam i nat i ng sta i n ! H e re

cal l ed the horror he fel t, SO l ate ly,l est M i s s Warren

and others Shou ld l earn of h i s connect ion w ith Anse lmoJacob i n i . Many another past i nc ident arose to rebukeand accuse h im . No wonder h i s consc i ence smote h im .

No wonder that he fe l t ashamed . H e was here i n sp i teof h imself.

,

H e was l ed capt ive. Th i s was the end.

The Old man ’s generos i ty and love had conquered h im .

Each day the net that he ld h im was more c l ose lyand more i n extr i cab ly wound about h im . H e h imse lfcou ld not expla i n i t . H is u ncl e wou ld not suffer h imto be contrad i ct ed or thwarted . Leone ’s most extravagant w i she s were ant i c ipated . Money was l av i shedupon h im . Everyth ing poss ible was done to makeh im contented

,and reconc i l ed to the l ife

,—a l i fe so

d ifferent from that he had been accustomed to i nNapl es, that he had wondered he cou ld endure i t . Atlength h is unc l e Obta i ned from h im the prom i se thathe wou ld rema i n w i th h im i n Jeru sal em .

The del ight Jacob i n i took i n the young man was

extraord inary. It was ev ident he not on ly loved h im ,

but was proud of h im . H e was not happy when he wasout of h i s pre sence . H e i n s i sted upon Leone ’s be ingaddressed by h i s t i t l e and honoured beyond h imself

,i n

wh i ch he se t the exampl e.Gradual ly he began i nterest ing Leone i n matters

pert a i n i ng to the Jacob i n i fam i ly and i t s h i story.

There was an o ld coffer, resembl i ng a mun iment chest,wh i ch played an important part on such occas ions. I twas made of some u nknown dark wood, cur iou s ly ande laborately carved

,and was prov ided w ith i ron bands

and hasps . The content s cons i sted ch i efly of parchment s and scrol l s , some of wh ich were ev ident ly of

great ant iqu i ty. A few were made of antelope sk ins,i nclosed i n S i l ver cases . They were i n variou s stagesof d i scolou rat ion and decay . Many of them—odd


scraps of l eathe r—were crumbl i ng to p ieces, and indec ipherabl e

,others were part ly so ; and on ly a few of

the more modern documents cou ld be read w i th sat isfact ion . Jacob i n i informed h is nephew that they wereped igrees

,l egal documents , and fam i ly h i stor i es and

notes cover ing a long per iod of t ime. The oldest documents

,he declared

,were i n the anc i ent character of

the I srael i tes,wh i ch they had lost when carr ied i nto

capt iv i ty—the same i n wh i ch God had wr i tten the fi rsttabl es of stone. H e declared there was undoubtedproof that the office of Treasu rer to the royal house of

Dav id,from wh i ch he c la imed descent, had been

hered itary i n h is fam i ly,through al l the var ied h i story

of i t s k i ngs ; and certa i n rel i cs wh ich he showed Leonewere

,to some extent, corroborat ive of the pretens ion .

Jacob i n i n ever argued about any of these po i nt s, asLeone soon learned ; but expected them to be rece ivedimp l icit ly

,as he had rece ived them . To h im they

were ind i sputabl e, accepted facts . Many of the trad it ion s and statement s were on ly verbal

,handed down

from father to son ; but they were accorded by Jacob in ia reverence beyond that he gave to the parchment s .For some t ime he had been qu i et ly mak i ng i n Jeru

salem i nvest igat ion s i n connect ion w ith h is fam i ly andthe documents . H e had sat i sfied h imse lf regard i ngthe ident ificat ion of certa i n loca l i t i es on Mount Z ion ,and had gone so far as

,through the use of br i bery or

backsheesh , to carry on some secret excavat ion there.The resu l ts , he cons idered, were most encourag i ng ;and he on ly regretted that h is age prevented h i s g iv ingmore of h i s personal superv i s i on to the work .

“ I am too old to do much more,

” he sa id . Butyou,

Leone, you

I t was not al together congen ia l work for Leone ; butwhat cou ld he say or do ?

Yes , uncl e, ye s,” he answered, manfu l ly acqu iescing.

I wou ld not have you expose yourself to the leastdanger ,

” he sa id , apologet ica l ly.

“ But without do ingthat , there w i l l be opportun i ty to di rect and watch thework . And I , for my part , Shal l on ly be too glad todo what I can .

”


The pr incipal p lace of the i r research was in a partof an old and l i tt l e-used garden , wh i ch Jacob in i bel i evedto be the garden of K ing H erod, and w ith i n wh ichmust have stood the royal palace . The po int wherethey had d i scovered certa i n marks and i nd icat ionsident ify ing the local i ty w i th the descr ipt ions i n theanc i en t parchments and rol l s, was i n and be low thefoundat ion s of the westerly wal l of the c i ty

,wh i ch

proved to be of the most anc i ent work . The rockbeneath gave abundant ev idence of the unm i stakab l eo ld ch i se l-marks, and further down , was honeycombedw ith chambers.Though the cu stod ian Of the garden and others had

been “ arranged w ith,

”— to employ no more offen s iveterm,

it was cons idered nece ssary to use great secrecy,

and the work at the su rface was carr i ed on at n ight,

with the a id of the dark l antern .

Among the more i nte rest i ng d i scover i es was anart i c l e carved from the b lack Dead Sea s tone, wh i chJacob in i

,after a c lose exam i nat i on , pronounced to be

the s ignet of King Dav id . S l ight ly i n excess of fouri n ches i n he ight, i t was rudely shaped i n the form of

a man,Show i ng more than three -quarters i n l ength of

the figure,and term inat i ng below in a ser i es of Sp i ral s ;

but i nstead of arms were what resemb l ed foldedw ings , pressed close ly, one on each s ide.Th i s image was s imply the hand l e. Uponthe smooth oval base of the image was thes eal . Th i s he ld the i nscr ipt i on i n an c ientH ebrew :

“ The servant of J ehovah, Dav idthe K i ng. I t conta i ned, therefore, the“ I neffabl e Name .

” The characters , w i ththe except ion of a few var iants

,were almost ident i ca l

w ith those of the oldest of the parchment s of the i ronbound coffer, and for wh ich Jacob in i c la imed suchextraord i nary ant iqu i ty. I t was the H ebrew beforethe Babylon ian Capt iv i ty.

“ I now understand the reference s to the seal or

s ignet i n some of the document s,”sa id Jacob in i . I t

i s ev ident the royal Treasurer was al so Keeper of theSea l . To h im was the care of i t i nt rusted ; and the


Yet, w ith al l h i s pr ide i n th i s d i rect ion , he adm i ttedi n pr ivate to Leone that he attr i buted some of the ev i l sthat had befal len h im to h is descent from Ki ng David.

“ The hou se of Dav id, wi th few except ions, was, l ikethat of the Stuarts of Scot land

,a fa i th l ess and unfor

funate house, he sa id .

“ I t began w ith an atroc iou sand b loody cr ime, for wh ich , when conv i cted of i t , theauthor offered but scanty and fru i t l ess repentance.What cou ld be expected as the outcome but a l i ceut ious

,pl easure-worsh ipp i ng So lomon

,who

,wi se as he

was, lapsed i nto i dolatrous i nfidel i ty, l eav i ng a son to

succeed h im who proved to be a weak-bra i ned,over

bear i ng despot , and lost the ten tr ibes through h i sfol ly ? And so on—with

,here and there

,a g leam of

hOpe , general ly to be d i sappo i nted— to the end of

the ped igree . There seems to be a fata l i ty about thedynasty

,and eve ryth ing connected w ith i t.

Leone wou ld sm i l e to h imself complacent ly at theseadmi ss ions

,wh i l e he confessed he qu i te agreed w ith

h i s u nc le ’s Op i n ion on the subj ect .Though he somet imes decl ared i t was next to martyr

dom, on the whole, Leone bore h i s t ran sp lant ing toJeru sal em much better than cou ld have been expected .

H av i ng but few recreat i ons, be amused h imse lf w ithcol l ect i ng and studying the anc ient co ins and otherant iqu i t i es of the country, and soon had a respectab l emuseum . I n th i s and i n l ess p ra i seworthy pl easureshe was a ided by Sel im

, who from the fi rst had c loselyattached h imse lf to h im

,i ns i nuat i ng h imse lf i nto h is

good graces,bound to make h imself i nd i spensab l e to

h im . Through h im Leone was a l so acqu i r i ng a ce rta i nknowl edge of the Arab i c, wh i ch he flattered h imse lfwou ld soon be suffi c i ent for conversat ional pu rposes.See i ng the important réle fi l l ed by Sel im i n eas ing

and mak i ng more bearabl e Leone ’s ban i shment i nanc i ent c i ty, Jacob i n i congratu l ated h imse lf thathad not g iven way to the persuas ions of the rabbbut had reta i ned the Mos l em .

I fel t sure Leone wou ld l ike h im better than tman they recommended

,

” he sa id .

“ The two youmen together i t i s but natural .


Yet he loved to r id icu l e Sel im ’s weak t ra i ts ; andse ldom lost an Opportun i ty of po int ing them out to

Leone.“ Look at that O r iental ' that Syr ian

,he wou ld

say.

“What an a i r and carr i age he has ! The j erkyswi ng of the s i lk tasse l of that cr imson tarboosh of h is

measures for you h i s conce i t . See its haughty wh i skat each step he takes, as though it had a consc i ou s l ife,in sympathy w i th its owner. ”

Leone laughed .

Noth i ng reaches the conce it of those fel lows,he

sa id,“not even the proverb ia l j ackas s . To me it is a

great source of amusement. But as to Sel im,he is so

devoted to me he makes me l ike h im.

”

D id you not ice what a handsome dog he is ?Ah ! d id I not ? ”

H e i s fu l l of the dev i l ,” added Jacob i n i

,l augh i ng.

H e i s equa l to anyth i ng . But I am glad you l ikeh im .

Jacob in i had a humorou s s ide to wh i ch be but rare lygave way unt i l find ing i t amused Leone

,when he

oftener i ndu lged i n i t. In th i s mood he d id not

h es i tat e to S lash i nto J ew i sh h i story and effete cus

toms,for h i s nephew ’s ben efi t ; though no man was

more reverent of the t ru ly sacred th i ngs than was

Jacob in i .“ Let me tel l you my Egypt i an exper ience, Leone,

and you wi l l see how consc i ent i ous I am ,was h i s

preface to the fo l lowi ng : When I came th rough Egypt ,and remembered how my peopl e had defrauded theEgypt i an s at the Exodus

,borrow ing from them j ewe l s

of S i lver, and j ewel s of gold , and ra iment, wh ich theynever i ntended to return , so that ‘ they Spo i led theEgypt ians I fe l t I cou ld afford to be generous i n thed i str ibut ion of an extra large backsheesh there. I t wasa sort of retr ibut ion or l iqu idat i on on my part , so faras I was concerned i n that anc ient fraudu l ent t ransact ion . D i d you ever know a man g o farther back todi scharge a debt ?


CH APTER !

EONE had been fa ithfu l i n carry ing out, so far as

he conven i ent ly cou ld , h is uncl e ’s w i shes i nregard to the researches wh i ch Jacob i n i was so muchinterested i n . But he cou ld not very we l l concea l thefact that i t was i rksome bus i ness to h im . So enthu

s iastic was h is unc l e, that three or four t imes he hadexerted h imse lf to accompany Leone to the place,tak ing due precaut ion s to prevent d i scovery.

I n go ing,they had to pass the den -l i ke Shops sunk

in the wal l of the garden of the Armen i an convent.I n those dark recesses the makers of fi l igree carr ied onthe manufacture of the i r del icat e work ; and near bywere the tattooers

,who seemed to have qu i te as large a

patronage . Above,over the h igh wal l of the garden

,

st retched far acros s the roadway the plumy branchesof a row of fine o ld p i nes, wh i sper i ng and S igh i ng w i ththat gent l e su su rrat ion that is an embod i ed memorythe l ikest sound in Nature to the far-off murmur i ng

of the sea. Beyond an angl e,in a recess

,was a sol id

gate,enter i ng by wh i ch

,they found themselve s i n a

long passage wh i ch brought them to another gate thatOpened i nto the garden .

Be ing prov ided w i th keys , they had no d ifficu l ty inga i n ing acces s to the grounds . The troub l e l ay i n thedanger of be ing detected . That they Shou ld be abl eto carry on such work wi thout d i scovery seems incred ibl e. Nor cou ld i t be done for any great l ength Oft ime . I t was on ly the con n ivance of the gardene rmade i t at a l l poss ibl e.To Jacob i n i i t was enchanted land. AS he walked

under the t rees he thought of Dav id,Solomon and

H ezek iah, the crue l H erod and the beaut ifu l Mar i amne,as hav ing t rod the same ground . The Chr i st ianbe l i ever wou ld al so have remembered that i t was here

,

and to the palace of the H igh Pr i est,not far from

here, that Chr i st was dragged from the Judgment


ished, in J erusal em he i s a k i ng, at l east i n h is own

e es .yNor d id he restr ict h is benevolence to any narrow ing

l i nes of race or re l ig ion . The Turk and Mos lem fre

quent ly had reason to pra i se and bles s h is generos i ty.

Once,when speak i ng of the i r pol i tenes s and cour

tesy,a fr i end had i nterrupted h im , remark ing,I wonder at your sympathy for the Moslem and the

Turk,—the l i the

,brawny Turk, w i th his stealth

tread and sen sual sou l ; i n the form of a man,indeecf,

’

but w ith a beast i n s ide of h im .

”

After al l , ,

w i th such a government and wi th h i sinst i tut ion s, the Turk i s not so much to blame

,

”

Jacob i n i repl i ed . Poor fel low,i s he not rather to be

comm i serated ?Then , a lways ready to speak good and not ev i l of a

man , where poss ib l e,h e referred to the constan t

acknowl edgment of God by th e Mos l ems , and the markinvar iab ly used by them (4) half-way between a crossand the figure 4— at the commencement of l etters anda l l wr i t ings

,even offic ial documents, stand ing for :

“ I nthe name of God the Most M erc ifu l ,

” the wordsbeg inn i ng eve ry chapter of the Koran . I t Speakswe l l for them ,

he sa id .

“ They are not ashamed of

the i r re l igion . And the i r r ig id exc l u s i on of a l l semblance of i do lat ry from the i r worsh ip i s beyond pra i se. ”

The large m inds,and those that God l oves, are not

those that stop to quest i on and to quarre l about l i tt l ed ifferences of re l ig ion , but those who agree i n be l ieving the great th ings

,and set themse lves to reach them

and do them .

Among the proteg e: he took the most i nterest andpl easure i n were those he was encourag i ng to mai nta i ni ndu str iou s hab it s and carry on some trade or bus i ness

,

thus preserv i ng the i r se l f-respect . There was the fineo ld Span i sh J ew, an ar istocrat i n h i s way, who wou ldnot th i nk of tak ing alms . H e was essent ia l ly an art i st

,

a v i rtuoso, who support ed h imself by h i s sk i lfu l repa i ri ng and renovat i ng of O r i ental ca rpets and rugs

,

masterp ieces mel low wi th age. H e was accompl i shedin h is knowl edg e of the more un ique specimens of

H assan : a Fe llah 1 03

these,any of wh ich, w ith few except ions , he dec lared

he cou ld make. Bes ides, he gathered and sold otherant i ques . H e was a p icturesque obj ect wi th h is manycolou red wool s and threads,

'

vis iting houses to restore therare o ld mats and carpets, l end i ng h imself to the workas if i t was a labour of love . Leone al so became apatron of th i s i nterest i ng J ew, whose d ign ified characterhe cou ld not but respect ; and he told h i s u nc l eAnse lmo that he had come to the conc l us ion that theSpan i sh

,Portuguese and Ita l ian Jews were among the

more nobl e types .O thers he was al so interested in we re the peasants

and v i l lagers who earn a scanty and precar iou s l iv i ngby the pecu l i ar i ndustry of the gr i nd ing and powder ingof anc i ent pottery wh i ch they d ig out of the longaccumu lated rubb i sh of the c i ty, and who carry on the i rstrange manufacture ch iefly on the rocky l edges at thelower end of the G ihon . Th i s l ong-seasoned o ld pot

fery,when fine ly ground to powder

,i s u sed for cement

in rel i n i ng c i stern s , and for other purposes . As thesemen and women often d ig out rare o ld Jew i sh , Roman ,and other co i n s , anc ien t i r idescent gl ass , and i nnumerable m i scel laneous ant iqu es, they natural ly becomeant iquar ian s of a humb l e sort . They found i t profitab l e to resort to Leone and h i s unc l e w i th the i r finds

,

and always were wel comed.

No doubt occas ional ly Jacob i n i gave i nd i screet ly.

When th i s was brought to h i s not ice,he wou ld confess

w ith contr i t ion h i s fau l t .“ There i s no quest ion i t is a Spec i es of robbery on

we l l as on h i s who dece ived me,by wh i ch

worthy poor have been depr ived of that wh ichshou ld have gone to them

,but wh i ch has been d iverted

into a base channe l , was h i s cen su re of the act .“A

man must not l et the fee l i ng of k i ndness go i n advanceof duty and respon s ib i l i ty.

”

H e had always attended to those cases personal ly.

I t was a matter wh ich he d i s l iked del egat i ng to another.And on the appo i nted days the courtyard i n rear of h i shouse wou ld often be crowded w i th the obj ects of h ischar i ty.


I am a r ival of the Greek and Lat i n convents,

he sa id,referr i ng to the enormou s d i str ibut ion of bread

at those re l ig ious houses, too Often w ith prose lyt i s i ngintent ; a few more loaves g iven by e i ther conventcau s ing an ent i re fam i ly to flop over

” into the churchg iv i ng the greater number.S ince Jacobin i

’

s i l l ness Leone was ob l iged to takeupon h imse lf the e l eemosynary funct ion s Of h is uncl e

,

who he feared wou ld never aga i n be abl e to resumethem . To h im i t was far from an agreeabl e duty.

Many of the J ew i sh rec ip i ents of the generous bountya lmost demanded i t as a r ight . H e cou ld never forgetone of them

'

saying to h im in an angry tone,

“H e

owes me now for three weeks . ”

Jacob in i’

s recovery, i t was evident, d id not br i ngback h i s complete strength ; and h i s phys i c ian requ i redthat the greatest care and caut ion shou ld be observedby h im

,even after h i s conval escence. Latter ly he had

fa l l en into a gloomy rem in i scent mood,and often

talked of the past w ith Leone,when he had h im

alone.“AS we advance i n years, he sa id , we have so

many dead be long i ng to us,that l ife and memory

assume for us more or l es s of the graveyard aspect .Do what we w i l l

,the fact remai ns . We try to forget

i t ; or we cover the graves w i th flowers Of sent imentand affect ion

, or the fragrance of Old joys ; and we te l lourse lves we have h igher hopes ; but we fee l , al l thet ime , — though we ought not to fee l so, - that thedreadfu l darknes s i s there that no l ight can d i ss ipate

,

—where no l ight ever comes,or has come. ”

H e had been speak ing of the deaths of h i s twoson s and h i s w ife, hav ing prev iou s ly g iven th e accountof the death of h i s S i ster Rachel e, and the crue l end ofh i s on ly brother. H e spoke of the home i n Ven ice

,

and the overshadowing of i t .There I suffered a great sorrow

,he sa id. I t

a lmost fit ted me for the k ingdom of heaven pu rg i ngaway the dross, and l ift i ng me up—up, t i l l at t imesI seemed to breathe ce l est ial a i r. I p rayed for thesou l s of my two boys , -my sons, whom I had expe cted


consu l , of the abrogat ion of the Su l tan ’s firman or

decree regard i ng the expu l s i on Of the Jews .“ Pra i se be to God, th e con su l has succeeded in th i s

great del iverance of my peopl e ! H is repre sentat ion sand despatche s have had the effect. Of al l the consuls i n J erusa l em ,

he was the on ly one who refu sedto a id

,and even res i st ed, the Tu rk i sh government i n

th i s work,as the Pasha of Pal est i ne had repeatedly told

h im,remon strat i ng w ith h im . H e was a lone ; but he

remained firm . See the resu l t . Fou r hundred H ebrewshave just landed at Jaffa, without the l east mol estat i onor h i ndrance ; and there w i l l be no more expu l s ion !It is enough to put n ew l ife i n me . If God be for us,who can be aga i n st u s ?H e spoke of the recent com ing to J erusal em Of the

Jews from Yemen,i n Arab ia, who c la imed to be of

the tr ibe of Gad . These Gad it e J ews sa id they hadbeen warned by wr i t i ngs affixed to the door of the i rsynagogue

,wh ich told them that the t ime had come

when they shou ld return to J erusal em .

“ I t i s a l l th e fu lfi lment of prophecy,he sa id .

The c ity i tse lf i s grow ing on the very l i nes foretoldby the prophets Jerem iah and Zachar iah . The watertoo shal l be brought i nto Jeru sa l em i n abundance

,a

founta i n for s in and for uncl eanness . ’ We have nolonger need of fa i th , when we se e these th ings, —whenwe see prophecy fu lfi l l i ng i tse lf under our very eyes.Great i s our Lord, and worthy to be pra i sed !

’

H aveI not magn ified h i s holy name ? ”

A wonde rfu l c hange passed upon the face and formof Jacob i n i as he spoke . I t was as if he was t ransfig ured, overshadowed by some ho ly being. H e puth i s arm around Leone

,and drew h im to h im . H e took

h i s hand and pressed i t to h i s breast .“ I have held back too long,

” he sa id , held back,

for doubt—unbel i ef— and want of fa i th . But i t shal lbe so no longer. Are you not my son almost as muchas though you were born of me ? Are you not thegrandson of my father, —the ch i ld of my s i ster

,my

bel oved Rache le ?“ My uncle ! Uncl e Anselmo, you are t ir i ng your

se lf ! excla imed Leone.

H assan a Fe l lah 1 07

H e cou ld not understand . H e thought h i s unc l e ’sm ind was wander ing

,—Overcome by h is joy at the

good news .“ Nay. Li sten to me, rep l i ed h is uncl e. Were

we not hered itary treasurers and scr ibe s of the K i ngsof J udah, beg i nn i ng w i th K ing Dav id, and Keepers of

the Great Sea l of the K ing ? But bes ides th i s,and

above al l,even to the presen t hou r, we have been

the custod ians of the I neffab l e Name,

’ preservedh itherto carefu l ly in the fam i ly, and spoken by the headof the house

,i n secret

,to the e ldest son

,on h i s com ing

of age, that i t m ight be kept ho ly, and not be lost .Voca l ly i t has d i sappeared from the world . Its pro

nunciation ,its very sound, its exact form

,have

melted from the memory of mank ind i n general . Thegreatest scholars are i n doubt and d i spute about i t . Ihave shown you the name upon the seal— the fou rpo i nt l ess l etters that express i t , or rather stand for i ti n real ity but three, for the second and fourth char

acters are a l ike. The vowel s,or po ints i nd icat i ng the

vowel s be ing want ing, the wr i tten word is u tter lyunpronounceable . I t is the archa i c H ebrew lost i nChaldea

,and for wh ich the Chalda i c a lphabet has been

subst ituted .

By th i s t im e Leone was a l l attent ion, SO absorbed

he wou ld not speak, l est he Shou ld lose a word of whath is unc l e sa id.

“ The Name above every Name,the sacrednes s of

it, how shal l I express i t ?” cont i nu ed Jacob i n i . “At

one t ime i t was n ever wr i tten , or on ly part ial ly wr i tten ,and then with a separate stylu s

, or one cl eansed for thepurpose . I t was spoken but once a year, by the H ighPr i est

,when he went i nto the H o ly of H ol i es, —where

non e but he m ight ente r ; cha i ns be i ng fastened abouth i s feet

,that he m ight be drawn out i n case of h i s

death, swoon i ng, i l l ness , or other acc i dent . On comi ng out

,aft er spr i nkl i ng the b lood of aton ement on

the a l tar,i n the holy place, he spoke the I neffab l e

Name ’ i n the ears of a l l the peopl e,they prostrat i ng

themselves .Al l th i s Jacob in i re lated to Leone ; but w i th a cer


ta i n measure of re l uctance and fear,Leone not be ing

an Israel i te i ndeed, and not bear ing upon h is person theimmemor ia l mark of the covenant .H ad i t been poss ib l e to have brought i t about, th erei s no doubt i t wou ld have re l i eved the good and p iou sAn se lmo to have had Leone rece ive the anc i ent r i te.But

,from the fi rst

,h i s unc l e had l i tt l e or no hOpe of

i nduc i ng h im to subm i t to i t ; and the effort s of therabb i s utt er ly fa i l ed w i th the young man . H e wou ldnot l i sten to them on the subj ect

,and horr ified and

scandal i sed them by denounc ing and r id i cu l i ng i t i nthe grossest t erms .

“ I have de l ayed, I have doubted I have arguedwi th myse lf about i t

,sa id Jacob i n i But now I w i l l

no l onger hes i tate. The t ime has come . I feel i t asi f an ange l told me . On th i s day of days

,— in th i s

very hou r, th i s very moment,I am determ ined that

to you, Leone, the last of our blood, the r ightfu l he i rto the i nher itance, honours and d ign i t ies of our house

,

i n whom i ts hopes are fixed for its perpetuat ion, — to

you I am resolved to commun i cate the ‘ I neffableName

,

’ as i t was conveyed to me ; and God grant i t isa r ighteou s act

,and that you wi l l keep the tru st fa i th

fu l ly,and t ransm i t i t i n l ike manner to your son.

I t was a breath l ess moment . The o ld man arose.A look of awfu l maj esty fi l l ed h i s express ive counte

nance,that was l ighted w i th an unearth ly rad iance . H e

drew h imse lf up,so that i n Leone ’s s ight he appeared

to grow tal l er,— much tal l er than u sual . But he

rema ined S i l ent,

-utter ing not a s i ngl e syl l ab l e, t i l lthe unbroken st i l l n es s of the room became oppress ive

,

—almost unbearabl e .

H e had s eemed more than once to make an effort tospeak. The l ips moved

,but not a sound came from

them . Leone was complete ly awed at the s ight .At last the aged man S lowly ra i sed h is arms aloft,h igh above h is head, hold i ng them there for several

moments . Then,l ower i ng them

,he folded them for a

few seconds on h i s breast , at the place where the greatj ewel l ed breastplate w i th the Ur im and Thumm im

,

that d read and myst i c orac l e of I srae l ’s worsh ip, was

1 1 0 H assa n : a Fe l lah

prayer-carpet a se g gadeh , said the young shepherd .

Lonely as the place was during the day, i t was farmore lonely i n the sti l l n ight-watches. The mysteriouss i lences seemed to H assan to have a presence an individuality, and to be one with the almost palpable andimpenetrable darkness that enveloped everyth ing as

with a garment ; and to be all i ed with the intensifiedodours that swept along the ground in Sp icy whiffs .They suggested the afrit , peri and demon . H e drew hisabai of camel ’s hai r, woven i n those broad brown andwhite stripes, so pecul iarly character istic , more closelyabout h im , as much from hi s sense of isolatio n and awe,as to guard against the chi ll iness of the atmosphere ,while he settled nearer to the overhanging rock , whoseshelte r he had sele cted as h is place of bivouac. Wellmight he say in the words of Jacob o f O ld : In theday the drought consumed me , and the frost by night ;and my sleep departed from mine eyes .”

An unaccountab le feel ing o f anxiety as wel l as thecold had made h im wakeful ; and he had slept but l i ttle.

“ The gen i i and thei r chief, Ible e s , are su rely abroadto—n ight,

” he sol i loqu ized .

H e had brought h is Sheep to th i s Spot for more thanone reason . The pastu rage , though Of l im ited extent,was some of the best in the neighborhood , and was prote cted from the colder winds by a long, though i rregu larand partially broken natu ral wall of cl iff. Moreover,water , that great des ideratum , was access ible, i f notabundantBut these inducements were doubtless of far less

weight with him at p resent than the fact that H ilwewou ld be there on the morrow, as She had informed him .

Spite of cu stom— that unwritten tyrannical law—Shehad promised to meet h im there . The adj acent h ills idewas thickly covered with the bru shwood which the peasants ofPalestine are so largely dependent on for the ir fuel .As is wel l known , with the pecul iar habits of the people ,i ts p rovision is nearly altogether left to the women ofthe family , who cu t, dry, hau l and store i t for householdpurposes . I t i s ch iefly employed for heating the great

Hassan : a Fe l lah 1 1 I

ovens, bu il t of stone , which are su ch consp icuous obj ectsi n al l the vil lages of the country, and which are largelyused in common by the inhab itants of each p lace. H e

was aware , from personal knowledge , that an extra o r

unusual quantity of the brushwood had been cu t anddried on that particu lar h ills ide , i n which the people ofMalha claimed a proprietary interest

,and that the im

portant p roduct now only requ i red collecting togetherin p i les or bale-l ike bundles , and finally conveying tothe village on the backs of donkeys , or, as was too o ftenthe case , on the backs of the women themselves .When donkeys were employed

,the men sometimes

condescended to ass ist i n the work of d riving them .

Otherwise al l of this drudgery general ly fel l to the lotOf the women .

H ilwe would probably be accompanied by three or

four of the elder women o fMalha , under whose esp ionageShe would , more or less , be placed . But th is was animpediment both the young peop le had taken into consideration , and with which there was more than one wayof sati sfactor ily deal i ng .

H assan had secretly gathered and bound H ilwe’s shareof the bru sh .

I have made it easy for her, he said smil ing .

The women occup ied with thei r work , would get separated

, H assan argued . Where they had no spec ial orpersonal i nte rest i n the young woman under thei r charge

,

such as the bond of relationship impl ied , and as was thecase in this instance , the i r respons ib i l ity, usu ally selfimposed , was of the l ightest and frailest character, andtheir duty as guard ians was performed in the most perfunctory manner , i f at all . H ilwe could , without difliculty, wander off, out of eyesight and earshot of thoseobnoxiou s creatu res ; and so he could have

“her all tohimself, and enjoy with he r the secret meeting forwhichhi s whole sou l thirsted and longed .

The very suggestion se t h im beside himsel f, and madethe weary hours of the n ight seem longer.

“ Yes,he said , “ i t can eas ily be done . Why not?

And,with the ardent imagination of the O riental , he was

not S low i n fi l l i ng up the detai ls .

‘

1 1 2 Hassan a Fellah

H e had di scovered a cave i n the cl iff near h is pasturage

,a place l ittl e reso rted to

,and diffi cu lt to find , and

where the women from Malha would be most u nlikely topenetrate

,as i t was dist inctly on the B ettir S ide of the

boundary. H e for some time had used thi s cave as ashelter and part ial dwell i ng-place . There H ilwe and hecou ld safely meet and discuss the present Shape of

things,and make thei r plans for the future .

Under the d istress ing c i rcumstances in which theywere placed

,i t was necessary that they shou ld meet

and comfort each other . They could not l ive , otherw ise .

I t was al l-important too that H assan should be keptinformed of the progress of the su it of Abd-e l-nou r, andof any new and dangerous phases i t should assume .These were the things that H assan and H ilwe told

themselves i n exculpation of the facts , and in presenceof the i r superabundant love fo r each other .Thou wilt not fai l to come , H ilwe ? H assan asked ,

fo r the pleasu re of hearing her answer .Ah , su rely I shal l be there , w ith Allah

’s help washer r inging reply .

When a young man and young woman are determ ined On meeting , what power on earth can preventtheir coming together ? The very sp irits of the ai rseem to become the i r all i es , and the occu lt princ iplesand laws of nature appear to be on the ir s ide , to fightfo r them . H ow often have they been known to carryon thei r procedu res u nder the very eyes and noses ofthe ir elders, withou t causing the least susp icion ofwhatthey were at, and though those sagac ious guard ianshad , of course, the full benefi t of the i r own experiencesto warn them of the inevi table resu lt. It seems to bea natural fatal ity , or, more properly , a resu lt of thecondi tions .In the darkness of the long-drawn night hours

,i n hi s

sheltered nook , on the edge of the beauti fu l stretch of

pastu re, his sol id shoulders p ress ing against the s ide ofthe overhanging rock , H assan Saw in anticipation thewhol e scene of the bl issful meeting which he hoped toreal i se o n the morrow. I t sent the blood i n warmer,swifter, and more bl issfu l cu rrents through his veins, and

1 1 4 H assan : a Fe l lah

Europe ti l l i ntroduced by the Crusaders return ing fromthe H oly Land .

H assan also commenced repeating portions of theKoran, which he found exceedingly comforting in thedarkness, and help ful i n making the hou rs pass lesstardily .

Especial ly did he love to dwell on those parts whichdescr ibe the bl iss of Parad ise , and the exqu isi te del ightsOf the true bel ievers , i n the futu re l ife . H ow his tongueand hi s thoughts l ingered and luxuriated over thosehighly colou red and voluptuous portrayals of the happ iness i n store for the faithfu l followers of the Prophet ,and which p ictu red them as repos ing on couchesadorned with gold and preciou s stones ; s itting oppositeto o ne another thereon ,

”SO as to enj oy in companion

ship the ir pleasu res ; while “ youths who shall continu ein thei r bloom forever Shal l go round about to attendthem , with gobl ets and beakers , and a cup of flowingwine den ied them on earth , but now permitted andwith fru its of the sorts which they shal l choose

,and the

flesh of b irds o f the kind which they shall des i re . Andthere Shal l accompany them fai r damsels having largeblack eyes, resembl ing pearl s h idden in the ir shells ; asa reward fo r that which they shall have wrought .”

These resplendent hou ris of parad ise are not created O fclay as mortal women are , but are made o f pure musk .

Each sense shal l have i ts p roper gratification , none shal lbe u nsati sfied . The ear wil l be entertai ned with theravish ing songs of the angel Israfil , who has , of all God

’screatures

,the sweetest vo ice . And to qual ify the blessed

for the ful l enjoyment of the pleasu res Of th is garden o fdel ights

,God wil l give to every one the abi l ities of a

hundred men .

”

This is the Moslem’s d ream of H eaven , the Paradiserevealed in his holy book , the hope of reach ing whichhe has eve r before him amid the trials and vic iss itudeso f th is l ife .

I t was natu ral that H assan , i n contemplat ing theecstati c vi sion as related by the Arabian Prophet shou ldmingle with the p ictu re of the ch iefi ng scene those beaut

H assa n a Fe l lah 1 1 5

d i se—the image of his beloved , H ilwe . To him , eachof the seventy-two damsels apportioned to him as hisown i nd ividual share in the heavenly place, bore theexact image and l ikeness of the woman he loved— thel ittle maiden of Malha .

Ah,my H ilwe , he exclaimed , “ I shall long for

thee even i n Parad ise , and therefore shall have theethere .

”

The only possib il ity of a woman entering H eaven , i ti s fi rmly bel ieved by the Moslems , rests upon her having a husband there who wishes for her .With the more sensual conception O f the Koran

mingled that revelat ion of the new H eaven of St . Johnthe Evangel i st which H assan had learned from themiss ionaries , and which is described as the holy c ity ,the new Jeru salem , coming down from on high , prepared as a bride .adorned for her husband . H ere hewas told Of gates of pearl , foundations of preciou sstones , streets of gold , and the river of l i fe, on the s idesof which were planted that wondrous tree beari ngtwelve manner of fru its , and whose leaves were for theheal ing of the nations . There was no night there . H e

remembered that very d istinctly— al l the more so thathe was now experienc ing the effects of exposu re to avery dark and cold n ight on that breezy hil ls ide of

Palesti ne .

I n the midst of these beatific images o f Parad ise andits del ights , with wh ich , as has been sa id , i nvar iablym ingled the face and form of his adored H ilwe , H assanwas suddenly and rudely aroused to the fact that somewild beast had attacked h is flock.

During the latte r part of the night he had been d isturbed by the howl ing and sharp bark ing of the j ackalswhich infested those cl iffs and h ills ides i n great numbers

,

and which even are bold e nough to Show themselvesduring the daytime. The most annoying whini ng cryof a hyena had also more than once sounded unpleas

antly near. This last animal , with its great fangs , andof cruel and treacherous nature as well as h ideous aspeet, reaches a large s ize , and sometimes proves a d isagreeable v i s itor to the shepherd and h i s flock .


H assan had therefore to keep on the alert , and hadbeen unable to Obtain more than a few brief snatcheso f sleep throughou t the entire time , though it was bythi s near to daybreak .

The pecu l iar howl and deep growl ing which now brokeon his startled ear was d ifferent from anything o f thekind with which he was acquainted . I t was accompaniedby a frightened scampering and bleating of the sheep .

H e immediately sprang to h is feet, and , se iz i ng hisheavi ly-knobbed club, such as Shepherds in Palest ineare invariably provided with when tend ing thei r flocks

,

he qu ickly ran down towards the partly artificial , partlynatu ral inclos 'u re into which , as the night had come on,

he had driven h is flock for secu ri ty.

The rear of the rude i nclosu re,i f such it may be

called , was formed of the h igh cl iff, and so affordedample protection i n that quarte r. A low spu r coveredwith broken rock that ran out from the cl iff at anobtu se angle formed one of the S ides ; the opposites ide cons isted of great fragments of stone which , loosening and breaking away from the ledge , had fal len andpartly rolled down the S lop e , lyi ng p iled wi th moreo r l ess i rregulari ty for some d istance from its base .

The fou rth and last s ide, which had in i t the entrance ,and was parallel to the cl iff, was almost totally of artificial construction

,being made ch iefly of the scattered

boulders collected from the adjacent su rface of theground , and bu ilt up into the most primitive form of

a mortarless wal l or fence .

Though the second and third mentioned s ides hadrece ived from the hand of man some l ittle ass i stancein bringing them into the ir shape , they had long sincel ost most of the evidence of such a fact, and seemedto have lapsed back into a state of natu re . They wereto a great extent covered with a growth ofweeds , brush ,and shrubs, and on th e Spu r-l ike ridge two or three figtrees had taken root, springing from the chance seedsdepos ited probably by a b ird

, o r unheed ingly droppedby some Shepherd or wayfarer o f a generation ago , whohad stopped there to rest while he ate h is S imple mealof bread and fig s .

1 1 8 H assan : a Fel lah

employed i t . Yet,l ike many another of the same kind

found in Bedawin tents and elsewhere in th is country,i n the hands of a native skilled in its use it was aneffective weapon . I t was a fl intlock, and was alreadyloaded and primed .

There was more than one entrance to the fold-l ikei nclosu re

,though only one regular place of ingress and

egress . H assan did not take the time to go aroundto the latter. H e ran up a mpe at the s ide nearestto h im and find ing an opening in the bu shes crown ingthe summit

,a place so well known to him he had no

trouble i n finding it in the night, he let h imsel f downinto the pen .

’

The l i ttle fie ld- l ike space did not contai n qu ite asmuch as an acre of ground ; but everything was so darkw ith in , H assan at fi rst had the greatest diffi culty in d i sting uish ing obj ects , even those close at hand .

H is coming seemed to have produced a certain d ivers ion in the attack of whatever wild beast it was whichhad broken into the fold . But th is was only temporary .

The assau lt was soon renewed , as was man i fest by thelow growl of the intruder ahd the p iteous bleating of

the sheep .

“ Bismill ah , he cried , partly as an exclamation ,partly as a prayer. Perhaps i t is Ible es himsel f, thechief O f the devils.H assan at once d ivested himsel f of his loose raiment

H e cast as ide his tarboosh , dropped his heavy abaifrom his shoulders , l etting i t fall i n a heap by thefence , and stood fo rth i n the ful l freedom of his fine lyformed muscular l imbs , not even wearing the sheepskin j acket of the shepherd , but only the s imple cottonundergarment of the country, confined around his lo insby a leathern gi rd le . In this last he had thrust h isheavy cl ub , with its rou nded knob, his hands bei ng occu

p ied with his rifle. The hai r stood erect on h is baredhead , not from coward ice , but in fu ll real i sation Of hisperil

,as he gathered h is strength for the confl i ct.

In whatever the Syrian may be lacking,whatever

may be h is sho rtcomings and his vices , under c i rcumstances such as these , he i s rarely deficient in courage .

H assan : a Fe llah

With h is physical endowments , i t is only natu ral heshou ld not be wanting in the character i stics generallysupposed to pertain to and ' accompany them , and especially the qual ity which , in

' both c ivil ised and savagel ife

,men prize so highly , and which they have named

courage or brave ry .

I t was , as might be expected , with no misgiving o r

hesitation,and with but l i ttle reflectio n , that H assan

promptly and steadi ly proceeded against h is u nknownadversary.

It soon became apparent to h im that the wild beasthad already seized one of the sheep

,and was attempt

ing to drag i t away to devou r it. NO time must therefore be lost i f he wou ld save al ive the innocent andhelpless preyFor an instant, through the darkness cast by the over

hanging cl iff and rocks , he had caught the glare o f apair of fierce eyes tu rned upon him. It was only for amoment that the almost phosphorescent greenish l ightof those mal ign orbs , l ike flaming emeralds , blazed dazz ling ly i nto his face , not giving him time to l evel andtake a im with hi s rifle .

Nor had he opportuni ty to repeat the seven salaamsfrom the Koran , rec ited by rel igiou s Moslems in dangeror d istress . H e could only say :

“ Bism illah— In thename of God .

”

And now , as hi s eyes became mo 3 accustomed tothe darkness , which was far more i nt use with in thanwithout the inclosure, he had a passing gl impse of thestrange an imal which had broken into the fold

,and he

knew it was a panther , a species of leopard which nowis seldom or never fou nd in that part o f the country

,

though at one time it must have abounded there,and

sti l l may be detected upon the Gal ilean hill s,be ing

common beyond the Jordan , i n the Moabite region .

It must have wandered out o f i ts d istrict,and gradu

ally lost itsel f, to be found so far off from its haunts ,whether they were in the Mount Tabor range

,by the

Lake of Gal ilee , or i n Moab .

H assan recogn ised at once the formidabl e characte rof the creatu re he had to contend with . H e had seen

1 2 0 H assan a Fe llah

the leopard in the wi ld Adwan country, beyond theJordan, during a vis it there , and cou ld not be m istaken .

H e had also seen the skins o f that animal brought i n bythe Bedawin hunters , who always take the greatest pridei n exhib iting them as an evidence of their p rowess

,tel l

i ng su rprising stories of the ir desperate encounters .The leopard what a profound wickedness i s in that

creature ! H e S i ts , satisfied with himsel f, and croucheswith the determination to proceed fu rther i n hi s evi ldoing. H e evidently th inks wickedness i s the rightthing. And possibly it i s , for him. At least, to h im ,

h is s ins are no S ins . When God made that creatu re H e

must have known what H e was doing . But one hes itates to follow the legitimate i nferences .Though H assan wel l knew the peri lou s natu re of his

posi tion, and that even his l i fe was in j eopardy, heshrank not from the duty before h im . H e was there toprotect the sheep to defend them from any and everyfo e , even at the risk of his l i fe.Long before the days of the Great Shepherd , i t had

been an establ ished maxim in Palestine that the goodshepherd

,

” by which name he called h imself, “ givethhis l ife for the sheep .

” And it was from such scenes asthese

,enacted on these Juda an hills ides , that some of

the most beautiful p ictu res and heart-reaching lessonsthe world has ever rece ived were taken.

H assan , therefore , insti nctively strode fo rward , levell ing his rifle from time to time, and trying to get a goodaim

,but fear ing to fi re lest , under the c ircumstances , he

shou ld ki ll some Of the sheep .

I t wou ld be impossible to exaggerate the beauty of

h is form and the exqu is itely gracefu l movements o f hisshapely l imbs, as , al l unconscious of his gloriou s en

dowments,he advanced upon the foe , without a fear as

to the danger to which he was exposing h imself. Absorbed in h is purpose, everything el se was for the momentforgotten .

The semi-darkness added the qual ity of mystery tothe scene.Meanwhil e the leopard had reached a part of the

inclosure more removed from the shadows cast by the


The leap was made with al l the fury “and energy of

which the animal was capable .The gray dawn , as has been shown , was already be

ginning to make itself fel t, the coming Of the day herebe ing , as is wel l known , much more rap id than in someother countries ; and obj ects seemed suddenly to growmore d istinctly vi s ible, espec ial ly i n that part o f theinclosu re where the confl ict took p lace . This wasgreatly aided by the l i fting and part ing Of a heavy racko f cloud which had hitherto hung low at the easternhorizon . Thu s H assan easi ly perce ived the attack of theenraged pard , that agil e beast appearing to come flyingthrough the air , a beauti ful as well as a fearfu l S ight.The poor fellow might wel l be appalled at the spec

tacle . The angry roar, the d isp layed fangs , the extendedclaws , the l i the embodiment o f frenz ied rage u nited withsuperhuman strength—few th ings can be more instantaneously terribl e .Never for a moment had H assan removed his gaze

from the intrep id enemy . And as i t came towards himwith all i ts gathered force , and with the accu racy of abomb from a mortar, determined to overwhelm him atone fel l swoop , he kept h is p lace, motionless, to thelast poss ibly safe fraction of time, measured by his keeneye with the greatest n icety ; then , bounding aside , helet the tawny monster go swinging past.The fiery beast reached the ground with a dul l heavy

thud , barely saving itself from roll ing over and over.With the almost intu itive perception possessed bymany of the lower animals in a degree marvellou s tou s

,the leopard had detected H assan’s strategical move

ment , though too late to recover itsel f.ically stretched out i ts nearest paw in pthe i ntention o f se iz ing h im , and arresti ngBut i t only succeeded i n i nfl i cting a sl ight flesh wupon his shoulder .The fight , however, was not yet at an end .

i ndomitab l e beast, though baffled , retu rned to the chif possib l e with redoubled determination .

Wounded as it was , the desperate fal l it had rcould not have failed to affect it more o r l ess se

H assan : a Fel lah 1 2 3

I t l eft a l ittle pool o f blood where i t had landed . I ttu rned and looked at i t, as a man might have done .

At fi rst it seemed ashamed of i tself, and crept Off al i ttle way , then retraced i ts steps .H assan’s first intention was to seiz e hi s r ifle and reload

it. But the renewed attack'

of the leopard gave h im notime for this . H e also knew the utter ineffici ency o f theweapon when employed as a bludgeon . With al l i tsstrengthening bands of brass, the fi rst blow would havebroken it i n p ie ces , while i nfl ict ing l ittle orno material injury ou the enemy . H e was therefore driven back on hissole remaining munition ofdefe nse his shepherd’s c lub.

This pecu l iar club is a Short stick with heavy rou ndknob

,formed o f a natural knot in the wood ; and from

it has been the implement of thele stine , u sed i n protecting himself and h isdanger. I t was , i n al l probab il ity, withas this that David s l ew both the l ion and

r when he kept hi s father’s Sheep at Bethlehem,

from here , as so graphically narrated by him toau l .now the leopard suddenly paused , as i f i t had

actics ; but soon began approaching H assanand slowly , walking around h im ,

andupon him gradually , and more afterf attack ing and taking its p rey . There

ike glare i n i ts eyes . Its tai l,ex tended

full length , had an ominous snaky vibra

i nstance , the pai n of the wound and H as

san’s sudden onslaught had i nfuriated it and set i t bes ideitself with rage . There was , th is time , the characteristi ccunning and steal thy movement pecul iar to the family,seen i n its act ion . Withal , there was a decided vindictivene ss or revenge apparent in its demeanou r .The creatu re avoided H assan’s eye

,and quailed be

fore it.Its ri chly-spotted tawny hide was brushed by the grass

and small Shrubs , wh ich part ially concealed it ; and , attimes , i ts bel ly almost dragged upon the ground , as itdrew fearfully near.

1 2 4 H assan a Fe l lah

H assan’s heart beat fast , but he held hi s ground andkept courage

,grasp ing more firmly h is S imple weapon .

When with i n a few paces , the crafty fel ine suddenlyqu ickened its stride to a run, as i f to take h im unawares ,gathering all i ts energies to make the supreme spring.

Whether in the next i nstant H assan felt, or, i n thei ntenseness of his deep expectancy , only imagined hefelt

,the tremendous impact of that furious hai ry bulk,

he did not then know, though the effect o f the stu nningshock was upon him

,— the S inking of the claws , the

fle shing of the fangs, th e death-grip , —fo r, almost sim

ultane ously,hi s wel l-poised club had descended with

extraord inary force , begotten of the desperateness of hiss ituatio n

,upon the head of the leopard , crushing its

sku l l .A second blow immediately followed . I t was the

finishing stroke .

The claws relaxed ; the j aws unclosed . The beautifu l terror lay at his feet, a helpless mass of tawny hide ,gl istening with dark clu stering spots l ike eyes .The eyes themselves— the real eyes , fast los ing thei r

l ight, as they glazed and changed i n colou r , had a p itifu lly inqu iri ng glance , looking out, far beyond H assan ,as i f seeking the mountain ranges where lately i t hadroamed , or a sti l l farther-o ff land , a mysterious bournlesshabitation where yet it m ight have l i fe . This was fo ll owed by a despai ring, d isappointed express ion in them ,

such as i s so often seen i n the dying, as i f they had not

found what they sought.There were a few spasmodi c muscular motions, and

several u nconsciou s twitch ings of the splend id sk in overS i news and parts where vital ity had more abundantlyresided and now clung tenac iou sly , and the lordly beaststretched his proud l imbs to the ir fu l l extent for the lasttime .Soon the rigor w ertz

'

s would se ize them .

The l ife had gone out. But whither ?Who knoweth the sp i ri t o f man whether i t goeth

upward , .and the sp i ri t of the beast whethe r it goethdownward to the earth ? ” quoth Solomon .


and legs . Appropriate prayers are used whil e each member or organ i s pu rified , and when the entire act i s completed the regular prayer i s entered on . This chieflycons ists of the rec itation of the Soo rat e l-Kadr thecelebrated chapter of the Koran so enti tled, with theuniversal preface : “ In the name of the most mercifulGod .

” This chapter , which , i t may be stated , is exceed ing ly b ri ef, i s sometimes recited twice or thr ice . I tcloses with the beautifu l words : “ It i s peace til l theri s ing of the morn .

” But, it must be confessed , thereis l ittl e o r nothing abou t i t of what strictly cou ld beconsidered p rayer .Though some Moslems may prove careless in regard

to thei r prayers , and neglect .them ,there are certain par

tial washings or purifications which, though not essentially pertain ing to p rayer , are regarded as acts of

devotion , and which are regularly performed by al l themen , on occas ion . This guarantees a personal cleanliness on the part o f the followers o f Mohammed , whichis unquestionably an admi rable featu re . They and theEngl ishman are the great bathing animals .H assan , having no se g gadeh or prayer-carpet, nor

even a mat, spread h is abai as a substitute , as is oftendone , and had soon finished h is devotions to h is ful l satisfaction .

H e then entered ou the d iscussion of his frugal morni ng meal

,which cons isted ch iefly o f a cake or t o

brown bread,with cheese , o l ives , and a few dried fi

regarded as a sumptuous repast by the ordinarytant

,and for which H assan’s u nwonted exerc ise a

bath had given him an excellent appeti te . H'

drink was from the cl ear , sparkl ingthe rock . H e had not, i n al l h isarack . The beauty of h

'

Openly trb itten by that serpent, nor stung by thdrink . But drunkenness i s scarcely ever seen amthe natives especially the peasants .There was something uncommonly agreeable in

fresh,young face that he turned toward the morn ing

with the ej acul ation upon his l ip s : Praise be to Al

H assan a Fe llah 1 2 7

the All-M erc ifu l ! I t was ful l of the uncontam inatedstrengths o f exuberant manhood ; and , as has been previously hinted , the ve ry redu ndance of the mascu l inewas the first impress ion conveyed by him . H is naturalforces u nimpai red

,there was a gen ial ease all ied to a

boyish s impl ici ty i n every express ion of his face and i nal l his movements that was more convinc ing as to h istrue character than a score of accu sations could possibly be .

Yet there were those who had no good Op inion of

him,and spoke all manner of evi l of him . They charged

him with al l so rts of frai lties and i rregu larities , and hadwhat they cons idered convi ncing facts and statements insupport of thei r assertions .But we have not claimed him to be an angel or a

saint. Are not such exalted personages exceed i nglyscarce upon the earth , i f they are , at al l , to be foundthere ? H e was , l ike the rest of u s , only a man ; and , nodoubt, fu l l of a man

’s imperfections and shortcomings ;and , as far as seraphic goodness i s concerned , w ithou tthe least title to i t. Stil l , as compared with h is censors,j udged from th is standpo int , he was no worse than theywere , i n the s ight of his Creator, and was far more of aman .

Let there be no mistake upon the subj ect. Th i s i s nodefence of vice . It is not vice . It i s natu re . Also , i t

p retended that the natives O f the land are nott certain manners and customs , habits and do ingsin a people so natu ral , and so largely primitive ,ative ly only impuls ive , careless , and almost to beed , but which would be undoubtedly out of place ,

nd gross , i n a h ighly c ivi l ised community.

morial u sage , too , has sanct ioned among the peasfrom ancient Bible times

,many of those practi ces ,

the great mass o f them are far older than anywhich we are accustomed to term hab it, and areith the natural i nstinct and affections . I n other

might be called the ir s ins were to themy no s ins . To pall iate an offence , however,

H assan spread the food before h im and


commenced to eat, when a S l ight rustl ing in the gras sand shrubs attracted h is attention and caused him to turnhis head in the d irection Of the sound. It was made byH ilwe ,

who was close at hand , having stolen upon h imfrom behind. She had eluded the vigilance of her companions

,coming by a way he had not expected , and

arriving much sooner than he had dared to hope for.She carried on her shou lder, supported by one hand ,

a small earthen vessel , a j ar o f the common potte ryof the country ; and it greatly pleased her to thinkthat

,with al l h is superior acumen , and that pecu l iar

and exqu isite perception o f the presence of anotheru nde r the most unlikely c ircumstances , characteristi cOf the race , she had managed to su rp ris e h im , andcome upon him unawares .Could i t be that through the exercise of the oppos

i ng desire She had brought th is to pass ? She hadwished to steal upon him , to shock him with happ iness .H er face was radiant with the j oy of meeting h im ,

which she utterly failed to conceal , and which , i t i shardly necessary to say, drew from him more than one

answering heart-throb .

Instantly springing to his feet, he advanced to meether, and caught her to h im in an i rrepress ibl e embrace ,and with many a warm salutation .

H ilwe had a pecul iar beauty of her own which wasnot of the common order, and was almost rare amongher people . True , the young peasant gi rls o f Palestineare frequently good-looking, and sometimes qu ite handsome , though in this respect they may, i n general , besaid to be inferio r to the men. But the l ife o f hardship which they lead , and which is the recognised loto f the female o f the land , soon makes o ld bag s of them .

I t is exceptional to se e a fine -looking woman o f ad

vanced or even middle age outs ide of the l imitsBethlehem or Nazareth .

Fromentin has declared that , among all peoples, tman i s unquestionably the handsomer animal .H e may be correct i n this . Probably he is , at le

not far from the truth in h is statement ; though ,general thing, all


Exceptional mention has been made Of Nazareth andBethlehem . The women of those towns have long beennoted fo r thei r extraord inary beauty . In explanation ,they boast of crusader descent, and doubtless canrightful ly claim an i nfusion Of some of the best bloodi n Eu rop e . A mixtu re of bloods , if good , improvesthe breed .

I t would have been next to imposs ible that men of

the typ e and wel l-known character of those val iant yetfar from immaculate sold i ers of the cross cou ld havel ived as long in the country as they had done , itslords and masters , without leaving some o f thei r seedbehind them . I ndeed we have record of the marriagesof some o f the leaders to Armen ian , Syrian , and evenSaracen women .

There is no question too that in certain places i nPalestine and Syria there is much Ital ian blood , due tothe early connection of the H oly Land with I taly, notonly under the Romans , who have left thei r i ndel iblemarks upon the country in many ways , such as in thenames of the places , the massive pavements, the bridges ,aqueducts and roadways that cover its face , and thei rve ry coi nage with which the soi l i s sown ; but al so , i nlate r t imes, when the Genoese came on their trad ingexpeditions , and the Venetians , under thei r Doges , hadsuch intimate relations with the Christian inhabitants,and lent material aid to them against the ir infidel oppressors . In gratitude for this l ast had not the Ital iansbeen allotted streets in the towns of Palestine ? And ,to th is day , are not the s ilver co ins o f Ven ice dug upamong the ru ins of Samaria ? The p reservation of theItal i an language among some of the o ld famil ies , res idents o f the land for hundreds of years , the i r featuresand hab its , even the very patronymics they bear, contribute to evidences o f the i r descent past gainsaying.

What a wonderfu l romance l ies behi nd some of thosefaces that one meets i n Palest ine ! The mystery of

mysteri es i s there . The spectre O f the hidden andObscu re past makes itself seen and felt for an instant ;sometimes , i n the flash of an eye , sometimes i n thecurve of the l ip , the d istension of the sens itive nostri l,


or the carriage of the head . The very motions of thebody , the movements of an arm or foot, the erect,proud bearing , o r the graceful , cou rtly salutation , re

veal weird glimpses o f a period fu ll o f fantasti c action,

before which imagination , falls prostrate , dumb andtransfixed with amazement, outdone and conquered bythe real ity. Nothing i s impossible under the conditions , nothing too improbable to have happened .

What blood , what h istory l ies concealed ! Who canknow ?Malha , the vi l lage where H ilwe was born , and where

she l ived , i s not far from Bethlehem . There must, atfirst

,have been , for generations , more o r less intercou rse

between the people of the two p laces . H ow i ntimate ?Perhaps to the extent of intermarriage . Could H ilwe ’

s

charms be thus accounted for ? Who can tel l ? I nlater days , Malha, with positive tru th , cou ld claim theCircass ian infus ion . H ence , i t might be , those plantations of roses for the making of rose-water. H ence ,possibly, H ilwe

’

s beauty. H ence, also , perhaps, theorigin of the blood -feud with B ettir, that remorselessShadow of an inexp iable wrong, the genes is o f whichthe very natu re of which —no man of e ither vil lage

be or even hint at with anyth ing l ike

55 , as we have seen , the feud th i s colosghost— sp ite of i ts occu lt origin, stalkede land , a very perceptible power for evil ;

er impersonated wrong, inheriting ,through long l ines of descent, an accumulated pre ro g ative, al l the more difli cult to contend with on accountof a certain intangibi l ity which characterized it.H assan , having retu rned to hi s s imple repast , at

wh ich he had been interrupted by the arrival o f H ilwe ,

invited the latter to jo i n h im in eating. But inexorablecustom , as he wel l knew, was as yet too strong in herto permit her to comply. Besides, Sh e had al readyeaten before leaving the house. No doubt She preferred waiting on h im

,accord ing to the habit of the

Oriental ; and , there i s no question , she took a greaterpleasure in serv ing h im

,and i n watching him eat and


rel ish the food , than she would have done i n partic ipating in the meal .There are other women than those o f the O rient

whose chief pleasu re is to be the slaves of the menthey love .

She immediately commenced u nfasten ing the covero f the small j ar She had conveyed , and soon d isclosedthe contents .

“ I have brought thee some lebban , she said .

“ Itis ofmy own making, and such as I know thou lovest.She next opened a small package of cotton cloth .

And here are a few of the best ol ives,”she added ,

also prepared by me .”

While he did not neglect to express h is gratificationand thanks , She pou red into a bowl-l ike d ish , for h isu se , a goodly portio n of the lebban , which i s a comesti

ble resembl ing clotted c ream , prepared in a pecu l iarmanner from sp ec ial ly fermented new milk

,and having

an agreeable acid o r lemon flavou r .It has been known in Palesti ne from the most ancient

times . Butter is not u sed by the natives of the land ;and as the making of it was an unknown art to them ,

there can be l ittl e hesi tation in bel ieving that where theword butter i s employed i n our translation Of the H olyScriptu res

,l ebban is meant . Thus , for instance , i t was

l ebban , and not butter i n a lordly d ish ,” which Jael

gave to Sisera , that i l l-fated captain of the Canaanitearmy, whom sh e had cunningly inveigled into her tent,and whom , after hosp itably entertain ing h im , sh e so

ruthlessly murdered while he sleptH assan expressed h is satisfacti on at the refreshing

and palatable qual ities of the lebban , i ns isting on H ilwepartaking o f i t.I t i s , i ndeed , such as my sou l loveth , he said .

Veri ly thou art as the wise woman,who looketh well

to the ways of her household , and eateth not the breadof idleness .”

From time to time he would select some cho ice portion o f the food , and put i t into her mouth . This isalways cons idered a del icate attention on the part O fthe host to the man who is his guest ; though of course

1 34 H as san : a Fe l lah

And thy l ife was i n peri l .Perhaps.And I knew it not . And you kept s i lence, all th i s

whi le .

”

H assan smil ed proudly , looking uncommonly handsome before the woman he loved .

“ It was a powerfu l beast,” he said, “ and fought

bravely.

”

“What terrible fangs and claws it has ! I t mighthave rent thee i n p ieces .”

Ay. But I had to save my sheep , was his reply .

Tell me about i t . Wilt thou not tell me how ithappened ? ”

And forthwith H assan related to her the story of thecombat, as we already know it.

“ But art thou not sorely wounded ? she asked, inte rrupting him .

No , no . It is noth ing , he assu red her .But she would not be satisfied ti l l She had seen and

properly bound up the wounds , which, from the ir position , H assan had not been able to succeed in do ing.

“ I am sure thi s must be the wild beast which hasbeen slaying and devouring the Sheep o f my uncleIsmail and the sheik , and o f Abd-e l-nou r,

”she re

marked .

“ They have lost several l ately ; and manyothers have been killed beyond the farther S ide of thehill to the west, as they have told u s .This was news to H assan ; and , with h is i nventivemind, i t d id not fail to suggest a certain opportunityto h im .

Why should not his achievement— his del iveringthem from this fierce destru ctive enemy - give h imgrace , render him acceptable in the eyes o f H ilwe

’

s

uncle, and , i ndeed , of all the people ofMalha ?H e communicated the thought to H ilwe . They both

agreed it was the hand o f Allah , i nterposing i n thei rbehalf, and that it Should be acted upon wi thoutdelay.

H assan commenced at once brushing and preparingthe skin, while do ing so making an occas ional remarkto H ilwe regard ing h is pu rposed action .

H assan a' Fe l lah 1 35

I t was evident he was thoroughly aroused in carrying out his des ign . H e i ntended it should be nohalf-hearted business. H e should now openly declarehimse lf.Though H ilwe had acquie sced i n H assan

’s propos it ion as general ly expressed , when it came to the po int,and the statement of detai ls , she paused , hes itatingand S i l ent.I Shall carry the skin with me up into Malha

,he

said,

“ and shall see the Sheik and thy uncle Ismail,

and set my cause before them , come what may.

”

She heard and trembled , knowing the danger, anddreading the consequences . She shrank from the finali ssu e , when thus presented to her, even though she ,herself

,was but a pass ive agent i n the transaction .

Knowing bu t too wel l the deadly rancour of the Thar,

She even feared for H assan’s safety—his very l i feshould he ventu re to ente r Malha withou t some pervious special guarantee , such as the permiss ion of theSheik

, or under the protection o f some man i n authority

, or one held i n h igh esteem o f the people.Something of th is she presently tri ed to express .Art thou not venturing much ? ” She asked with

anxiou s l i fted eye . “ Art thou not taking thy l ife inthy hand ? ”

Nay , nay .

She failed to convince or even moderately impressH assan with her views , which he put down to womanishd read—overdue caution .

Fear not, H ilwe ,

” he repl ied ; “ I have counted thecost, and taken thought of what thou sayest, as well ascoun sel ofmy heart .No ; he was coming to Malha under such pecul iarcircumstances , in su ch friendly gu ise , as thei r del ivererfrom a dangerou s and destructive foe wh ich had donethem such serious inj u ry, he felt su rely he was secu re ofimmunity from harm to h i s p erson , i f only out of common gratitude for what he had done ; and , though hemight not be successfu l i n h is obj ect, he at least wouldbe suffered to come and go in peace .

Sh e then remi nded him of Kadra’

s failure in his be


half. H ow, though she had kept her promise , andacted as his g o -between , and “ spoken sweet words forhim

, so far from advancing his cause , notwithstand ingthe feast She had made for al l her acquaintances andfriends with the sheep he had given her, She had onlysucceeded i n rendering herself more unpopu lar thanever

,and was now regarded by many of the vi l lagers

almost in the l ight o f a traitor and a spy.

But H ilwe tenderly refrained from tel l ing H assan theevi l things they said of him .

“ There are many ways of reaching an obj ect withoutgoing to it d irectly ,

” he simply repl ied .

“ Thou cansttru st me ; I know what I am about .

”

After this H ilwe cou ld offe r no fu rther remonstrance .

Peradventure I am over-anxiou s for thy safety ,”she

said with a s igh .

H assan smiled confidently , that deep gentle smi le ofthe man satisfied with the love of the woman he haschosen , and on whom he has bestowed his affections .Doubtless i t i s even as thou sayest. Thy love

maketh thee overmuch j ealous and carefu l for me.Nevertheless I blame thee not . Why should I ? Buttake courage. All wil l be wel l with thee and me .Wilt thou take no one with thee ? ” she asked .

I Shal l take Chalil , as a witness and companion , heanswered . H e i s even as my brother my ownself.”

H e spoke wi th so much assu rance that she could notbut fee l a respons ive chord reverberate within her, andsmi led back at him .

I t is of the nature of th ings that those who have confidence i n themselves i nsp ire with a S im ilar feel ing thosewith whom they are brought in contact . H ilwe

’

s distrust was greatly rel i eved , i f not altogether removed , bythe brave words and manner of H assan ; and she so far

responded to his advice as , at length , to become imbuedwith somewhat Of hi s sp ir i t and hopefu l of his success .From the beginning— from the fi rst breath o f love

between them , the man , i f worthy of the name , i s thecreato r of the woman who l ives with him to be his helpmate. This is , doubtl ess , i n some degree what i s sym


sa id , just as they were parting . Thou wi lt find it nearthe Giant Rock beyond the great tereb inth

,in the place

thou knowest, and where I have left i t that thou mayestnot have far to carry it.”

Allah preserve and bless thee , she excl aimed,

for all thy goodness and lovingkindness to me . I t i sno l i ttle thing this that thou hast done , with the care ofthe sheep upon thee too .

But he would not let her make much of it.It i s as nothing for the love I bear thee

,he said .

Gladly , i f need be , would I se rve seven years for thee,even as Yacoob served for Rakel . They wou ld be tome but a few days, for the love I have to thee .

”

So they parted , and She went her way, though looking back more than once to catch the last gl impse of

him , her heart beating fast and warm .

Veri ly, she i s the marr ied woman whom her husband loves,

”she said .

CH APTER XIII

S soon as H ilwe had departed , H assan turned andtook the leopard ’s skin and , fold ing i t compactly,

hid it in a secure spot , i n a c left of the rock,—a placealso afford ing concealment for hi s rifle .

H e then proceeded , i n haste , to gather hi s sheep oncemore with in the i nclosure ; for meanwhi le he hadwatered them and let them loose to feed outside on theslopes where now the grass was abundant. This he d idin comparatively a brief space of time , and carefullyclosed the entrance with stones and broken rock .

The day was already wel l advanced as he del iberatelytook the way along the mountain side i n the direction ofB ettir.

H e presently struck into a narrow path , well known tohim

,for he and his sheep had traversed i t many a time ,

passing to and fro between the village and the pastu res .Like most of the countrypaths, i t was rough and ill

H assan : a Fel lah 1 39

defined i n several places , and often d iverged to avoid thevast blocks of stone the huge masses of rock which hadbroken loose and had rolled down from the adjacentcl iffs , under the shelter of which i t ran for the principalpart ofthe way .

But i t al l was such famil iar ground to him , he couldhave walked over i t i n the night, as , i ndeed , he not

seldom had done ; and his rap id strides soon broughthim to that part of the hi l ls ide di rectly opposite toB ettir.

I t was an attractive S ight which spread before him . Inthe c lear ai r

,the thickly-clustered houses of the vi llage ,

gathered together for protection on thei r c raggy heights ,as i s u sual i n thi s country , looked so near they seemedclose at hand . Yet the slopes of the hi ll s on each side

,

and the enti re breadth of the valley, with i ts gardens andfields , i ts fig orchards . pomegranate thickets , ol ive groves ,and vineyards stretched between , with oranges , c i trons ,l imes and lemons i n Sheltered places , and almonds andapricots i n abundance .

On this bright, pleasant day how serenely fa i r theyappeared ! In al l Palesti ne , there are no better-keptgardens . Looking down on them , near by, not a weed ,nor intru sive blade of grass could be detected among thelegitimate c rops , which showed other evidences o f fai thfu l cultu re , and were well watered .

Ah , that last i s the secret, the great necessity , i n theproduction o f fine c rops i n thi s ancient land —i rrigationabundance of water ! H ere i t poured ou t i n a flood

a river of del ight — from the rocks on which the vi llagestood , rushing strong and swift, l ike a stream Of l iqu idsi lver, i n the sun .

Water , l iving water ! What a rarely sweet and purecreature of God i t is ! cleansing, cool ing, refreshing ,stimulati ng , ferti l i sing — emblem of the H oly Sp iri t OfRegeneration— the Comforter— the giver of the LifeIndeed !The rich volume ofwater i s carri ed in a high , slop ingaqueduct of sol id masonry across the roadway immed iate ly below B e ttir, spanning i t i n a s ingle arch , i n theshade and moistu re of which grow countless Sprays

,


fronds and tufts ofmaidenhai r fern i n g reat luxuriancea greenery of gladness . Separated , after its tri umphall eap overhead , i nto many d ivi sions , by numerous smal lercondu its , the water i s gradually brought down to thegardens, fields , and orchards below, through which i ti s conducted i n innumerable r i l l s that in those lowergrounds

,l ike Siloam’

s waters , “ go softly ,” rippl ing and

singing on thei r way .

H assan might well and truly say, as he d id declare ,in hi s simple , gentle language to H ilwe : “ There i sp lenty of water at B ettir. Thou hast not to go far todraw it .”

As he now stood on the Opposi te hi llside,and gazed

on the peaceful scene , his heart warmed and swelledwith the tenderest emotions . It was hi s home—hi sbeautiful home . From the point where he waited , hecould tel l every one of the weather-beaten houses of thevi l lage ; and he knew every one of the persons who l ivedi n them .

But a l ittle way beyond was seen the end of the valley

,where the su rrounding hil l s form an ampitheatre ,

the S i te of the last rally of the miserable impostor,Bar

Cocheba, against the Roman troops being the extremetowering height, whose summit is sti l l c rowned with theru ins of what seems to be the remains o f an anc ientattempt at fortification . From this i s had a commanding view Of the Great Sea the gloriou s blue-and-goldMediterranean , ro ll i ng i n misty atmospheric splendour ,but undeniable as a queen i n its magnificence . Morethan twenty-five miles of hill , val ley and plain stretchbetween ; and the molten turquoise , sapphire and lap i slazul i of the matchless waters may be d immed by thed istance

,but we know they are there, and the imagina

tive mind feel s the supreme colou r.I t i s histori c ground . Nearly eighteen hundred years

ago,the followers of the false Messiah , Bar-Cocheba,

Son of a Star,” who was acknowledged by the deluded

but S incere Rabb i Akiba , — when they fortified theheights

,and made that ral ly born of despai r, must have

l ooked down on these scenes : the peaceful valley,torn

with battle , crowded with mailed Romans, on the one


its hedge—l ike border o f pomegranates . H e had but se ldom dwelt there of late , he was SO much away, tend inghis sheep ; and in such absences he had placed i t i ncharge of his bosom fri end , Chali l , the son of the vi llagesheik. They had often occupied i t together, for briefperiods of time , being both young unmarried men of

about the same age , and intimate acquaintances fromboyhood . H is friend was probably within i t at thi s verymoment.H assan had told H ilwe he should take Chal i l with him

to Malha . And thi s i t was which brought the former toB ettir.

Ascending a proj ecti ng p innacle o f rock , H assan ,placing his hands in a certai n position before his mouth

,

sent forth , i n' the d irection of the vi llage , a pecul iar c ry

or signal . This he repeated more than once .

H e had unwound from hi s wai st the scarf forming hi sgirdle , which he next commenced waving in a S i ngularfashion to and fro .

I t was evidently an agreed -on code of signalling ; forp resently there came across the val ley , from B e ttir, ananswering cry , and a similar waving of waist-gear.Whereupon H assan , throwing h is voice i n a cu rious ,almost ventri loqu ial manner, desired Chali l to come tohim ; when at once Chalil

’

s reply, to the effect that hewould come immediately , borne on that sonorou s ai r

,

was distinctly heard .

This “ throwing of the voice , as i t may be called ,thi s s ingular conveyance o f sound , i s , i n Palesti ne , apecul iarity which seems to have its paral lel i n the greatd istances at which objects are seen clearly. Both pertai n to the country, and largely are due to its atmospheric condi tions , though doubtless also governed byspecial characteri stics of local i ty .

H assan'

now descended from his lofty pedestal of rock ,and flung himself upon the ground to rest, for, thonot exactly fatigued , he had been walking with grap idity

,and besides h is confl ic t wi th the pard had

its effect upon him .

The sight of the l ittl e flat-roofed vi l lage house apomegranate bushes and fig -trees, which were his

H as san : a Fe l lah 1 43

made him think of H ilwe , and how happy he might be ,could he bring her there as his w ife .

The pleasant happy valley to him seemed l ike Fare idis , Parad ise

,the name from of O ld given to gar

dens by this people . . But it, too , had its serpent, i n theshape of the blood- feud . Fo r, only i n a less degree , theanimosi ty and vi nd ictiveness of the Thar was fel t i n B e ttiras i t was i n Malha .

Yet he did not dwell overmuch on the thought that,even though he obtained the reluctant consent o f H ilwe ’

s

guard ians , which at best could only be had through thepayment of an excessively large backsheesh , the troublewould not then be over. H e would sti ll have to appeaseand satisfy the peop le of hi s own vi llage . The greaterd ifficu lty, as i s u sual , presented i tself first. That re

moved , no doubt the le sser one would come in sight,and duly demand attention .

This may be said to be the case all over the world .

The minor cares di sappear on the advent of the moreseriou s ones . But espec ially i s i t so i n this land , wherethe max im Suffic ient u nto the day is the evi l thereof ”

i s of particular force , and adapted to the i nstinc ts andhabi ts of the people .

H assan had disti nctly seen Chalil when he left the vi lto come to him .

a young roe for gladness , as he hastens ,

him descend the slopes , and cross thealley , by a pathway which led through

hi s wel l-known figure was fret by the fru it-trees . At length ,

e Opposi te side , he ascended to the ledgean stood waiting to rece ive him .

I came as soon as I heard thy vo ice , he exclaimedjoyou sly.

Veri ly . And I am well pleased to se e thee , as thouknowest, returned H assan .

H urryi ng fo rward , H assan almost ran to meet him , andfell on hi s neck and kissed him .

The O ri ental ki ss between men i s a sight ofmore thanthose unaccustomed to see i t. I t i s

1 44 H assan a Fe llah

u ndoubtedly ofgreat antiq u ity . Breast to breast, i n closeembrace , and with enfold ing arms , the men lean fo rward ,and first on the right side , then on the left ,— l i teral lyfall ing on the neck ,

” they each bestow a kiss ; andthis i s repeated , sometimes more than once .

Generally i t i s only on special occasions, or after anabsence of considerable length of time , that the ki ss isi ndu lged i n ; but it i s no t necessari ly so ; and the Syriansare a d istinctively affectionate people, ofwhich thi s custom i s only one o f numerous evidences . AS to its an

tiq uity, the O ld Testament abounds with examples ; theNew Testament continu ing the record to the time of

Christ, of which the parable of the Prodigal Son i si nteresti ng proof. The Son of Man was betrayed witha kiss .With these u nrestrained tokens of feel ing, the two

young vi llagers met.Chal i l , the son o f the sheik of B ettir, was a young

man of prepossess ing appearance , i n that he had aslender gracefu l figure , an oval face of a l ight-ol ivecomplexion , clear, brown sympatheti c eyes , full of l ight ,a well—formed mouth ornamented with a very dark butvery small mustache , a straight nose with scarce a hintof the aqu i l i ne , and the usual abundance of the strongblack hai r which so commonly pertains to the meno f the country who lead an outdoor l ife .

H is dress was somewhat d ifl erent from that of H assan .

There was a fine finish and embro idered edge to hisi nner garments , which were fu rther adorned and fastenedwith o rnamental knobs . H e wore a gi rdle of rich yel lowS i lk around hi s l i the wai st, and his crimson tarboosh withheavy blue tassel had wound about i t a cloth of the samematerial as the sash , but of pure white , sp rinkled withstars woven of gold thread . H e was , i n Short, somewhatof a vi llage exqu isi te .

”

But i t was hi s abai or outside robe which showedto the more observant eye a disti nctive mark. Thi s wasa strip of many colou rs worn inside the front border, intowhich

,i ndeed , i t seemed woven . Though , from its posi

tion , generally concealed from sight, i t i s thi s which formsthe robe of honour o f the eldest son of the sheik,—who


I f he had , took up H assan , thou wouldstI would sti l l do even as I have done .

”

H assan pressed Chalil’s hand in acknowledgment.Well art thou named ,

” he said “ Thou art a faithful friend . One who sticketh closer than a brother .”

Chalil was to the old sheik , his father , dear as theapple of his eye . H e cou ld no t bear to thwart him inanything . And yet, Often , as in many another case of al ike kind

,the fatherly interest and affection not infre

quently proved somewhat oppressive to the young man,

who had far d ifl erent ideas , sympathi es , and pleasuresfrom those Of his S i re .

The sheik’s name originally had been Are ef Aweda.

But, according to the custom of the country , on theb i rth of his son Chal i l , he had been given , out of highhonou r and respect, the name Abou Chal i l , whichmeans

,The Father of Chal i l .” This i s the almost in

variab le habit in Palestine , - the father d isusing hi sown name on the birth Of a son, and being addressedas—The Father of Chal il , Sel im , Yusef, Said , or whatever the son’s name may be .

From th is may be had some fai nt perception Of theimportance attached to male Offspring i n the East

,and

especial ly to the first-born son . I t i s even more stronglyemphasised wi th the Jews , who , if they have not a sonare apt to adopt one , that, bel ieving as they do inprayers for the dead , they may have on thei r deceasesome one to offer such suppl icati ons for their souls

,for

a daughter or femal e relative cannot be permitted toenter the synagogue for this or any other purpose ;while i t i s espec ially the duty of the son to pray for thesou l of the author of his being as well as for that of thefather who has adopted him .

Chal i l , which means friend , i s a name as commamong the people of the H oly Land as the name Joi s with the English-speaking rac es . I t i s the namewhich Abraham , the ffath er o f the fai thful , andfri end of God ,

” i s i nvariably known and spoken o f;thi s explains i ts being such a favouri te with hi s de sdants and the natives who honou r hi s memory .

H assan now felt he had no longer any time


i f he would carry out his purpose o f thi s day vi siti ngMalha .

Turning to Chalil , who sat close beside him , he affe ctionately leaned towards him , and placed hi s fri end

’shand on his thigh, after the O ld manner with men of

urging a request or swearing to a p romise ,— a customofpreh istoric origin .

Wilt thou , this day, go up with me to Malha ? heasked .

“ To Malha ? exclaimed Chali l .Even so . To Malha ,

” qu ietly repeated H assan .

Dost thou mean what thou sayest ?Yea ; veri ly and indeed .

”

The young sheik could scarcely bel ieve he heardaright , and so expressed himsel f.Whereupon H assan unfolded to him the facts i n thecase , relating to him the events O f the morning, i ncluding the fight with the leopard , and showing him ofwhatservice he could be to him .

‘

éThou wilt be my spokesman—my daysman , he

sai

At the close of his narration , he again put the question to Chal i l :Wilt thou go up with me to Malha ?It was put with the same solemn form as before .

And now, without the least hesitat ion , came the reply :Thou knowest wel l that I wi ll go . Even should

mischief befal l thee i t is only the more reason that Ishould be with thee .

Thou speakest bravely . H ast thou counted the cost ?I have .”

Then let u s be go ing .

They both rose to thei r feet S imultaneously , and setout, withou t further delay or another word , to retu rn bythe route H assan had already traversed .

They soon reached the Old inclosure— the scene of

the leopard fight of the early morning, H assan eagerlyind icated to the young sheik the d ifferent po ints i n theconfl i ct , fighting the battle over again . to the del ight ofboth of them . It was a brief but rapturous rehearsal

,

on the very ground where the action had occurred .

1 48 H as san : a Fel lah

The sheep wil l do wel l enough in the pen til l we g etback from Malha , said H assan . I have watered theflock

,and cut some fodder for them . Besides , Yusef i s

coming to spell me . They will be all right.“ Yea

,doubtless , responded Chali l . I only wish i t

might be as wel l wi th us .”

They found the leopard ’s hide— the peace-offering— safe in the c left of the rock where H assan had con

cealed i t. Placi ng i t upon a stout pole , which theycarried between them , the young men turned thei r facestoward Malha , which , as soon as they had passed ani ntervening ridge , appeared i n sight, on i ts conical tel l ,for, indeed , l ike the c ity set upon a hi l l , i t could not behid . In the d istance , the tell looked l ike an exti nct volcano , with the village bu il t across the crater .They walked as rap idly as thei r i nconveni ent burden

and the rough ground perm i tted , and i n due time foundthemselves at the base of the tell , where they cal led atemporary hal t, se t down thei r load , and rested .

At this po int the surface of the land was covered wi than immense amount o f loose rock and stones , givi ng thescene an aspect savage and dreary i n the extreme . I tconveyed the impression that in a far di stant age someenormou s glac ier had here unloaded i tsel f, melti ng awayafter having brought and deposited its mill ions o ftons ofa’

e’

brz'

s l ike the wreck o f a planet .It i s probable that H assan never qu ite or even approx

imate ly real i sed the d ifficu lty of his undertaking unti l hesat thus , amid this feroc ious scene— th i s antedi luvianrubb ish-heap , at the foot of the tel l .Was i t not the very threshold of his fate ? H ad he not

reached the edge of the future ? H ow different was thescene on thi s s ide from that facing the Wady-e l-werdthe cheerful and pleasant Valley o fRoses . There seemedsomething ominous and uncanny in the presentment.But he had not the least i ntention of turning back .

Taking up thei r burden , they once more movedforward .

This time they made but slow progress .ascent , i n many places qu ite precip itous andg erous , rendered i t d ifficult fo

1 50 H as san : a Fe llah

Allah bless and preserve thee ! he exclaimed . Iknow it i s as thou hast said . Thou art better to me thana thousand .

”

The young men now adjusted thei r apparel . Eachshook the dust from his abai and his shoes

,and Chal i l

drew more tightly about hi s loins his si lk ishdad or girdle .Let u s go around , so as to enter by the d i rect way,

the gate ,” suggested H assan , that we seem not to break

i n l ike thieves or robbers .”

O r as though we were afraid , o r ashamed ofwhat weare doing ,

” added Chali l .“Yea , thou speakest wisely , my brother . H ere ; letus turn to the right ; and let me , thi s time , go in advance.Bismillah in the name of Allah . So be it. We willgo forward i n the name of the Most Merc i ful . Whoknoweth but he alone whether we be in danger or not ? ”

And so beari ng the leopard Skin between them , theypassed qu ickly to the right for a short d istance beneaththe crest of the grim , ashen-gray tel l , u ntil they reachedthe regular entrance to the place .

Less than a score of ascending steps brought them tothe summit ; and Malha , i n all its contracted l imitations ,and almost u npropitiou s aspect, lay revealed before them .

CH APTER XIV

NE of the pecul iari ti es o f Palesti ne i s that there areno scattered dwell ings—no isolated habitations

to be found withi n i ts borders . Even the country people ,with the object o fse lf-protection , for ages have bu i lt theirhouses in what may be called agglomerated communitiescondensed vi llages on lofty heights or tel ls . For the

same reason,safety as well as seclusion , high-places

were selected for the erecti on O f altars and sanctuari esfor the worship ofGod as well as for idolatrous practices .The idea that there i s safety in a multi tude has

become c rystal l i sed i nto the proverbs of the land , andpermeates its l i terature . The man with many sons is


described as not being afraid to speak wi th his enemy inthe gate ; and the Lord i s continually spoken o f as atower

,as “ my rock and my fortress , and as a high

rock of defence .

”

Malha i n many respects i s not very d ifferent from thegeneral i ty of the vi l lages of the H oly Land ; excep t thatfrom the very c i rcumscribed area of the pecul iar s ite , allthe conditions which pertain to the ord inary vi l lage arehere i ntensified and aggravated .

H assan and Chalil , as they reached the summit, at theprinc ipal entrance to the place , saw before them an assemblage of flatroofed stone houses closely packed togethercompletely covering the truncated apex of the tel l .In the midst ran a c rooked , narrow passage-way ,

scarcely wide enough to be d ignified with the name ofalley

,and where two donkeys could barely pass each

other ormove together abreast . This was the main street .At the entrance or approach , where they stood , thi sg e widened or enlarged into what the most ferti lenation might convert i nto a plaza , p iazza , or square

tive proportions . Around a cu rve i ncaught a gl impse o f the vi llage oven

,

much smaller than some o f thea heap of ashes before i t . But not a man ,

woman , or chi ld was as yet vis ib le .

The acrid smel l of the smoke , a predominant feature ,was to them not as noticeab le o r d isagreeable as i t wouldhave been to one who was a stranger i n the land , as i ti s a characteri sti c common to al l the villages of thecountry , and therefore i t was a famil iar smel l ,— a markof relationship or identity , and regarded by them asnot particularly

'

obj ectionable , but perhap s rather theopposi te .Several pariah-dogs , o f a

‘

dusty or reddish-yel lowcolou r, and with smooth skins , and erect pointed ears ,

ly became apparent . They had been laz ilyi n the sun ; but awoke , shook themselves , and ,he new-comers , gave vent to a success ionbarks and yelps .ed iate ly cal led out several O f the women ,gave the alarm ; and i n an i ncredibly Short


interval of time i t seemed as i f the greater part of thepopulation had swarmed upon the scene , so that theyfi l led the narrow space i n front of the vi si tors .H assan and Chal i l, who had deposi ted upon the ground

the leopard skin , made the usual salutati ons with morethan ord inary respect. These , through the natural cou rtesy of the people , i nvoluntari ly, and on the first impulseof the moment, had been returned by the men who stoodnearest, and among whom might be recogni sed the sheikofMalha , and Ismail , the uncle of H ilwe .

O thers , who had commenced to return the obeisance,suddenly checked themselves , while i n some instancesscowls and looks of anger darkened their countenances .Among the latter was a man considerably past themiddle age , with penetrating black eyes, hooked nose ,and long , weather-beaten face , which was much wri nkled ,and o f the colour o f so i led leather .This was Abd-e l-nour. H is dark beard , o f medium

length , and hi s hai r were sl ightly sprinkled with gray ;and from the mal ign expression of his features , and hisactive communication with those who stood abou t him ,

he evidently was infecting the men with the proper Sp iri tof hatred he himself possessed , and which he consideredjustified by the i ntrusion of the men of B e ttir.

Among the women and chi ldren , who remained in therear, were Kadra and Fatima , who qu ickly understoodthe meani ng of the scene ; but there was no appearanceof H ilwe . Yet

,not very far Off, she viewed the unusual

spectacle through a latti ce , her great luminous eyesmoi sten ing and di lati ng ; and she even overheard almostevery word ofwhat was said .

The dogs now began to approach the leopard’s hide ,aud cau ti ou sly sniff at it . To them it was an unknownenemy . Some of them turned ta il and ran away ,the brief olfactory experiment, seeming to considercretion the better part of valou r.” The few that remkept at a safe d istance, and gave vent to an o

yelp or growl .I f curiosity is a strong characteristi c o f all

more especially is i t so of the fellaheen ofFalestithis alone would have gone far to mod i fy and


entire action stood revealed l ike the masterp iece of agreat pai nter .AS he spoke , he carried these S imple men on his

words . They reached towards him eagerly, — longing ly. H e was as their breath to them . They saw andheard as he desi red . They dreamed hi s d ream ; theythought his thought ; they felt as he felt.They saw the gray dawn ,— the cool river O f day pour

over the red-burning bars of the east , til l the hi ll s and valleys were flooded with the white blessedness , and everything awoke to the exultation of being, the joy of

exi stence,eve rything but the once fierce -l ived leopard .

That lay dead,slai n on the threshold of the morning.

H e had accompanied the enti re marvellous recital wi ththat pecul iar i llustrative action o f the East which se izesas its accomplice every movement and expression of thebody . Gesture after gesture p roj ected , emphasi sed andacted ou t each inc ident, feel ing and bearing of the sto ry

,

things that words could not say. Weird movementsof the hand and fingers , arms , and feet, exquisite motionsof the head , and effective mobile employment of eyes andmouth

,in i ndescribable and i nnumerable array , l ent them

selves to his pu rpose , and carri ed out his meaning to theultimate l imit of suggestiveness .As Chali l pau sed for a moment, their intensified feel

i ngs seemed ready to snap l ike the over-stretched vibrantstring of a musical i nstrument . Then came a half-suppressed breathing , as if of one united sigh of rel ie f,followed by scarcely arti cu lated syllables of admiringwonder :

“Taie eb ! Taie eb !— Good ! Good ! ”

H e heard them , but d id not not i ce. H e seemed notto care.H e had l eft the l eopard dead .

There lay i t s Sk i n before them .

I t was no fict ion , no mere story, no dream . I twas rea l i ty.

Lower i ng h i s vo i ce in a confident ial manner, so that

on ly those i n h i s immed iate v i c i n i ty m ight seem to

hear,though al l heard h im , he tu rned to I sma i l , H ilwe

’

s

uncl e.


And th i s young hero,he sa id , po i nt i ng to H assan ,

the conqueror Of the st rong, the s layer of the devourerwho s laughtered thy flocks, comes to thee soft ly,humbly. H e speaks not a word for h imself. I

,who

am not worthy to ment ion,

h i s name,or w ipe the dust

from h is coundra— h i s shoe—I am h is daysman, h is

advocate. H e has st r ipped the proud ra iment from thevanqu i shed

,and lays the nob l e trophy, the token of

h is manhood , h is st rength and courage , as a presen tand a peace-Offer i ng at thy feet. I t is as naught towhat he is prepared and wi l l i ng to g ive thee . Gracious ly be pleased to accept th i s offer i ng, and grantthat he find favour i n th i ne eyes . H e is at thy d i spos it ion . Treat h im k i nd ly. Thou knowest that, accordi ng to the usage of our land

,he has presented h is su it

through a woman of thy peopl e.

Scarce ly had Chal i l conc l uded the last sentence,

when var ious i n im i cal cr i es were heard,i nterrupt i ng

what further he wou ld have sa id .

A short wh i l e prev ious ly Abd-e l -nou r had approachedI sma i l , and had spoken i n h i s ear threaten ings andwords of b ittern ess , wh i l e at the same t ime he

large ly to the amount he had pl edgedfor H i lwe . H e al so had not ceased to

foment among the other men the trad i t ional hate .The murmurs now became louder

,and var iou s d i s

cordant c r ies, among them that of the Thar,” resounded

on al l s ides .Chal i l attempted to speak , but h i s vo ice was drownedin the confus ion .

Let not th i s dreamer begu i l e thee w ith dece i tfu lwords ! exc la imed Abd -e l -nou r . “ Rem‘ember the

il dropped back bes ide H assan, who ,

i n tu rn,

s im i lar fa i l u re to make h imse lf aud ib l e,a l so

l ig ed to rema in s i l ent . H e st retched out h i smploring ly; but not a word of h i s was heard .

h i s j uncture I sma i l , with Abd -e l-nou r andfol lowers , pressed to the front .unc l e of H ilwe was ev ident ly great ly exc ited

,

h igh above h is head, and


was i ndu lg ing i n the most i nflamed l anguage, thegreater part of wh ich was lost to H assan and Chali l i nthe d i n .

But the latter part of I smai l ’s words were but tood i st i nct.

“ Thou comest here, he sa id,addres s i ng H assan

,

but we have not i nv ited thee , nor g iven thee anyencouragement to enter. Th inkest thou to i n st ructus, and dost thou expect that we shal l set as ide our

anc i ent cu stoms at thy pleasure . Al lah forb id ! Whoart thou , i ndeed, that we shou ld regard thee ? Weknow thee not

,nor thy generat i on . I t i s not meet that

we Shou ld have any deal ing s w i th thee ; much l ess thatwe Shou ld g ive thee our daughters to wife

,or rece ive

the daughters of the men of B ettir as our sons ’ w ives .As for thy g ift

,i t i s naught to u s . We accept i t not.

Take i t,and get thee gone w i th thy fr i end to th i n e

own place .

”

Su i t i ng the act ion to the word, he and those w i thh im se ized the l eopard Sk i n , and hurl ed i t towardsH assan .

I t was the most b i tter i n su l t wh i ch cou ld be Offered,

- the return of a g ift, espec ia l ly when so presented .

The scene wh i ch ensued baflie s descr ipt i on .

The peopl e,who but a few moment s before had been

l i sten i ng i n such enrapt attent ion to the words Of Chal i l ,seemed sudden ly possessed of demons . They surgedforward i n a ru sh

,wav i ng the i r arms threaten i ngly

,

utter i ng loud Opprobr ious ep i thets, and almost bes idethemse lves w ith rage .

The bland mus i ca l accent s of the gracefu l youngshe ik m ight and shou ld have gone far to pac ify andamel i orat e the angry and d i scordant fee l i ngs of thosewho heard h im Speak w ith the vo i ce as of an angel . Butprej ud i ce

,w ith d i storted eye and ear, i s a c rue l and

implacabl e th i ng. I t turns honey to gal l,the beaut i

fu l to the h ideou s, and good to ev i l , r id i ng roughshodover the amen i t i es of l ife.The She ik of Malha, though stunned by the tumul t,evident ly ente rta i n ed a sense of grat i tude and k i nd lyfeel i ng for H assan ; but i t was i n va i n he tr i ed to stem


Poor H ilwe , she thrust her fingers i n her ears todu l l the crue l taunts, and flung herself, i n agony of

m ind,upon the floor of the l eewan or ra i sed part of the

room,tortured w i th the thought of the ignom in iou s

u sage bestowed on her be loved H as san and h i s fr iend,and torn w i th the fearfu l dread that the i r l ives werei n danger

,and wou ld fa l l a sacr ifice to the hateful

Thar.“ I feared i t ! I feared i t ! ” she cr i ed . Did not,

my heart te l l me ? D id I not warn H as san ? ”

She covered her mouth w ith her hands to smotherthe p i t ifu l cr i es and sobs sh e cou ld not restra i n . Butthere was none to comm i serate none to con sole her.

“ Poor fel low ! Poor H assan ! They have k i l l edthee and thynobl e fr i end . And it i s a l l for me .Lift ing up her vo i ce

,i n the angu i sh of her de spa i r

,

thus She lamented and wept :“ Oh ! my beloved ! why am I not w ith thee ? Why

am I not bes ide thee to stanch thy wounds— to ra i sethy head—to comfort thee wi th sweet words ? As one

whom h i s mother comforteth, so would I comfortMayhap

,even wh i l e I speak thou art n umbered

the dead,— art gone down i nto the no i some p it

,

art even as those who are not. Better a l so that Idead - that I were not i n the land of the l iv ing

,but

the abode of darknes s , than that I shou ld su rv ivese e th i s fou l day. Better that I had d i ed the hou rmy b i rth .

”

Kadra , hear i ng her lamentat ion , drew near and sto

beneath the narrow unglazed open ing wh ich serveda w i ndow, and wou ld fai n have soothed her.

“0 l itt l e goat , don

’t d i e for the spr ing andsweet grass are soon com i ng, she began i n the tenmetaphor of the East .But Fat ima wou ld not perm i t i t ; and the

tongued,yet not ungratefu l rec ip i ent of H

generous backsheesh i n the Shape of that fatob l iged to w ithdraw w ithout be i ng abl e to co

cate further w i th the gr i ef-str icken H i lwe .

“ I t i s the work of the ev i l eye wh i ch hathth i s to pass,

” concluded Kadra.

“ But,even


w i l l get me to the o ld watch-tower,whence I can see ,

unobserved, the outcome of i t a l l .She hobb l ed off, in her awkward S l ippers, in the

d i rect ion ment ioned .

“ I adv i sed he r to wear the b l ue beads about herneck, to ward off the bad 1 nfluence , sh e muttered .

As H assan , fol low ing Chal i l , reached the edge of

ecl ivity, and turned to take a last look at thew ith the hope of see i ng H i lwe , and w ith th eg, wh i ch was but natura l , that he was not fl ee i ngoward, even though i n the presence of super iorers

, he encountered Abd—e l -nour, face to face .Gr im , satyr-l ike, and d i abo l i ca l ly mal evolent wase g l eam of those deep ly-set black eyes , fi l l ed w i the gathered tenebrae of generat ion s of hate. Of al le i nhab i tants of Malha

,be i t was who che r i shed most

s istently the trad i t ion s of the Thar, bel i eved theost thorough ly i n the app l icat ion of the unholy docines of the blood -feud .

H e was l ike the pres id ing ev i l gen ius of the pl ace .

“H ah ! I have met thee, then , 0 my enemy !

” hecla imed

,and began to curse and swear .

See ing H assan encumbered w ith the l eopard sk i n ,sudden ly smote h im upon the cheek w ith the pa lmh i s hand .

I t was a spontaneou s outburst of h i s sp i tefu l ness .“ Inter loper

,he shouted

,

“ hast thou ventured i ntor stronghold ? Take thy pun i shment ! ”

H e ev ident ly was emboldened by the near presence ofthe younger men .

was astounded for the moment . H is cheeki th the sharpnes s of the b low ; but that wasg to the i nd ign i ty.

wrong have I done thee,that thou sm itest ~

cr i ed .

red as he was,he ra i sed h imself to h i s fu l l

md i n a flash,hard ly know ing what he d id ,

al t such a buffet i n return,wi th h i s Open

he face, as sent Abd-e l -nour stagger ingthe ground .

i n severe fights,that the


nat ives str ike w ith the c lenched fi st . They genera l lyare sat i sfied w i th buffet ing

,or sm i t i ng w i th the palms

of the i r hands.Thus

,i ndeed

,was Chr i st sm itten , when they mocked

h im,i n the pa lace of the h igh pr i est .Art thou cal l ed Abd-e l-nour Servant of Light ?

retort ed H assan , w i th the greatest sarcasm .

“ Morer ightfu l ly shou ldst thou be named Servant of Darkness,for thou art the ch i ld of Ible es—the Ev i l One .

”

Abd -e l -nour, as w i th d iffi cu l ty he arose, c l utched aheavy stone

,whi ch he prepared to hur l at H assan .

But the latte r,perce iv ing the act, had prompt ly p icked

up a s im i l ar m i ss i l e, and stood ready to reta l iate i nk i nd .

The v ind i ct ive man of Malha, see ing he was detected,and fear i ng the resu l t, s lowly unclosed h i s fingers, andcaut iou s ly and regretfu l ly l et the stone wh ich he helddro

Chal i l had , meanwh i l e, ru shed up to H assan ,catch i ng hold of h i s arm

,besought of h im not to t

the stone he stood ready to hur l .“ I t wou ld be madness,

” he sa id . I t wou ld br inal l Of them upon u s i n an i nstant. And what shou lwe be among so many ?As he Spoke he gent ly took the fragmen t of

from the hand of H assan , who w i l l i ngly yi e lded i t up“ Thou art r ight

,

” he sa id to Chal i l . My wrath gthe better of my j udgment. H is i nsu l t s are hardbear.But Abd—e l-nour’s anger was now i ntens ified .

Get thee gone. We want none of thee, waladu’

z ina i l l eg i timate one bastard,

” he shouted .

H assan, al ready descend ing, agai n paused. Tb itter cruel taun t stung h im al l the more keen lythat he had never actua l ly known h i s parent s ;a l ready has been Shown

,they hav i ng d

a mere i nfant . To h im they were a d rsat ion . Al l the more tenh im

,becau se

,for h im

,th

wi th earth ly cares or do imystery surround i ng the


the young peopl e of the v i l lage ; who, doubt l ess, werei nc i ted thereto, if not a ided and abetted , by the i re lders .Fortunate ly, so far, the stones had fa i l ed to do any

ser i ou s i nj u ry ; al l but a few fal l i ng short, or fly ingwide Of the mark.

A succeed i ng vol l ey proved to be more effect ive . Ath i rd one was st i l l more dangerous . I t ev ident ly proce eded from nearer quarters

,Showi ng

were pursu ed . Then came a much c loser andattack . Both H assan and Chal i l were st ruck 5

t imes, the former rece ivi ng a wound upon theThere fol lowed the Sharp crack of a r ifle.H assan , hav i ng been the means of draw ing Cinto the troub l e , fe l t i n honour bound to br i ngsafe ly through , if poss ib l e . H e i n s i sted upon h i s gi n advance

,repeated ly urg ing h i

h imse lf fe l l back,and acted as a check

rece iv ing the brunt of the batt l e.I n the scuflie i n the v i l lage

,they had lost the ir

so H assan had thrown the l eopard sk i n ove

Shou lders,and thu s carr i ed i t . H e sa id i t was

sh i e ld,and protected h im from the stones . But,

doubt,i t was an encumbrance to h im . Yet he wo

not l eave i t i n the hands of the enemy. I t wou ldl ike desert i ng a batt l e-flag .

H alf-craz ed from the blow on h is‘

h ead,and p

bl i nded by the b lood wh ich tr i ckl ed over h i s facethe wound

,he made a desperate charge

as sa i lan ts,who for the moment hav i ng gat

dence,had approached nearer than usual .

They,however

,had seen h im grasp a fragmen

rock as he tu rn ed ; and, se i zed w i th a sudden pan i c,t reacherou s fanat i c creatu res fled i ncont i nent ly,pau sed t i l l they reached near to the summ i t of

b il l .

Th i s gave H assan and Chal i l an Opportun i ty to escaand though the assau l ts from Malha werethey were now comparat ive ly harm l ess .True

,for a t ime, the ston es flew around

l ive l i ness,i t m i


sa lm were put in act ion , - that the mounta in s hadegun to Sk ip l ike rams, and the l i tt l e h i l l s l ike lambs .

i s mater i al i sat ion of the anc i ent t ext was not of

uance .

young men fe l t thankfu l when they reachedthe te l l ; and , battered and weary as they

they cou rageous ly struck out across the rockytoward the i r dest i nat i on ; though th i s, for a t ime,

osed them to the rifle -shot s wh i ch,at i nterva l s

,

ursued them from Malha.

CH APTER XV

T was desperate work wh i l e i t lasted,was H as san ’s

fi rst remark on gett i ng away.

Thou sayest,” acqu iesced Chali l . There were

imes when I feared for thy l ife. ”“And I for th i n e. Tru ly they pressed u s sore .I t was not becau se of the i r w i l l that they d id not

ake an end of u s . ”“Ay. They tr i ed hard enough.

Ki smet .Yea

,K i smet

,Chal i l . I t i s wr i tten .

Yet i t was al l for naught,” rejo i ned the young

he ik, that we adventured so much .

”

Who knoweth ?Nay ; but that i s how i t looks .What meanest thou ? Dost thou th ink because of

hat has come to pass, through the base counse l of

i n e enem ies, I shal l des i s t from my pu rpose, andeld up H ilwe to Abd-e l -nour ? That be far from me.Chal i l s ighed .

Poor H ilwe , he sa id . She seemed in despa ir. Ii t wi l l g o hard w ith her.D idst thou se e her ? ”

Even so . D idst thou not hear her c ry ? Andsee when I smai l and Fat ima thrust herwou ld fly to us ? ”

1 64 H assan a Fel lah

I t so happened that from the pos i t ion where H assanstood i t was imposs ibl e for h im to Observe the p i t ifu lscene wh ich was d i st i nct ly v i s ib l e to Chal i l .

“ I ne ither heard nor saw what thou de scribe st,confessed H assan , wi th ev ident chagr i n .

“Art thousure thou art not m istaken ? ”

As sure as that I l ive. ”

H assan hung h i s head thoughtfu l ly.

“Then thou sawest what I d id not se e .

Chal i l made no an swer. But H as san heard h im s ighmore deeply than ever.

“ Perhaps the love I h ear her— the love that consume s my very heart makes me hear and see and feelwhat otherw i se I cou ld not

,thought the young she ik.

“ But noth ing of th i s mu st H assan or H ilwe know.

”

Every word he had Spoken i n Malha for h is fr iendhad been bapt i sed i n h is heart ’s b lood . I t was tru ly asevenfold test of h i s fr i endsh ip.

Of a l l who heard Chal i l , not one,not even H assan

,

had the l east su sp i c ion of the pa i n he fe l t. I t wasl ike the bu lbu l that s ings the sweeter for the thornaga in st i t s breast . For Chal i l loved H ilwe a l l themore pass ionate ly for the desperateness and hopel es sness of h i s case. And i t took al l h i s feal ty to h i sfr i end to su sta i n h im through the crue l ordeal .I n pl ead i ng for H assan , had not the devoted Chal i l

been i nsp i red by h i s own love ?H ow d ifferent were the thoughts and fee l ings of the

two men th i s even i ng , as , i n retu rn i ng, they trathe w i ld rock -strewn so i l , —how d ifferent fromthey had been so late ly, when , to save H ilweher impend i ng fate, with h igh hopes, not, i nuntempered w ith a certa in l eaven of so l ic i tude

,

had strode over the same ground on the'

Malha. The very landscape took on

desolate aspect,and the long , waver i ng, attenuate

shadows of po i nted c l iff or so l i tary ol ive-tree,cast b

the fast dec l i n i ng sun , seemed l ike g igant ic warn infingers of portentous doom Shaken at them .

I n the i r hu rr ied retreat, the wounded H as

begun to show evidences of exhaust ion .


reach the G iant Rock before dark, i t wou ld be we l l . .

We cou ld stop there overn ight . ”“ Yea

,thou sayest ; i t wou ld be wel l . Thou cou ldst

never get to B e ttir, i n thy p resent state , i n the darkness .And the night comes on apace . Thou cou ldst not evenreach the ain on th i s S ide o f the wady .

”

Perhaps thou art right ; though I be l ieve it was buta pass ing faintness that came upon me .

”

The rest,and the stanching of the wound i n hi s

head,had the effect of greatly reviving H assan, and he

wanted to go forward at once .

“ I f we can get to the great rock, he sa id, we shalldo wel l enough .

”

I would We were there , said Chalil , who feared h i sfriend might again give out, before reaching shelter forthe n ight.Then

,i n the name of Allah , the Most Merc i ful , l et

u s go , returned H assan .

So once more they set out.This time they walked hand in hand , as do men who

love each other, and are more than brothers i n thei rfriendship .

The red l ights had flamed up and d ied out agai n andagain in the western sky, and great patches and hollows of sombre violet penumbra , deepen ing into black ,were gathering and spread ing over the land everywhere.These, S lowly but surely , were swal lowing up the l i ttlethat remained of the last gleams of day, by the timethey reached the shelter of the great rock.

As they approached the Giant Rock— near yet remote

,material yet Sp iri tual i n its grandeur and salvatory

power the rugged mass rose before themhigh and shadowy, l ike a vasyet m ighty . It had stood ththe symbol of one able and wcleft

,l ike a gap ing wound , i n one s ide

was no t a cave, but a deep fi ssure haviSpace within i t, i n which several men couldShelter . It was a wel l-known refuge , Oftenin storms by the Shepherds , as a retreat tothe tempest be past ; or, as in the present i


belated wayfare rs who sought it as affording secu rityand a resting-place for the night.H ere it was that H assan and Chali l , cl imbing up into

the cleft, were only too glad to find themselves . Spreading the leopard’s skin upon the ro ck , Chal i l placed ablock o f stone beneath i t at one end , which answeredfo r a p i l low ; and , wrapped in thei r abais , they lay downtogether, S ide by S ide , i n the darkness .What a rel ief—what a gladness i t was , afte r al l they

had gone through !Before lying down , Chal i l had re-examined H assan’s

wounds,and rep laced the bandages .

Art thou better ? ” he asked .

Yea . I never felt better i n al l my l ife,came

H assan’s reply. And thou ? H ow dost thou feel ?“ Oh, I escaped with but a few trifl ing bru ises . I

feared thy loss of blood .

I feel as strong as a young bu ll of the herds . Thouneedest have no fear for me .

”

I t is well .”

Bel ievest thou what I say? See how I take hold ofthe e f

’

H assan p layfu lly grasped h is friend over the arms andshoulders

,hold ing him as i n a vice .

A sl ight struggle on the part of Chalil ended i n h i ssubmitting with a laughThere ! he cried . I bel ieve .

H assan was much the stronger of the two ; and i nthe i r fr iendly contests from boyhood up , generally hadmaintained the supremacy. And he now was tenaciou sl est i t should appear that what he had passed throughhad weakened him , o r i n any way impai red h is strengththe great pride o fman .

The healthy, temperate peasant of Palestine has storedaway with in that l ithe and gracefu l body of his a wonderful reserve of endurance and recuperative force . H e

walks around i n the burn ing fevers of the country , whenthey fasten on him , with his pulse at an unbel i evablehe ight. H e bears pai n with a sto ical and fatal isti ccalm , and under severe su rgi cal operations , or accidental or other inj uries of moment, exhibits a com

H assan a Fellah

po sure which , though sometimes attributed to obtu senesso r want of sensitiveness , might rather be ascribed tosomething very l ike fortitude and manly resolution. H is

wounds and sores , too , heal with an ease and u nusualrap idity , often under the crudest or most barbarou streatment. This, probably , i s due largely to h i s s impleand natural mode o f l iving.

Some of the native su rgery is qu ite O f a su rpri s ingcharacter. For i nstance , i t i s not u ncommon to se e afe llah having the surface of his enti re back brandedwith a red-hot iron a favourite remedy for rheumatism .

The repeated appl ication of the i ron to the shrivel led,

S izzl ing flesh , i s borne by him without the least shrinking , o r the sl ightest mu rmur. And though modernsci ence informs us that the pain endured under suchc ircumstances i s far less than it has the appearance ofbe ing, and that the contact of the branding- i ron hasthe effect of immed iately dul l i ng o r destroying the finersu sceptib i l ity o f the nerves, there sti l l must remainan amount of torture not easily submitted to w i thequanimity .

So H assan , rej o ic ing in the fu lness o f his manlystrength

,was not will ing to admit that h is late experi

e nce s had in any manner or degree abated or inj u redeven temporari ly the vigour of his natu ral powers . Nori n real i ty had they done so to any mater ial extent. Of

th is he was prepared to give , and d id give , Chil i ! amp lep roof, re iterating that the blood- lett ing, i f anything, wassaluta ry .

They had cast themselves down to rest i n that welcome cleft i n the rock with the abandon of men whoare thoroughly weary

,— too ti red , at fi rst, to feel hungry,

or th ink o f eating. Yet, fatigu ed as they were , they d idnot fal l asleep . The excited state Of thei r minds , theresu lt of al l they had undergone , had the e fl ect of keeping them awake . Thei r sleep might be said to havegone astray.

Neither was the barking of the jackals in the neighbouring cl iffs conducive to repose . The Sharp re iterantyelps of those no isy prowlers , hunting in packs , con

tinued to d istu rb the s ilence of the n ight ; and wou ld


H ow strange was the bond uniting these two ! H ow

pecul iar the afl e ction which , day by day and year byyear

,from thei r boyhood up , had grown and strength

ened,binding them together as with bands o f steel !

I t was almost amus ing to see how frequently H assan ,

with al l h is dominancy , was obed ient and compl iantwhen brought in contact with Chal i l , often deferring tothe latter’s j udgment. And yet, i n experi ence and information , H assan was in no degree inferi or to Chali l,but th e reverse .

The one was of an ardent temperament— impu lsive,

imperative . Chali l , as deeply pass ionate , was moresympatheti c and tender. There was , i n fact, an emotional phase to hi s character, united to an i ntu itivenesswhich was almost feminine. The msthe tic grace of al lh is movements as well as the refined and pleasi ng regularity of his featu res , but, above all , the charm of thoseamber-brown eyes , now langu idly sensit ive , now ablazewith ophidian-l ike scinti l lati on , more than hinted atgave outward evidence of th is .But, as i s shown , desp ite the masterful d i sposition and

determ ination of H assan , he often was found yielding tothe gentle persuasions of the more amiable Chal i l ; i teven gratified h im to give way to the dec ided yet qu ietlyexpressed op in ions of the latter ; nor d id he feel lowered in so do ing ,— as a man does not feel hu rt o r

degraded in consenting to the soft so l ic itations of hiswife .

Both of the friends had al l the fervou r of youth ; aqual ity, perhaps , more ful ly possessed through life bythe men of Palestine than by most men o f other nationalitie s with any pretence to be ing civi l ised .

The fellah is apt to be ve ry much a chi ld of largergrowth . Light-hearted , and having the savage

’s hatredof law and order, except where of his own ord inance andacceptance , and though early experienced in what pertains to the natu ral man, and in advanced age he maybe wise after a certain kind , he is ever and always fervid

,and when least expected may be found giving

way to the impuls iveness and enthusi asm as wel l as theself- i ndu lgence of youth . H e i s a su rvival of the


i nc ip ient man . H e i s of kin with h is su rround ings,

o ut of place when removed from his own envi ronment.The passionate. earnestness of the chi ld remains i n h im

,

even after he has lost h is i nnocence .

There are t imes , i n a world l ike th is , when it wou ldseem as i f a man must be very simple or very wise—o r

perhaps both i n order to do right. The harmlessnesso f the dove may sometimes be in place. Then, again ,the wisdom of the serpent is demanded . But to be, i nthe fu ll sense of the word , a man , i s the one glorious ,u nimpeachable attainment . I t i s what we were intendedto be were made to be . And after man the angel .But can we not be angels now— here ? comes the

question from that troublesome interrogator who wi l lnot be sti l l .Ah ! H ave I not often told thee we are ne ithe rsaints no r angels ? Poor heart ! Poor fool ! Be aman ! That i s the best thou canst be .

Chal i l and H assan , with all thei r faults and Shortcomings

,were men and brethren , accord ing to thei r

l ight and generation. I f it was said the standard wasnot the highest, i t m ight also be added , they comparednot unfavou rably with the men of the land , and thei r imperfecti ons were the fai l ings of the i r p eop le and o f thei rrace . They were men , but with the heart and brai n o f

the peasant.They had made their fi re near a large fragment of

fal len rock , which was broad and flat o n top , and whichserved them as seat as wel l as table for the i r scantymeal . The thi ck darkness , closing around them , gavetheir i l luminated figures the effect o f highly-colou redmosaics set i n black onyx . I t was intensely p icturesque .

H aving no water, they manifestly could not performthe customary ablution . But they had used instead thesand wh ich

,blown in edd ies by the winds

,had gathered

at the foot of the rock . And sand , i n a case l ike thi s,the Moslem rel igious law permits to be employed as asubstitute fo r water .With the sand , therefore , they had cleansed themselves

as far as possible , as do the faithfu l when in the desertwhere there is no water, and where only dust or sand i s


found for the purpose . They had rubbed with i t the i rfaces , and their hands and arms , repeating the prescribedej acu lations

,which is cons idered suffic ient, under the c ir

cumstance s . It was hard for them to eat with unwashenhands

, or to pray without purification .

With the cou rtesy which ord inari ly pe rtains to thispeople

,recognis ing i nvariably any distinction of rank or

posi tion,however sl ight, H assan , notwithstand ing the

great famili arity of the two , on taking the bread fromhi s pouch

,had handed it for di stribution to Chali l . H e

also gave him the few figs and ol ives which had beensaved from his morn ing meal .The bread was the flat c i rcu lar cake of the country ,

baked with the fi re made of the res iduum—the driedrefuse of the ol ives , left after the o il i s pressed out, andwhich is careful ly gathered , and kept for that pu rpose .The princ ipal food of the fellah , to whom it is , i n apecu l iar sense , the staff of l i fe , the main support of

his existence, th is bread may well have for him almost asacred meaning, and be symbol ic of l i fe i tself.Though dark , well-n igh to blackness , i t was to them

inexpress ibly sweet and nourish ing, espec ially in thei rpresent hunger.Chali l at once assumed the gentl e office which had

become his du ty . Taking the bread i n his hands,he

bent his head and said some few words of bless i ng, o fthanksgiving , and of praise some s imple ascription toAllah . Then breaking the bread , he d ivided it betweenthem , giving H assan the larger port ion . Likewise hegave to h im of the ol ives and the figs .But H assan would not have it so .

My brother, thou hast defrauded thysel f, he said .

Thou hast given me the goodly share,and kept but

l ittle for thy port ion .

”

I t i s sufli cient, my brother, was Chalil’s qu ietanswer.

“ Nay ; but I cannot have i t so ,returned H assan ,

i nsi sting upon a more equ itable d ivision .

“ I t i s al l right, I tell thee , H assan . It is well .H ow can I eat what thou hast given me , whi le I se e

thee with so l ittle ?


was a tra itor, the son of perd ition— on the bare rock(that table of stone on which had been graven the newcommandment,

” teaching the brotherhood of man,

Love one another ”) had sat and eaten i n the open air,

with the holy grandeu r of s impl i c ity, free of all bel ittl ingsacerdotal pomp and splendour. And he , the Great One ,the D ivine Love , had sanctified the frugal repast, andmade it a l ove-feast, an agape , a sacrament. H e whohad said : Whether ye eat or drink , or whatsoever yedo , do al l for the glory of God

,

” added : This is mybody . This is my blood . This do in remembrance ofme .

”

Surely it is not the mere act , but the sp iri t of the act ,which g lo rifies. I t i s the sp i ri t which qu i ckens . Theflesh profite th nothing.

Although H assan had acqu iesced in Chali l’s i ns istenceregard ing the d istributio n of the bread ,— as they halfrecl ined , l ean ing against each other , on the couch whichNatu re had prepared for them , he took the opportunityof, from time to time , breaking off p ieces of the foodand putting them , with many an affectionate ep ithet,i nto h is friend ’s mouth , according to the brotherly Oriental cu stom . I n this way he had managed to counteract

,to some extent, the effect O f Chalil

’

s generosi ty , eventhough the cou rteous attention had been retu rned . Yethad he not been successfu l in his fraternal purpose , thelovingkindness of the act the feeli ng which hadgendered it would sti l l have remained to comfort andstrengthen .

As H assan placed a morsel of the bread with inChali l

’

s l ip s , he said :Surely

,Chali l

,unti l the appointed time arrives, the

labours o f one’s friends are of no avail , else would thywords have prevailed this day .

”

“ Yea,al l i s i n the hands o f Allah , responded the

young she ik .

“ Yet,when the camel wants straw he

stretches out h is neck .

”

Ay,

” returned H assan ; and he i s a lazy fellow whos its at the foot of the date-tree, and cl imbs not to get thefru it

,waiting ti ll i t fal ls in h is lap .


CH APTER XVI

0 two strong, lu sty young men , as active andhungry as were these , the meal cou ld scarcely

have been a satisfyi ng one . Bes ides , i t had the efl e ct ofi ntens i fyi ng thei r th irst. H assan felt th i s all the morebecause of his wound , which made him feverish .

Would that I had a draught of the water o f Malha orAin Karim to assuage my thirst ! he cri ed .

O r,rather, of the fountain of B ettir,

” i nterposed Chali lThere is none l ike that for coolness and fo r sweetness .AS thirsty people are apt to do , H assan thought of all

the streams and pools and watercou rses he had everseen

,and how he had wantonly bathed in the lavish

element. H e remembered how he had splashed in it ,and wasted i t, and come dripp ing from it , and the manytimes he had stooped and drunk freely and carelessly

the r ivu let out of the rocky cl iff, by the hil ls idehe kept his sheep ; and , as i n a dream ,

he saw thefountains that sent an abundant S i lvery flood over

at B ettir. H ow often he had rested in itsh the great arch , where the moss and fernsly ! H ow plainly i t rose before him ! Yet

not a drop to cool h is tongu e . But , more thanrecalled the day when fi rst he had spoken toand she had given him to drink of the freshly

rawn water of Malha from her p itcher .“ Ah , how satisfying , how refreshing ! H ow i t gladened my sou l !H e uttered hi s thoughts aloud : for i t seemed as i f he

maiden of Malha once more before him , as i fher to him , whil e She poured the l iving water,his parched l ips , i nto h i s heart i nto h is very

he loved her— loved her loved her.er as never before . H is whole l ife—h is0 1 1 1 were awake and afire , throbbing andher .he started from his seat

,and stared out

e e through i t.

1 76 Hassan : a Fel lah

She is coming. I hear her footsteps, he cried .

Who is coming ? asked Chali l .H ilwe .

”

Chali l thought h im feverish , and that h is mind waswandering ; and taking hold of his hand , to feel hi spu lse

,he found i t of a burn ing glow, and the pulse-beat

high and almost too fast to count.Thou art consumed with fever, he sa id ; “

and thyblood is hot i n thee , and plunging l ike a young stall io nofthe plains . Lie down , and take some rest , and I shallcover thee . Let u s get back into the cleft , where wecan s leep til l daybreak , when thou wilt be better, andwe can go upon our way.

”

But H assan seemed not to u nderstand .

Listen ! Didst thou not hear ? ” he exclaimed , afte ranother interval.H e stooped , placi ng h is ear to the ground .

Chali l shook his head and smiled .

I hear naught,” he said .

H e would have detained H assan , but the impetuousfellow broke away from him and outs ide of the l i ttl ec i rcle of l ight into the c ircumamb ient darkness , whichwas al l the denser— more impenetrable to the eyefor that central core of fi re .O my beloved , wilt thou not stay me with comfort

i ng words , and the pleasant water, as in the day whenfi rst I asked the e to give me to drink , and thou didstno t refuse me ? Sweet are the waters Of Malhhand ; more to be des i red than the l ivingB ettir.

”

So H assan murmured on , i n a rambl ingmanner, as if regardless of h is su rround ings — re g ard l

of everything but the o ne idea which possessed him .

“ Did I not tell thee ? he said . I hear her vo icShe is even here . I behold her !Chali l thought H assan bes ide himsel f.It i s h i s craving for the water hath deranged him ,

he said . Would I could find some fo r him .

But the next instant , the fire lig ht shone uponsl im figure o f a girl , gl id ing l ike a Sp iri t out o f

darkness .


It i s such unexpected touches as this , pertaining tothe s imple fellaheen of Palesti ne , which give one pau se,and arrest condemnation , at least so far as sweep ingaccusations regard ing thei r neglect and uncleanli nessare concerned .

Long and deep H assan drank of the refresh ing water,cooled by that porous earthen bottle, and then passedthe welcome vessel to Chal i l , who having drunk from iti n l ike manner ti l l he assuaged his thi rst, passed i tback to H assan .

It was new l i fe to them— as well i t might be— th isbeautifully mysterious element, th is gathered dew of

H eaven , fu ll of l ight, refreshment and puri fyingenergy, the chosen emblemo f the holy power conferring renewed existence , springing up to everlastingvital ity.

When the fierce drought in the men, which had so

devoured them , was appeased , the pangs of hunger laidhold of them , for what l ittl e food they had had wasbut as a morsel thrown to a famished wol f.But for th is too , H ilwe was prepared . She had broughtin her hurried and secret departu re what Shehands on i n the shape o f bread and cheese , andof the thin flat cakes made o f the pulp of the grpressed and dried in the sun

,and studded with

kernels and rais ins, and which wil l keep perfectlyfor years.H ow they extolled her thoughtfulness and g

as they partook of he r t imely bou nty , rece ivingfrom her hand , as she waited on them , andAllah who had sent her to them in thei r d istress !When they had eaten and were fi l led , the

with Eastern d ign ity, which desp ises hu rry, toH ilwe as to how sh e came , and how she mafind them .

“ Did I not i n my spiri t hear thee call forbeseech ofme to give thee to drink Sheing to H assan . Yea , veri ly. Indeed

,I

wounded,and perish ing for want o f susteu

d idst draw me to thee . I cou ld notSo , i n her 5


what she had accepted without hes itation or a doubtthat subtile communion o f kindred sou ls , which takes nocount of d istance or other material impediment , but,clearing the grosser elements , immed iately and su relyrecogni ses and penetrates to its own .

“ It i s true , returned H assan .

“ I knew thou wastcoming . I heard thee . I felt thee .

Turning to Chali l , he appealed to h im .

Did I not tel l thee of it ?I t i s even so , answered the young sheik .

Poor,love-s ick Chal i l . H e averted hi s eyes

,groaning

inwardly,and fain wou ld have gone away . The love

passages between H assan and H ilwe cut h im to theheart tri ed him to the u tmost more than he felt he

u re ; though he had supposed he had schooledf to sustain the pang .

ere it any one but H assan , he murmured,

“ Inot bear i t.”

wonder hi s heart was sore , for he loved H ilweNor, from the first, had he been able to controlass ion which had become part of his very l i fe

,

to root itself more deeply and i nwardly,

f its secrecy , and being dep rived of outwardanifestation.

H e i s even as myself, he would say, trying tostrain h imself. Why should I feel so ?But in such a case , reason and argument have l ittle

The fact that your rival i s your bosom fri end , isfficient to heal the wound he has made .

man cannot command and master his feel ings as ,t and brid le , whip and Spu r, he governs hismused Chal i l . And many waters cannotlove . For love is strong as death ; and j ealousyas the grave

,as saith Suleyman the Wise , and ,

men , he knew whereof he spake .from aught he said o r did , none could know

’

s sorrow, he hid it so effectually .

H ow didst thou escape ? ” inqu i red H assan of

ilwe .

I even stole out while they S lept .And how d idst thou know to come here ? ”


Kadra told me she had seen thee go in the d irectionof the Great Rock ; and I felt sure thou wouldst ab idethere overnight. Forsooth , I feared the worst for thee ,as the men o f our village boasted they had woundedthee sore f

’

But how cou ldst thou find the way in the darkness ?Ere it was qu ite dark , the rock loomed up l ike a

p i llar of cloud against the glow of the sky. And whenal l was blackness , and the rock and the way were lost,and the eye cou ld no longer d iscern the path, nor thefeet find it, but kept wandering out o f i t , the heart fa i ling for fear, suddenly the rock flashed o ut— a gu id ingshaft of fire .

”

It was even our kindl ing o f the bru sh that l ighted i tup , said H assan.

Yea . I t was well , i nterj ected Chali l .At first I was terribly affr ighted , and said to mysel f,

‘ I t is the work o f the j inns , who , with thei r bale-fire s ,wou ld lead astray, and to destruction ,

’ continued H ilwe .

“ But soon I perce ived what it was,and took courage ;

and so arrived where I would be .

”

The j ackals and hyenas are abroad .

Even so . I heard them .

”

And thou didst ventu re al l aloneNay, nay ; Kadra came with me . She even now

waits for me , no t a great way o ff.

”

A low laugh , between a croak and a chuckle, suc

ce eded the words .Kadra

,

” exclaimed both H assan and Chal i l at oAy,

Kadra,

” repl i ed the i rrepress ib le goss ip anscandalmonger o f Malha , immediately appearing upo

the scene .

The temptation o f warming herself at the fi re , anher curios ity to know how it fared wi th the young meo f B ettir, were too much for her ; and she had g radualld rawn near , til l at length she stood in thei r midst , albefore they were aware of her presence.As sh e stooped over the fire , stretching ou t he

to it,to catch the warmth , her sharp cyn ical

began to manifest itself.I veri ly thought to find


desp ised woman—to revil e my generation,or to l i ft up

my accusation against my kindred .

”

Surely that could not be expected o f thee , ac

quiesced Chali l .But, woman as I am , I could have hurled over the

cl iffs some of the cowardly ones who so i l l-treated thedefenceless strangers within our gates .”

“Thou hast the sp i ri t of' a man in thee ! ” cried

H assan flatte ring ly.

I doubt i f that were saying much for me,to j udge of

some men , scornfully sneered Kadra .

“ I care not tobe l ikened to them—the fool ish ones, without wisdomo r understanding, but l ike unto the brute beasts thatperish.

”

Salaaming pol ite ly to Chali l , she had prefaced (according to custom when mention ing anything d isagreeableor unclean) the last offensive terms with the wordaj e llack ,

” a courteous qual ification , equ ivalent tosaving you r reverence , or, as we would say underl ike c ircumstances , save in your presence , and whichmight be taken as an apology .

Turning to H assan , she repeated the gesture .

Ah , H assan ,”she then said , with softened manner ,

by coming up this day thou hast blotted out all that Ihave done for thee

,and made it as though it were

Nay ; prophesy not evi l for me , Kadra . Who knbut it may be for the best .

“ For the best ! H ow can that be ?Do we not often se e that the time of trouble

turning-point ? and have we not a proverb which‘ It i s darkest before the dawning of the dayVeri ly thou speakest as a man of faith . Great mus

be thy faith .

”

Wouldst thou have me u tterly cast down ?Thou knowest I would not ; and that I have

welfare at heart. Yet , at the risk of offending thee ,I not withhold my opinion. It would have been befor thee to have restrained for a time thythe damsel , that afterward thou mightestthe full est recompense . Meanwh ile Iwatched the opportunity to advance thy ca


would steal a minaret first d igs a well to hide i t i n . Butthou hast wantonly exposed thysel f. Thou hast takenthe bit between thy teeth , and gone headlong.

”

A smile of superb complacency parted for a momentthe r ich scarlet of H assan’s l ips, showing that proudgleam ofmilk-white 1 vory with in . Beginning 1 n a smi le

,

i t ended i n something close ly resembling the defiantexpress ion o f the wild animal when it Shows its fangs.

“ Thou l ittle knowest me if thou th inkest I am in thesl ightest swerved from my purpose by aught that hashappened . I am more determ ined than ever to thwartAbd-e l-nou r.H e drew h imself up to h is ful l he ight, and h is whole

manner changed to one of extreme solemnity .

“ I swear in the name of our prophet, even Mohammed , he continued , “ not to yield in th is th ing whilethere is l ife left in me , but to res ist, even to the death .

”

H e l i fted his hand on high as he spoke, and placed itreverently on his head .

I t may be said that swearing by Mohammed is , to theMoslem peasant, the most impress ive and b ind ing of

oaths . Indeed , i n general , the fel laheen hold i t to bemore sacred than swearing by Allah . It combines , too ,an o lder form of adj uration— the swearing by the head ,condemned , along with other swearing , by Christ, whorecommended instead the s imple re iteration the Yea ,yea

,

” and the Nay, nay,” so commonly practi sed

to this moment in Palestine .

All p resent were greatly moved by H assan’s mannerand the awfulness o f the oath . H is calm determinati onhad the effect o f temporarily s i lencing Kadra.

But Kadra’

s s i lence , from the natu re o f the case, couldseldom be of long conti nuance .

Allah grant thou mayest have thy wi ll , sh e saidpresently. Mayest thou have the maiden of thy choi ce ,even H ilwe , to wife . And may thy ch ildren and thychildren’s chi ldren rise up and bless thee .

Now, as a good wish in the East requ i res , as expresslycommanded in the Koran , that it be responded to by abetter wish , o r, i n other words , he retu rned with interest,H assan could do no other than rise to the occasion.


Allah bless and keep thee , he said , and give theea man right proper and comely , and of thine own peop le ,to p rotect and cherish thee, and to stand between theeand troub l e ; and mayest thou prosper and see thy po sterity prosper to the third generation .

”

Such a beatific smile i l lumined Kadra’

s face that hergaunt and withered features, i n al l the i r tattooed ugl iness ,fo r the moment became almost agreeable.

“ Thou hast wished me a good and noble wish , she

said . Allah grant it may come true .”

H er coronet of bishliks trembled and tinkled with hereagerness and del ight.So be it

,s imultaneously responded Chali l, H assan

and H ilwe , as if i t were an antiphonal chorus .Yea, so may it be ,

” re iterated H assan .

H e pushed his tarboosh carelessly backward, whi le amerry thought showed itsel f in the twi nkle o f his eye.But, Kadra , how comes it to pass that thou hast not

al ready found a man to honou r thee ? Veri ly I thoughtthy widowhood should , long ere th is , have been tu rnedinto joy , and that thou shou ldst have been given aconsolato r a spouse afte r thine own heart , and betterto thee than those who have gone before .

”

She moved her head i n a sagac ious manner , implyingmuch , but said nothing .

Seeing Sh e spoke not, H assan conti nuedI shou ld th ink the men of Malha were defici ent i n

the i r duty , did I not suspect that thou thyself art thereal cause , and that thou art hard to p lease.

”

Thou sayest,”

she at once repl ied , catch ing thesuggestion .

“ It i s not every man would please me .

Bes ides , to me it is an old sto ry , and as a tale whichtwice hath been told .

”

In th is she alluded with l ight touch to her two formermatrimon ial ep isodes .

“ But, H assan ,”

sh e continued , I can wait . Thinknot I am i n so desperate a case , or such ardent haste asth ine .

”

This sal ly was far from displeas ing the young man towhom it was addressed . Few men wou ld feel aggrievedat having such an ins inuation brought against them .


c ircu lation , hides beneath that bevelled punctured co in ,held by him so carelessly . So it i s that l i fe is j ostledand hustled , driven and trampled ; and one man knowsnot of the pangs which rend another man’s heart—yea

,

though he be his neighbou r.Chali l bore the adu latory attention of Kadra

,which

could hardly have been agreeable to h im,with the

pati ent grace which is se ldom wanting i n the Oriental .Some s imple words of thanks from him

,accompanied

by elaborate gesti culations , were suffi ci ent I t i s notexpected , nor would it be seemly nor well , to bring thewoman into too great prominence. There i s no ne ce ss ity of special thought in th is , nor su sp icion Of wrong.

I t is merely inexorabl e hab it.Meanwhile H assan had taken the opportunity to pour

into H ilwe ’

s ear some secret communication , with thesoft dal l iance that lovers feed on, and that man andwoman

,all over the globe , sp ite o f custom and decree ,

and heaven and earth , or Sheo l i tself, will indulge in ,though their very l ives the next moment be the penaltyof the infringement of the offended d ignity and majestyof social l aw or sti lted etiquette .

H ere behold the fine balance , the nice d iscrimination

, o f human natu re . On su ch del i cate d istinctionsand adjustments , with su ch hai r-trigger appl iances wel ive and move and have o ur be ing.

But H assan’s Opportun ity was of short du ration . AsKadra left the young sheik, and returned to her formerplace at the fi re

,her Sharp eyes fel l on the lovers ,

and she at once perce ived th e s ituation.

Remembering her duty and responsibil ity , and onlytoo well pleased to exh ib it her brief authority, she facedthem with a certai n asperity and d ictatorial mannerpecul iar to the O riental s , and prized by them abovemeasu re when the occasion is afforded to use i t.

H ilwe ,”she excl aimed , what art thou thinking of,

at this t ime of n ight ? We should be half-way back erethis . Arise

,let us be going .

“ I am even waiting on thy word , answered H ilwe ,gathering her garments abou t her and preparing toleave .


Be not i n haste . Stay yet awhile, murmured H as

san,proudly stand ing beside her .

“ Nay,that cannot be

,said Kadra. We have re

mained too long al ready.

“ It would not be well , H assan , softly acceded H ilwe .

I shall leave the vessel of water with thee . Thou cansthide it i n the hol low of the rock , where we can find iton the morrow.

Then,at least

,I shal l accompany thee back— se e

thee safely home .

”

“ There is no need of so do ing, i nterrupted Kadra .

The jackals and hyenas are about,” suggested

H assan .

Thinkest thou that I fear them ? she said . Nay,rather they fear me .

When H assan wou ld have fu rther expostu lated , shewould hear no more .

Shouldst thou be seen with us , ou r l ives would notbe worth a potsherd ,

”sh e said . Besides , She added ,

thou art weary with what thou hast endured th i s day,and needest rest.”

So the women departed .

Yet as H ilwe S lowly followed Kadra, H assan cou ldnot refra in

,but overtook the damsel , his sou l yearn ing

for her.H ilwe , he said , “ thou hast twice th is day brought

comfort and refreshment to me. Allah bless and p rote ct thee . Think not that I have lost cou rage becau seof this that has happened . Trust me, I Shal l yet del iverthee from thy troubles .”

H e watched her ti l l the darkness h id her from him ;then came to Chal i l to be consoled .

The young men , overcome with fatigue , were bu t tooglad to seek the couch they had prepared i n the rock ,and , at Chalil

’

s suggestion that sleep was the best comforter

,at once tu rned in . Nor d id they wake ti l l dawn

of day .

Then instantly they were asti r, and soon upon thei rway.

When they reached the l i ttle pool beyond the sheepfold , under the cl iff, they stopped and bathed , washing


from thei r bodies al l removable traces of the i r confl ictat Malha ; and especially d id H assan cleanse h im of

his blood-stains . I n dress ing his wounds , Chal i l was askind and helpful as before .

“ Verily,” he said, “ blood i s not washed out with

blood , but with water .As they passed the place of H assan’s encounter with

the leopard , they were attracted by a pecu l iar whi rringsound . It was l ike the s inging of the ai r when beatenby wings .H assan had drawn the dead body aside , and thrown

it into a hollow,down the lower cl iff. The sound came

from thi s spot. Two hideous-looking vultures , thosemost ghastly of scavengers , di sturbed at their work o f

gorging themselves on the carrion , had spread thei rp inions with the slow lazy motion characteristi c of theu nclean tribe, and had su llen ly risen , hovering overheadwith that indifferent indolent m ien wh ich cloaks thei rrapacity. A third fou l creature , with talons fixed in thecarcass , and flapp ing h is wings , stil l remained , as i f nudetermined whether he wou ld desist from h is detestabletask or not, his naked red head and neck gl istening inthe sun , and with that horrible snake- l ike crook which isso s ignificant, accompanied by the mal ic ious gleam of

his eye .

Surely the eater was being eaten ! The carn ivora ofthe ai r were devouring the destroyer o f the flocks andherds— the ravager of the land .

A great crow or raven croaked from an adjacent rock ,i ts black plumage giving o ff b lu ish reflecti ons ; and ,high in the heavens , two gray eagles were passing andrepass ing, as if watching the ir opportunity to descend .

Further Off, so d istant they looked l ike dark Specksabove the p ink and drab of the horizon l i ne

,several

other eagles were app roach ing .

O f a sooth , “ wheresoever the carcass i s,there wil l

the eagles be gathered together.“ A sorry end for the proud beast

,remarked H as

san , somewhat regretful ly .

Yea ; but consider how he would have ended theeand our sheep ,

” returned Chal i l .


spy upon her, and learn her secret haunt, and get th ebette r o f her ? ”

I shou ld not l ike to do that, repl ied H ilwe .

Why so ?

I t wou ld seem l ike robb ing her.What fool ishness ! The place is as much thine as

hers . I t i s op en to the sky, and to the winds and thedew. The bees and the bi rds come and go there ; andso mayest thou . Any man , woman o r chi ld may enterand take of the blossoms . What could she say d idstthou go there to-day and gather them in ? H ow couldshe help herself?I do not know. But i t would break her heart.Fatima laughed loud , and long , and scornfully.

No doubt i t wou ld vex her , and make her angry .

It wel l m ight. She makes a goodly sum o ut o f thoseflowers . Knowest thou not that thi s i s the flower theNazarenes call the Rose o f Sharon , and to which theysay thei r prophet Issa ben Maryam— J esu s, son of

Mary— whom they make a god of, and worsh ip ,l ikened h imself. Therefore they prize i t exceed ingly,and place i t on his shrine i n the H oly C ity . Amnewil l make well by those early blossoms . The Greek ,the Armenian and the Latin monks wil l pay her ahigh price for them , and backsheesh too . And thoucouldst do no better than to get a bou nti fu l store o f

them , and take them into the market i n Jerusalem ,

where thou canst easi ly d ispose o f them to the Nazarenes . Also , as wel l , to the True Bel ievers . For theytoo love the sweet odou r of the flower, and say itsmel ls l ike the ir mothers. They wil l reward theehandsomely .

I hearken unto thy voice . ButWhat wou ldst thou say ? Speak !I cannot bear to vex Amne .

”

If thou hast any scruples as to Amne’s p lace, canstthou not seek and find one l ike unto it ? The entirehi l ls ide to choose from is before thee . There is noneed to quarrel about i t . And what i s to prevent theegoing this very day now ?

It was not always that Fatima’s words were as pleas

H assan : a Fel lah 1 g i

ant in H ilwe’s ears as on th is occasion . But there wasan espec ial reason for the damsel ’s gladness. It wouldgive her the opportuni ty to meet H assan.

“ I shall do as thou hast said , she repl ied .

“ Thywords are even a command to me .

”

A strange l ight burned in her eyes.Ay, go ,

” u rged Fatima .

“ I ’l l go thi s moment .”

Quickly H ilwe g ot ready, and went upon her way.

She lost not an instant . I t was as if she feared something might occu r to detain her.Soon

,and as if with winged feet, she had reached the

appointed place of meeting (where more than oncethey had met) , and had told H assan of Amne’s d iscovery of the narc issu s flowers— the wh ite blooms , as

d them , the first of the season , and repeateddesi re that she shou ld procu re them.

I can take thee to a place where they abound,he

pl ied .

Thou canst ? Oh do ! she exclaimed , del ightedly .

They come the re the earl i est and the finest. Therere now. I know the place wel l . Wewith u s , for there is good pastu ragecan feed i n safety, while I help thee

er the blooms ."

way did not seem long to them , nor tedious .the sheep were not over qu ick in their moveThere was always so much pleasu re , such en

ent j oy in being i n each other’s company, thetoo rap id ly for the lovers .a l ittle way,

”H assan , w i ly through his

to encourage her . “ A few minutes will

one of Natu re’s gardens ,—one of those i nterlovel iness , not uncommon in Palestine , a shelllow i n the hills , hiding itsel f between theings of the massive gray rocks , which are theof the land , and are seen almost everywhere

Yet was it l i fted up to heaven ,e aspect of an outstretched handgifts .

1 9 2 H assan : a Fe llah

She saw the secluded spot for the first t ime . H er

face was i lluminated with the reflected glow. As theystood together on the verge before entering , they turnedto one another and smiled , without speaking.

There was a purity , a sanctity , about the place thatwas entrancing. I t looked as i f desecrating foot hadnever profaned it . Multitudes of the narcissus wereseen i n groups scattered throughout , the i r s i lvery-whiteblossoms gently swaying or softly ris ing and fal l ing on

the palp itati ng ai r, as though they were l iving creatu resenjoying themselves , o r the immacu late wings of theangel i c host spread ing for fl ight .I se e them ! I see them ! H ilwe exclaimed as her

eye caught the s ight.A few scarlet anemones sent up their hal f-expanded

buds, avant-courz

’

ers of the great flaming host whichp resently should i nundate the land a victorious grandarmy with their gloriou s banners ; and the crocus, bothpurple and whi te , sp rinkled the grass everywhere .H ilwe drew nearer to H assan sh e knew not why.

Is i t not l ike the garden of God ? ” he said .

Yea ; i t i s even Parad ise .

”

I t is Parad ise for me where thou art.Ah , H assan !Ah , H ilwe , my beloved !They entered , hand in hand , an express ion almost of

awe in the gi rl’s face .

H e saw i t, and interpreted i t h is own way .

There is no one to see us here , he said , reassu ringly.

I t i s out of the common path , and people do notoften pass by ; also the rocks conceal i t.

“ I t is a holy place ,”

she murmured with breathlesspathos .As she stood among the narci ssu s blooms . theyappeared l ike si lve ry stars or flocks of angels floatingaround her, as i f they belonged to the heaven ratherthan to the earth . The tall s l im asphodels

,already

sending up their pu rpl ish flower-buds from thei r 5l ike leaves , reached h igher than her waist.touched her brown hands as i f in salutation .

were akin to her.

1 94 H assan a Fellah

relations and deal ings with woman,he su rely was pos

sessed of a power that for her was wel l-nigh i rres istible .B esides , he had the fu rther the more evident potency :i n any land

,he would have been cons idered a fine ly

made and uncommonly handsome and lovable man .

And , say what we wi ll , i s there any s ingle thing , evenin the most refined society

,which appeals to human

nature as does physical beauty , espec ial ly when warmedby the love element ? The loftiest intel lects have beenled captive by it ; the strongest minds , the .most rel ig ious and holi est , as wel l as the wisest, have becomesubj ect to it. H owever humil i ati ng i t may be , i t wou ldbe useless to attempt to deny this . The facts are tooabundant

,the proofs too conclus ive .

I t had come to pass that the moments spent withH assan in those secret interviews on the Judaean h il ls ,had grown to be not only the happ iest and the chiefpart o f H ilwe ’

s l ife , but her very l ife itself.When gathering the b rush and sticks for fuel— that

constant need in the household for the all-devouringoven and the hearth she managed to be with h im forlonger intervals than heretofore ; and he, i n order tomake up for the loss of her time spent with him , wouldaid her at her task so that her shortcomings would notbe noticed .

When caught i n some sudden change of weather, su chas a cold wind or a shower o f rain

,he would shelter her

under h is abai , artlessly saying the garment was largeenough for two . They were as simple as chi ldren inthei r enjoyments ; and , though eager, warm , and impuls ive i n thei r feel i ngs , through thei r natu ralness theywere innocent of evil .And now H ilwe wandered to and fro among the wil

derness of flowers , lost i n an ecstasy of delight ; oftenlying down bes ide them to kiss them and inhale thei rperfume breath ; but , so far , not plucking one of them .

She felt i t would be a species of desecration to mar i nthe sl ightest d egree the place so consecrated and set

apart o f the heavenly powers .H assan

,seeing her peculi ar feel ing

,humou red her in

it, knowing that presently she would overcome it. H e


drew her aside to a rocky ledge where , i n the moistu redripp ing from the overhanging cl iff, a luxuriant bank ofmoss flourished . H ere i n the congenial shade

,bedded

in the thick cushion of sphagnous luxury , grew a number of plants which found i n the cond itions a gratefu lhabitat. Among them was the grape hyacinth , with itstapering clusters of b lossom , finely graduated from thedeepest ind igo to the richest aquamarine

,tipped with

vivid powdery azu re and a h int o f ceru lean blue . Alsothere were many sci llas , spi res of creamy whiteness

,

hair-striped with purple so dark it might be mistakenfor black . The crevices and crannies o f the cl iff werecrowded with cyclamens , whose flowers, resembl ing theheaddress of some South-sea Island chief, were scarcelymore beautifu l than the mottled , deep-green leavesbacked with crimson . Yet how exqu i s itely fair werethe flowers , pu re white or pale rose stained and blotchedi n the mouth with the richest carmine magenta ! Like apurpl i sh fringe , trai led from the rock and swung looselyon the ai r, the defiant bugloss ; and from the topmostheight

,a flowering almond reached down its slender

boughs loaded with wreaths of the tenderest p ink . Onthe ground were numerous patches of the l i ttle bluegray i ri s , and the sparkl ing closely-matted s ilverweed ,with a species of golden gorse , whose fol iage gave out

a musky fragrance , while the aromatic wild thymeformed an outlying phalanx o f sweetness and excel lence .Most of those plants are flowers cultivated and prizedin the gardens o f other countri es . The very multitudeof them was a gloriou s s ight they si lently send ing upthei r ince nse to heaven as an oblation , a sweet-smelling offering. It was a pass ional of Nature— a grandrhapsody of colou r, and l ight, and perfume, and ex q ui

site form . What thought, beyond man’s conception ,

was in a s ingle flower ! Each was a thought ofGod .

No wonder H ilwe , recogn ising something of this ,could not bear to mutilate it— to mar the sacred beautyof thi s mountain sanctuary .

H assan , with the uti l i tarian i nsti ncts of a man, at lastreminded H ilwe of her errand , and that they had as

yet gathered none ofthe white blooms the narcissus.


Let u s,he suggested , pluck only those which

are fu ll -blown,l eaving the rest for other days ; and so

we can continue to come whil e the season lasts .”

H e was not altogether unselfish in thus qu ietly p lanning for the future . But who cou ld blame him ?H is i dea he forthwith p roceeded to carry i nto exe

cution,i n which he was soon j o ined by H ilwe , whose

arms were p resently loaded with a great sheaf of thenarcissus .

“ Thou wilt surprise Fatima , he said .

“ Thou hasta goodly harvest of them , and wilt get a h igh price forthem in Jerusalem . Not that I care to have thee vis itthe c ity . I t i s fu ll of temptation and evi l for such as

thou art—unacquainted with the world.

”

H e thereupon launched out into warnings as to thewickedness of the place , and gave her many d irect ionsfor her conduct wh ile vis iti ng it.They carried the flowers they had cu lled to a remote

corner of the hollow, where quantities of the narc issussti l l remained , u ntouched ; and here , i n the midst of thewhite starry blooms , they sat themselves down , andcommenced making the sheaf of blossoms into nosegays .Presently, i n abandonment of his feel ings , he threw

himsel f upon the ground, i n a recl in ing attitude at h e rfeet, looking up into her face .

Oh, the pure j oy of him ! I t was the gladness thatthe man has when he comes close to Nature, and feelsh is heart beat against her heart.H assan handed the flowers to H ilwe as she requ ired ,

and sh e rap idly arranged them into small bunches o r

bouquets , neatly fasten ing each with one or more ofthe long strap-l ike leaves of the plant itsel f.I t was del i cious occupation . But it could not lastforever . And always the happ iest moments are theshortest.At length the task was done—thei r work finished .

The last bouquet was arranged and tied into shape , andadded to the redolent p i le which had grown up underH ilwe

’

s hands a mound of s i lve r and gold ofNature’scomag e .

1 9 8 H assan : a Fellah

well as Mohammedan , they forgot the outs ide world ,and l ived in themselves alone .

They heard the gentle bleating of the sheep whichH assan , the handsome and stalwart, had driven beforehim into the further end o f this rocky fastness o f

beauty ; and the free caroll ing o f the flocks of birdswhich flew overhead , with soft whizz ing -o f wings camenearer, and nearer. But these gave them no appre

h ens ion of i nterference. They rather afforded thesense of compan ionship wi thout fear of intrusion o r

i nterruption .

Oh , the joy of i t the preciousness the soul-gladness of it to recl ine among the l i l ies and asphodels , i nthis close and bl i ssfu l communion

,and

,u nmolested

,

taste the sweet assu rances of love !So far as her presence among those enchantingly

lonesome u nfrequented retreats was concerned—for

th is H ilwe had , i n some sort , a cover o r colour , i n thatFatima , her own uncle

’s wife , who had authori ty overher

,had u rged her to seek the flowers . I t gave a

countenance to the transaction which , i n the absence of

the foster-mother’s perm iss ion , i t cou ld not have had .

What satis faction pertains to su ch l i ttle inc idents,

what a support they afford , and what enormou s couseq uence s they are made to father .Even the harmless wel l-used abai had its influence .

I t insp i red a secu ri ty, a confidence , a guard ianshipalmost a sanctity and a benediction , which otherwisemight have been absent. With its folds around them ,

within its protective envelopment , they were transformedwere new creatu res. Its c i rcumference , fo r the time

being,was thei r mosque—was thei r world . They were

a world to themselves .To H ilwe , H assan was an angel of l ight . And surely

sh e was no less to him .

When one has deal ings with an angel of l ight, whatmay i t not imply ?

“ Thou art dearer to me than my own flesh . Whatwould I not do for thee ! Thou art the del ight of myeyes , and my l i fe—my promised spouse . H ave I notsaid thou art rightly named H ilwe , for thou art very

H assan : a Fe llah I 99

sweet and pleasant to me ? My beloved , su rely mysoul cleaveth unto thee ; and all the ways o f my beingturneth to theeThese were the impassioned words with wh ich headdressed her.But words are not enough . Glances are not enough .

What is enough for love ?H e held o ne of the fragrant blossoms between hi s

teeth , and softly and persuas ively rubbed it against herl ips .H ow i ntently h i s eyes gazed into hers !She could scarcely bear it—could scarcely contain

the joy of i t.The smile had gone from h is face . H ow serious ,almost solemn he looked , with that far-off, absorbedcontemplation , consuming imagination ,— as i f h is sou lwas issu ing to mingle with hers , to be one with hers !But he was handsomer than ever . What l angu ish ingentreaty was in h is express ion ! She felt h is warmbreath upon her cheek.

Dost thou love me , H ilwe ?Well he knew she loved h im ; but he wanted to hearher say so .

I love and I fear thee with a sigh.

“ Dost thoulove me, H assan ?Yea. I never loved thee as I do now, he repeated .

Then,in a sudden transport of love triumphant , he

drew her to h im ; his arms were around her ; and hekissed her again and again .

H appy damsel , and happy lover . Thei r cup of bl isswas fu l l to overflowing . For them , al l the golden cari lIons— the j oy-bel ls o f love , in heaven and on earth

,

rang, and chimed , and pealed , i n tangled sound— in

inexpress ible harmony of rapture and wonder . Andthe evening was as the morn ing . And time had goneastray , and lost the reckoning. For the day had beenborn again ; and al l th ings were new.

Sweeter than ever , with the app roach of even ing,

ascended the perfume of the flowers . The songs of thebirds took on a h igher, more blessed note , as if theywere an angel i c ep ithalam ium . The subdued tinkli ng


of the sheep-bells sounded l ike an echo of the celestialcaro ls that only ring for bridals made above. AndH assan and H ilwe were the centre o f i t al l .Lightly the golden moments passed for them . The

time for the ir return had arrived before they knew i t.They must go .

Slowly and with a self-consciousness that was a confe ssio n ,

they at last gathered up the flowers , and prepared to depart .It was l ike Adam and Eve leaving Eden , after the

first s in.

As they left the p lace H ilwe laden with the flowers ,H assan drivi ng his sheep , H ilwe , looking back, burstinto tears .

“ Why dost ' thou weep , H ilwe ? Am I not as th ineown self? Dost thou not love me any more ?

“ Love thee , askest thou ? Well thou knowest thatI love thee .

”

Then why weepest thou ?I do not know.

”

If thou knowest not, i t i s wel l .She hung her head thoughtfully.

I t is because— because i t wi l l never again be as i thas been . And andShe cou ld say no more . She knew not how to define

the confl i ct of feel ings within her.As for happy yet pens ive H assan , a certain p roud

assu rance had taken possess ion o f him . There wasno t the l east mi sgiving , regret, ordoubt mingled with thereflections with which he regarded the events of the day .

H e felt more a man than ever . That was suflfi cient.

H ave no forebod ing, H ilwe ,

” he said . Think notthat I have humbled thee. My love has made theemine. Thou art now mine own .

‘

Thou art even as mywife . Dost thou not know ?Yea .

”

And not thy uncle , nor Abd-e l-nou r, nor the sheik,nor aught else can change it.Yea .

”

She be l ieved what he told her, regard less ofappearances .


H i lwe reached the summ i t of the te l l , and her footcrossed the threshold of her home .

At the same moment,down in the val l ey, the sun

had set ; and, i n the twi l ight , H assan, hav i ng caredfor h i s sheep

,was sayi ng to h imself these words :

Surely there i s noth i ng to compare wi th the love ofwoman . Not so much the love of the woman for theman

,as h i s love for the woman . I t is that wh i ch

takes h im out of h imself—wh ich draws the l ife andthe sou l out of h im .

”

H e was a s impl e man , and sa id what he thought.

CH APTER XVI I I

H E next morn i ng found H ilwe in J eru sal em,

where,wi th Amne

, she soon was busy d i spos i ngof the narc i ssu s flowers . The g ir l s had been aecompan ied by several of the e lder women of Malha , each ofwhom had someth i ng for sa l e . Some of them broughtthe oak and ol ive-wood roots grubbed out of the earth— the ord i nary fue l of the H oly C i ty ; others the waterof A i n Kar im and Malha , conveyed i n the odd-look i ngblack goat-sk i n s prepared for the purpose, wi th thesk i n of the var iou s part s of the body

,i ncl ud i ng the

l egs and neck,remai n i ng

,and

,fi l l ed w i th water

,stand

i ng stra ight out i n gr im and mock ing s im i l i tude tothe or ig i nal l iv i ng an imal

,the water be i ng d i spensed

through an Open i ng i n the neck. A few brought veg etables ; wh i l e two or three had spread upon the groundbefore them handkerch i efs p i l ed w i th saffron . But a l lenv i ed H ilwe and Amne

,for whose narc i ssus blooms

there was an i n stant demand at favourabl e pr i ces .They came, as u sua l , i n company ; and the i r t ra in ,

i n i nd igo-bl ue robes,and wh ite head

a p i cturesque add i t ion to th

and women enter i ng or departtal s of the anc i ent J affa Gate

,

Immed iate lywith'


crowds of buyers and sel l ers of merchand ise formed adense mass of human ity, among wh ich m ight be foundrepresentat ives of from th i rty to forty d ifferent nat i onal ities , many of them from far d i stant quarters of theearth

,and the greater part of them d i s t i ngu i shabl e by

the i r dress each be i ng arrayed i n the costume of h i scountry. Part i cu l ar ly not i ceabl e among the su rg i ngcrowd were the hundreds and thousands of p i lgr imsand the ecc l es iast i cs on the i r way to and from the H olySepul chre and the var iou s other shr i nes and sacredplaces. Tower i ng above a l l others was the magn ificentform of the Greek Patr iarch, fu l ly s ix feet and s ix

i nches in stature,and proport ioned accord i ngly. Su r

rounded by h i s b i shops and arch imandr i tes, return i ngfrom the performance of some holy office of h i s Church,and preceded by cavas ses wi th s i lver-mounted staves,h i s Bl essedness moved s lowly forward, w ith augustm ien and unquest i onab l e d ign i ty, wear i ng a fur- l i nedrobe

, h is h igh round hat be i ng covered w i th a largeblack ve i l

,reach ing below h i s shou lders . H is r i ch

vo i ce was l ike the rol l of an organ , and h i s forcewas tempered w i th gen ial i ty and a certa i n

were in abundant ev idence the Jews of d i fferr ies

,who

,wh i l e d is inctive ly H ebrew

,had

pecu l i ar i ty,ch iefly i n h i s head-gear

, denot

ha i l ed from,and wh i ch seemed to reach

i n the hat of the Po l i sh Jew,tr immed along

w ith proj ect i ng br i st ly fur,and far from

colour and var i ety of the garments of th i s mot

ltitude are ka l e idoscop ic . Yet,so far as the

Turk, Egypt ian , and East I nd ian are con

cerned, there is an harmon iou s blend ing of t i nts andshades i n the dress , wh ich i s dec idedly pl eas i ng andshows a fee l i ng for colour. With them rarely i s seen

ary colour ; secondary and tert iary tones preva i l ;su l try c i tron

,a pecu l iar gray i sh bl ue

,a r ipened

or a soft neutral o l ive i s most frequent ly found,

or tarboosh,giv ing the

le . Where there is a

2 04, H assan : a Fellah

crude or d i scordant note in the gamut,i t u sual ly pro

ceeds from the Jew.

The nat ive ,women of J eru sal em are not the l eastconsp i cuous members of the mot l ey throng

,as

,s i ng ly

or i n groups,they surge to and fro

,c lose ly ve i l ed

not even the i r eyes v i s ib l e , and ent i re ly enveloped i nthe i r loose, bal loon-l ike outer robe, general ly of wh i tecotton , though somet imes of st r iped s i lk . Th i s pe cul iar garment complete ly d i sgu i ses and disfig ures theform of its wearer, from head to foot

,i n th i s respect

resembl ing the dom ino.

As the eye glances over th i s m ixed assemb lage of

Turk , Syr ian , H i ndoo, Nub ian ,Russ ian

,Greek

,I tal i an

,

Br i ton , Pers ian , Egypt ian , Armen ian , Bedaw in , Abyss i n ian , Bulgar ian , and al l the rest, too numerous toment ion , i t becomes dazz led and confu sed, as the eari s perpl exed and stunned by the Babe l of languages .Laden camel s and donkeys, and zapt iehs mounted on

horseback, add to the commot ion .

Day after day,for many centu r i es

,the subl ime cast l e

l ike gateway,the pr i nc ipal entrance to the anc i ent c ity

,

has looked down on th i s remarkabl e scene . The gateof grayi sh stone— a marbl e i sed l imestone, r ipen ed onthe souther ly s ide

,by the sun ,

to a r i ch ye l low i sh or

orange hue,as are al l the o ld bu i ld ings i n Jeru salem

has set i n i t, w ith in the h igh i nter i or archway, anentab lature wi th i n scr ipt ion i n ornamental Arab i c tothe su l tan who bu i l t the gateway ; and th i s fretworkof fantast i c l etter i ng is re l i eved by a modern groundof aquamar i ne blue, wh i ch , though out of place, i s noti nharmon iou s .Near by

,to the westward, on the northeasterly s l ope

of Mount Z ion , stands wi th impos i ng m ien the Fortressof Su l tan Su l eyman

,w ith the Tower of Dav id, even i n

i ts decay an embod iment of state ly stalwart strength.

Th i s remarkabl e p i l e of bu i ld i ngs,i n o lden t imes

must have const i tu ted a form idabl e defence,i n connec

t ion w ith the castel lated wal l su rround ing the ent i rec i ty. The flank , , close by the Jaffa Gate , term i natesi n the grand quadrangu lar batt l emented strongholdal ready ment ioned, known general ly, per se, as the


w ith labor ious effort, is, to th i s day, ev idence of the

cup idi ty and d i sappo i ntment of the Turks. They found,

to the i r great chagr i n , al l that part of the tower to be ,as above ment ioned , of so l i d stonework , l ike unto thatof the pyram ids, t raversed on ly by a few low and narrow a i r passages

,through wh i ch a man cou ld w i th d iffi

cu l ty squeeze . The vessel s and sh i e lds of gold, thechests of money and coffers of prec i ou s stones

,wh i ch

,

as i n the case of the r ifled Tomb of Dav id on MountZ ion

,they had hoped to find

,were al l a myth a del u

s ion . Thei r labour had been i n vai n .

One th i ng, however, was proved : The great s i ze of

the wonderfu l beve l l ed stones of the i nter ior ; and thecharacter of the work thu s d i sc losed

,afforded conc lu

s ive ev i dence of the ant iqu i ty of that part of the bu i ldi ng. Those pecu l i ar ponderous stones , there cou ld bel itt l e quest i on , occup i ed the i r or ig i na l pos i t ion sthey had never been moved .

One who has j ust ly been accred i ted w i th extremecarefu l ness i n statements connected w ith such a cas eas th i s, has sa id : Doubt l ess the shadow of Chr i st may .

have fal l en upon th i s tower. I t is one of the fewp laces i n J eru sal em of wh i ch th i s may be affirmed.

Of course there have been changes. I n the manys i eges there have been i nj u r i es wh i ch have been re

pa i red . But these are palpab l e,comparat ive ly t r ifl i ng

,

and at once d i st i ngu ishabl e from the anc ient,pr im i t ive

structu re.A much older t rad i t ion connect s the place w i th the

palace of King Dav id,assert i ng that i t was from th i s

tower th e K ing fi rst behe ld Bathsheba,the w ife of the

nob l e H i tt i te,the brave Ur iah , when the br i l l i ant but

i ncon stant beauty took her bath . Thi s was she who

afterwards became the mother of Solomon .

H ow sedate ly and qua i nt ly the o ld chron i c l e narratesthe c i rcumstance

,wi thout blush

,or hes i tat ion

, or c i rcumlocution ; and with that soft echo i ng ch ime of ani ntroductory c lau se, so l ong and so dear ly fam i l ithe Or i enta l ear : “And i t came to pass . ” Againaga i n , never wear i some, i t r i ngs, and u shers i nspecia l narrat ive or story.


L i sten to it :“And i t came to pass i n an even ingt ide, that Dav id

arose from off his bed , and walked upon the roof of thek i ng ’s house : and from the roof he saw a womanwash i ng herself ; and the woman was very beaut ifu lto look upon . And Dav id sen t and i nqu i red after thewoman .

”

I t s eems as if it were on ly yesterday that i t had a l loccu rred . And the tower st i l l stands there , an everlast i ng w i tnes s to the w ickedness and base treachery ofh im who occup i ed the exalted place, and the nob i l i tyand grandeur of the comparat ively humb l e H itt it esold i er.The women from Malha, though keep ing together asmuch as poss ibl e, had jo ined other women who, l iv ingat nearer places, had come in ear l i er ; al l tak ing the i rseat s on the cu rbstones at each s ide of David Street,wh i ch at th is end is the wide st street in Jeru sa l em ,

and has somewhat the charact er of a square, l ead ingup to the Turk i sh Barracks on Mount Z ion .

But few of the state ly and handsome women fromBeth l ehem were found among them . Most ly Chr i st ian s

,and boast ing of the i r C ru sader descen t

,they

form a sort of ar i stocracy among themselves,and have

t l e i n common w ith the i r poor Mos l em s i sters .merchand i se

,too, is ch i efly of a d ifferent sort ,

carved shel l sM echl i n l ace— and otherof commendab l e art i st ic

in the shape of crosse s, Chap l ets , brooches and

They al so offer vases,cups and other a rt i c l es

of the black aspha l t i c stone from the Dead Sea .

these,of the ce l ebrated Beth lehem work

,have a

e spread reputat i on ; and the women of the C i ty of

Nat iv ity carry themse lves w i th a proud a i r, andd i st i ngu i shed by the i r pecu l i ar h igh headdress, of

shape, covered wi th wh i te d rapery.

e Mos l em v i l lage of S i lwan or S i loam ,cover

ffs on the oppos i te s ide of the Ced ron va l l ey,s de leg ation i s present , br i ng ing fru i t s , herbs

2 08 Hassari : a Fellah

th i s day the King ’s Garden,composed of a ser ies of

inc losed cu l t ivated fi elds,at the bottom of the val l ey

,

and runn i ng up part ly on the souther ly Jerusal emS lopes

,wh ich

,i n p laces

,are planted to the very wal ls

of the c i ty. Doubt l es s i t is what formerly con st ituted the garden and pl easu re-grounds of the k i ngsof Judah ; and, accord i ng to trad i t ion , probably mayhave been planned and la id out by K ing H ezek iah , i fnot Solomon , the garden-lov i ng k i ng. I t i s abundaut ly i rr igated by the waters overflowi ng from thePoo l of S i loam,

wh ich is j u s t beneath the h i l l ; andthe J erusal em market rece ives its finest fru i ts and veg etabl es from th i s garden and from those other and greatergarden s of Solomon , i n the green Val l ey of Urtas , be

low the three vast pool s wh ich he bu i l t to water them,

and wh i ch may be seen,at th i s present t ime, several

m i l es southwest of Jerusa lem ,on the road to H ebron .

To-day,wi th i n the wal l s of the H o ly C i ty

,i n the

she l ter of the streets,there is a mo i st langu id pu l se

to the a i r wh i ch conveys a feel i ng of sooth i ng repose,

thoroughly consonant with the O r i ental temperament .The traffi c of the women vendors

,i n sp i te of the i r

compl i cated r ival r i es,has taken on a more subdued

tone than usual,and

,with few except ion s

,there

have been no ser ious quarre l s between them ; yet theyhave not been very successfu l i n d i spos i ng of the i rgoodsH ilwe and Amne had gradual ly wandered off further

down Dav id Street,where a ser i es of steps leads i nto

the sudden descent through the Bazaar,and the way i s

very narrow, and crowded on each s ide by numerou ssmal l shops and stores . The awn i ngs overhead

,some

t imes of matt i ng,somet imes of c loth, reach ent i re ly

acros s the st reet, subdu i ng the l ight, and add ing to

the pecu l iar d i scon solat e p i cturesqueness of the place.H ere, i f poss ib l e, the crowd was more dense than evand the occas ional passage of a loaded camel

,as

strode by w ith t i nkl i ng be l l s and decorated w ith ablue bead fastened around h i s neck

,to ward

i nfluen ce of the “ evi l eye , was a lmost dangel ife, as there was barely room enough l eft

2 1 0 H assan a Fellah

I ta ly and the golden napoleon of France, or the sover

e ig n‘

of England w i th the image and superscr ipt ion ofthe revered and beloved queen upon i t . Thus i s theprophecy fu lfi l l ed that the gold of the Gent i l es shal lbe g iven unto them .

The women,absorbed i n the i r deal ings

, and takenup with the i r own petty b i cker ings

,gave l i tt l e heed to

the young g i r l s, and scarcely not i ced the i r absence ; or,if they thought of them ,

took for granted they werewel l occup i ed i n mak i ng remunerat ive sa les of the i rflowers .Not a few of these peasant women were a p i t ifu l

s ight , —gaunt , wr ink led and aged before the i r t ime,the i r dark i nd igo garments c l i ng ing i n dej ectedfolds about '

the ir spare spectra lthe i r lot ! No one appeared tonone to regard or compass ionate . Eachseemed to want the c losest of barga i n s, wrenvery l ife out of those w i thered be ings , t i l l ,a sort of despai r of gett i ng the i r pr i ce, or ofal l

,they wou ld abandon the contest

,and g iv

l i tt l e p i l e of wood or bunch of roots,to them

l ife-blood,for a desp i cabl e Turk i sh co i n an

deprec i ated bishl ik, w i th the copper, al l too evid

showi ng through the uncommon ly th i n wash of Si !

or a few ins ign ifican t battered p iastres, or half-hanof meagre attenuated metal iks

,worn sharp by c i

l at ion .

Then,when the pol i ce passed by, w ith swo

the i r s ides,always offi cious and exact i ng wher

need not be,but had better be othe rw i se, they

hust l e and push the poor creatu res domi ng them angr i ly that they were i n the way, and upst i ng and scatter i ng the i r scanty stores .So i t went on

,from hou r to hour, t i l l the day its

appeared to grow t i red of i t,and half worn out by

for i t was al ready afternoon .

The women , seldom look ing up, but almost everi ng down

,began to measure the shadows 0

bu i ld i ngs,and u nw i l l ingly count on

hav ing to carry back to the i r ho

H assan a Fe l lah

e weary way they had brought them , on ly to benveyed i nto the c i ty on another occas ion .

So they squat on beneath that anc i ent Tower ofDav id,the i r insufli cient garments, the co ld heartthe i r l ives become an accepted fact, a perma

cond it ion,wh i ch they d o not dream of contend i ng

They do not even murmu r at the i r fate. Its

eaviness has la in so long upon them, they seem tonow no bette r.As i f i n mockery

,i t i s a ga la day or ho l iday, per

aps the ann iversary of the b i rth of one of the exal tedof the earth, for a l l the con su lar flags are flying.

rmat ion doubt l ess has been d ip lomat i cal ly cone stion

,to h i s brother-con su l s

I t i s the ann iversary of thef my august sovere ign . The flag w i l l be d isove r the Consu late. There w i l l a l so be anrecept ion ,

” etc. H ence th e resu l t th i s breakor burgeon i ng of flags .the heads of thos e desp i sed s i sters and w ives ofabove the armed batt l ements, the Turk i sh bansymbol of the Ottoman power, su l l en ly flaunts

star.pple s

r i ly, brave ly, the beaut ifu l flag of l i bertyof the Great Republ i c acros s the seagonfalon w ith s i lver and red st r ipes

,and

br ight constel lat ion of co-equal stars , a l l of themagn i tude, set i n untarn i shed b l u e l ike to theheaven itse lf. L ifted h igh above the Amer i canulate

,on the Moms of Mount Z ion , from the

flagstaff i n J eru sa l em,i t careers and p lunges

,

l iv ing creature , i n the breezes that blow fresh lyhe Judaean h i l l s. That mast of p ine

,brought

the At lant ic,grew and flour i shed for many a

n one of the vast forest s of Maine,one of thou

bear i ng its green honours serene ly,meekly. But

away from the land of i t s b i rth , i t has bursth i s g lor iou s blossom of maj esty—th i s flower-of

als flash back t r iumphant ly

H as san : a Fe llah

H a i l , holy flag ! Sanctified wi th love even to thedeath

,the flag of newer England of Greater Br i ta i n

great because she has conquered herse lf. No nat ioncan be great t i l l sh e has conquered herse lf. Englandd id i t

,i n her Revolut ion

,and before that, and s i n ce .

For i t has to be done aga i n , and aga i n —somet imescont i nual ly. And Amer i ca d id i t when—whenBut we w i l l not talk of that . Are we not al l brethren- the ch i ldren of one mother ?Back of the flag and i n the rear of the Consu late

,

r i ses aloft,but l ean i ng pens ive ly, almost pathet i ca l ly,

a s i ngl e palm-tree a rel i c a retrospect and a hope .

Type of I s rae l ’s lost glory—her on ly flag to-day ! Shehas no other ! Sad rem inder of the per i od when theMount of Ol ives and the h i l l s of J eru sal em were sumptuous wi th palm-t rees so abundant that, i n the t imeof Chr i st, the mu l t i tude of rejo i c i ng peopl e, cry i ngH osanna to the Son of Dav id

,cut down the branches

and strewed them i n the way,on h is entry, through the

Golden Gate, i nto the c i ty.

There i s one nat i onal i ty that i s a part of every nat ional i ty. Without a government

,i t i s a part of every

government . I t has no flag or other i n s ign i a of its

i nd iv idual i ty ; scarce ly has i t a stand i ng or a name .

Desp i sed,dr iven , peeled and persecuted by a lmost

every nat ion upon earth, i t has accepted al l th i s as

part of i t s dest i ny as the j udgment ofGod —and goneforward, bear i ng the heavy burden— bel i ev ing, yea,knowing that the end w ith its glor iou s resu l ts w i l l assu re ly be fu lfi l l ed as that the morrow wi l l dawn w iththe r i s i ng of the sun . F or

,above al l the awfu l j udg

ment-thunder, i t hears the vo ice that spakebeg i nn i ng : “ Thou art my peopl e

,O H ouse of

I w i l l make of thee a great nat i on . I n thee shal lthe fam i l i e s of the earth be bl essed .

A short d i stance w i th i n the Jaffa Gate,i ndeed wit

its shadow, waves the faded pal e b lue and wh i te ensof Portuga l one of the older and smal l er k i nof enterpr i se and valou r, wh ich boasts of itsand , i n i t s day, has made its mark upon theneed not be ashamed.

2 1 4. H assan : a Fellah

Of the ten fore ign consu lates at J erusal em , the threement ioned are the on ly ones at th i s t ime w ith i n thewal l s . Al l the others

,with the ir proud en s igns

,even

that bear i ng the renowned and flamboyant meteor flagof England, gradual ly have been moved outs ide, as thec i ty grew and expanded . There soon wi l l be morehouses w i thout than w ith i n the wal l s of Jeru salem .

But how far we have wandered from the Tower ofDav id

,and the Jaffa Gate, and the poor peasant

women ! And j ust now there is an unusual s t i r atthe gate, for the Amer i can consu l is enter ing , on h isretu rn from the offic ia l funct ion , wh i ch he has attendedi n the requ i red state . H is dragoman, a d i st i ngu i shedlook ing young nat ive w ith dark langu i sh i ngly lustrou seyes

,and g ifted w ith the knowledge of s ix d ifferent

languages,accompan i es h im; and he i s preceded by h i s

cavas ses or guards, resp lendent obj ects , i n the i r goldembro idered jackets , and with enormous much-cu rvedsabres i n sol id s i lver scabbards by the i r s ides . Theycarry

,al so

,long staves, heav i ly mounted and knobbed

i n s i lver,wi th wh i ch, as they advance, they sm i te the

pavement,t i l l i t re sounds aga i n and aga i n . Th i s is

an o ld custom , observed with d ign i tar i e s, to g ive not iceof the i r approach, and to c l ear the way.

As they pass through the subl ime portal , the Tu rk ishguard posted th ere present s arms

,i n recogn i t i on of the

consu l , who makes due acknowledgment of the government sal ute, by rai s i ng h i s hat.The o ld men , seated w i th i n the gate, fu l l of the

gent l e reverence of the East , r i s e and stand as hepasses

,to do honour to h im ; and some of the groups

i n stant ly beg i n to make comments upon h im ; for th i si s a peop l e wh ich at once takes the measu re of a man .

B ut the remarks are a l l compl imentary.

“H e is a good man

,

” sa i d one of the oldest of

the nat ives,venerab l e w i th long wh ite flowi ng

beard.

“ Yea,a good man and a just

,and one that fears

God,

” was the response of a second , who seemed h isdupl i cate

, so much al ike were they w ith the i r steadfast,unfl i nch ing eyes and plac id countenances.


Either of them m ight have personated Abraham theFather of the Fa i thfu l and the Fr i end of God .

A th i rd and younger i nd iv idual acqu i esced w i th someemot ion and even heat ; and, l i ke h i s compan ion s, passing the beads of h i s chapl et w i th we l l-dr i l l ed fingers :Thou speakest tru ly,”he sa id, wi th an imated ges

tures . “ Ver i ly he makes one l ove h im . H e t reat s usnat ives l ike men— the othe r consu l s use us as if wewere dogs . ”

“ I t were wel l there were more l ike h im . H e deal srighteous ly w i th u s, and g ives u s w i se counse l whenwe take our t roub l es to h im . Yea, though he needgive h imself no care about us ; for what are we to h imthat he shou ld weary h i s sou l over us ?Thi s was uttered by the fi rs t speaker, aft er they had

al l resumed the i r seats .“ I wou ld rather g o to h im than to our own courts .Thou mayest wel l say so . Thou wou ld st get j u s

t ice,w ithout a fee or backsheesh to pay. H e wou ld

not take a parah from thee .

”

By th i s t ime the consu l had reached that part of thewalk where the peasant women had crowded and wereseated

,ply ing the i r traflic.

The cavasses, though nat ives and Mos l ems , wi th thef place hab i tual to them , and eager to show the i r

ave pushed the women as ide to c l eare way for the i r “ ch i ef,

” as they ca l l ed h im . Th i sey proceeded to do w i th some roughness, as is on ly0 common i n such cases.Get out of the way,

” they shouted. Why cumbere walk ? Do ye not see the Bey ? g iv i ng the con su l5 Turk i sh t i t l e. “Wi l l you h inder h im on the wayh is own palace ?But the consu l ra i sed h is hand, and shook h is head ,

deprecat ingly.

Let them alone, he sa id. Do not d isturb them .

The poor creatu res are t ry ing to make a l iv i ng . I t ishard for them at best. The i r l ife is dark and b i tter

hard ly understand or be l i eve thatthem . The words of kindness


i n a strange tongue were to them altogether strange.But they saw the gen i a l glance of the b l ue eyes

, and

the restra i n ing mot ion , and heard the reprov ing vo i ce ;and

,perce iv i ng he was the i r fr i end

,returned to the i r

p laces .Ver i ly he i s a k i nd man, they sa id to one another.

H e wou ld not l et the base-m inded cavasses i l l -treatu s . ”

Yes ; he is a k i nd man . Yet have I l i t t l e fa i th i nany man .

Th i s was sa id by Kadra, who sat near by,and who

was one of those who had been d i sturbed,and so fe l t

provoked .

H e is Engl ish .

No,Amer i can , corrected Kad ra.

That is the same th i ng.

”

Perhaps .They are al l Nazarenes Chr i st ian s .Yea ; they are al l G iaours Kaflirs Infide ls.

Notw i thstand i ng the numerou s d i st i n ct races,peopl e

i n Pal est ine are u sual ly c lassed and spoken of by the i rbe l i ef or re l ig ion .

“ There i s Mustafa Effend i ,” sa id another of the

women,cal l i ng attent ion to h im a wel l -favoured

man and a brave . H e comes th i s way. H e is a goodman and benevol ent . ”

“ Yea,responded Kadra, he is a good man and

benevol ent . ButH er mouth went down at the corners w i th a h ideousgr imace

,the expres s ion of her face imply ing un speak

ab l e th ings— untold-of i n iqu i ty, i n clus ive of a l l thedeadly s i n s .Th i s i s one of the pecu l iar gestures or act ion s of

the count ry,and is but too common . That detestabl e

impl i cat ion is never i nt errogated . I t i s much moreagreeabl e to exe rc i se the imagi nat ion . No one wou ldbe so impol i te as to i nqu i re the mean ing of that s ign ificant

“ But , wh i ch , often stand ing at the end of along str i ng of pra i ses, qual ifies and nul l ifie s them al l ,appear i ng as the sum and substance of everyth i ng thati s abom inabl e. Accompan i ed by that almost appa l l ing


the Malha ne ighbours , who, with several others, beganto gather together her effects

,preparatory to tak ing

her departure .

“ I t has been a poor day, Kadra, sa id a fra i l e lder lywoman named N igme . She was a neglected wife of

Abd—cl-nour .Yea ; though I managed to se l l what l i tt le I

brought .Ah

,thou art lucky !

The speaker had l ifted to her head a basket wi th afew poor roots wh i ch she had grubbed out of the groundwi th her l ean hands .Kadra sm i l ed at the impl i ed compl iment .“Wait a l i tt l e, N igme

,she sa id

,

“ and I ’l l be w iththee . I se e H ilwe com i ng. H ere she is.

As Kadra spoke, H i lwe rushed up, breath l ess .Wast thou l eav i ng w i thout me she sa id reproach

fu l ly.

Even so . Th i nkest thou I can rema in he re t i l ldarkness covers the land ? What has deta ined thee ?

“ I have been wa i t i ng and search i ng forAmne . Andand - I cannot find her.H ilwe spoke anxiou s ly.

“ She ’s o ld enough to take care of herse lf. Wecannot delay for her. Let us go, at once . AndKadra half pushed H ilwe before her.

“ Thou hast sold thy flowers,I s ee , sa id Kadra, as

they fol lowed the other woman, and passed through theJaffa Gate.

Yea. See th i s.H ilwe exh ib i ted a handfu l of co ins.“ Thou hast done wel l . That w i l l p l ease Fat ima ;

and she wi l l l et thee go and gather the blooms anotherday ; and that wi l l p l eas e thee . Ah ! do I not knowthe pr ide of th i n e heart ?A fa i nt pass i ng sm i l e was H ilwe ’

s response .“ I w i sh that I had found Amne

,and that she were

wi th u s,

”she sa id . I fear ev i l has befal l en her. ”

But her compan ion s heeded her not. They had overtaken the other women

,and al l were ta lk i ng of the

nat ive reg iment, ra i sed in the ne ighbourhood, wh i ch

. H assan : a Fe l lah 2 1 9

was soon to return and be d i sbanded,its t ime of ser

v i ce hav i ng exp i red .

I sha l l have my husband back,sa id one .

And I the son of my strength,sa id another.

Thus the wretched creatures boasted .

There is no place so low, so degraded, but pr ide and

envy find entrance there, or even some feeb l e ray of

happ iness or hope may reach it .

CH APTER XIX

UT where was Amne ?When she and H ilwe had taken the i r pos i t ion s

under the arched way,at the entrance to Chr i st ian

Street,the rar i ty and beauty of the ear ly blossoms

heaped h igh i n the i r open baskets had drawn to themmany a passer-by, and not a few customers .Amne

,know ing her flowers we re i nfer i or to those of

H ilwe,wi th world ly w i sdom had sa id to her compan ion

,

“ Let yours rema i n covered up t i l l m ine be sold .

”

But H i lwe cou ld not do th i s .The p i lgr ims on the i r way to the H oly Sepu l chre

and the Lat in and Greek monks and c lergy were l i bera lpurchasers ; and the marb l e shr i ne cover i ng the supposed tomb of th e Crucified , l ighted w i th s i lve r everburn i ng lamps

,presents from emperors and k ings

,for

the first t ime that season was adorned w ith the purenarc i ssu s - the flower to wh i ch he had been compared— h i s own flower the Rose of Sharon .

They were the blossoms wh i ch H ilwe and H assanhad gathered. But l et no one desp i se them on thataccount . Th i nk of the box of sp ikenard

,very prec iou s ,

and Mary Magdal ene. Were he,the A l l -merc ifu l ,

walk ing the earth to-day, he wou ld not have refu sedthese blooms. And i f s i nfu l hands had touched them ,

be i t remembered that,a s compared w i th h im , al l

hands and hearts are uncl ean and s i nfu l . The dazz l ing l ight of the petal s, pure as the snow,

shone un

Hassan a Fe l lah

bl em i shed,immacu late

,am id the royal and imper ial

g ift s,the fa i rest of al l . And the free natura l breath of

the flowers ascended up on h igh,a more acceptabl e

and a sweeter-smel l i ng sacr ifice than the perfume-c loudsof most cost ly i ncense from the cen sers swung by thehandsome dark-eyed and long-ha i red young acolytes ofthe Greek Church

,who were forever bow i ng themse lves

very low,and cross i ng themselves from r ight to l eft,

wi th the l eft hand,i n stead of from l eft to r ight w i th

the r ight hand,as do the Lat i n s or Roman Catho l i c s .

“Anyth i ng,so as to be d ifferent from us , say th e

Lat i ns contemptuous ly.

Ah,how much we make our salvat ion depend on

such th i ngs ! H ow we st i l l keep pay ing t i thes of them i nt

,an i se and cumm in

,and om it the we ight i er mat

ters of the law,j udgment , mercy, and fa ith , —c l eans ing

the outs ide of the cup and platter,when H e sa id, My

son,give me th ine heart ! ”

And so the Lat i n and Greek monks and ecc l es iast icsswept by, and were fo l lowed by those of the Syr i an ,Armen ian , Copt i c and Abyss i n ian chu rches . Theywore the i r pecu l iar vestments

,those of the O r i enta l

churches hav i ng h igh consp i cuou s headdres ses . Eachbody had a spec ial hou r of worsh ip al lotted to i t i n theChurch of the H oly Sepu l chre

,so that there m ight be

no confl i ct . For, as is but too wel l known , among al lthese Chr i st ian churche s the most bu rn i ng hate s andj ealous i es preva i l , and quarre l s and fights have occu rredfrom t ime to t ime between them

,espec i a l ly between

those of th e Greek and Lat i n churches, not se ldom

end i ng i n b loodshed and even murder. Truly therei s no hate l ike re l ig iou s hate . I t i s the hate of thesou l ; and the consc i ence of the man i s made to standsponsor for i t .But i t i s w i th i n the great bas i l ica

,at i t s very

entran ce, that the monstrou s reproach exi sts . Immed iate ly i n s ide the portal , on the l eft

,i s a d ivan -l ike

reces s spread w i th mats,at a cons iderab l e he ight above

the floor ; and here , seated cross - l egged, are two ormore Mos l ems

,she iks of the Mosque of Omar

,the

offic i al wardens of th i s Chr i st ian sanctuary— th i s


wh i ch swept through Dav id Street , past H ilwe andAmne

,had r i sen to the flood

,for i t happened to be

Fr iday,the market day

, as we l l as the Mos l em holyday or Sabbath , and the merchants and deal ers and art isan s oi that fa i th had c losed the i r shops , and began totake the i r way to the Mosque of Omar . The narrowst reet

,i n i t s dusky w i nd ings

,was l ike a r iver swol len

to the banks,send ing off a branch at Chr i st i an Street,

wh i ch d id not seem great ly to re l i eve the pressure.There are three Sabbaths every week i n J eru sal em .

I n consequence there is none . Traffic and bus inessgo on every day

,wi th no very apparent d iffer

ence .

Fr iday i s the Mohammedan holy day,and the True

Be l i ever c loses h i s p lace of bu s i n es s for a short t imei n the forenoon , or at noon, wh i l e he v i s i ts the mosquefor prayer, always perform i ng h is ab lu t ion s at one of

the tanks w i th i n the great Templ e Enclosu re . Returning from ‘prayer

,he reopen s ; and al l through the after

noon,i s as fu l ly occup i ed w i th h i s trade or traffic as

on any other day i n the week . Saturday is kept b ythe Jews on ly, who des i st from al l work, i n some casesto the most r id i cu lou s ly m i nute part icu lars , on thatday. Sunday i s observed as usua l by the Chr i st i ans .

But from one year ’s end to another,the anc i ent c i ty

neve r sees a total cessat i on of work and bus i ness,as

there is a lways suffic i ent of non-bel i evers i n the holyday

,wh i cheve r i t may be

,to keep up a vol ume of

act iv i ty,and destroy al l appearance of Sabbath and of

rest .As the Mos l ems passed the young g i rl s w i th the i r

open basket s overflowing w ith the flowers whose aromathose smooth , se lf- i ndu lgen t sons of I s lam particull ove

,they d id not fa i l to stop , and to rem i nd

another of the words of the i r prophet,and how Moh

med had sa id : “H e that hath two cakes of bread

,l et

h im se l l one of them , and buy some flowers of thenarc i ssus ; for bread i s food for the body, but the narc i s su s i s food for the sou l .D idst thou hear what those p iou s men say, H i lwe ?

asked Amne . They speak the words of

H assan : a Fe llah 2 2 3

(God favou r and preserve h im !) I doubt not they areout of the most exce l l ent book wh i ch he wrote.Yea ; I heard the i r words. They are sweet and

comfortabl e.I wou ld rather se l l one flower to the Fa ithfu l than

ten to another.Wh i l e they spoke, two st rangers, a dign itary of the

Church of England w ith h is daughter hang ing on h is

arm,drew near. They at once se i zed the attent ion

of the g i r l s .H ow much he loves her ! ” sa id H ilwe .

And how he l et s her c l i ng to h im ,and what care he

takes of her ! ” added Amne. “ Tru ly those G iaourshave strange ways. ”

“These are asphodel s, are they not ?” sa id the

daughter,tak i ng up a shaft of the flowers .

“Ah, yes indeed !

”

I t was the asphod e l wh ich H ilwe had k is sed intoblos som ing

,and wh ich

,out of a tender p i ty, she had

w ith her,plac i ng i t on top of her basket.

3 spear-l ike l eaves was toppedhe pal e purpl i sh-t i nted corol las, but one of

was expanded, the others st i l l rema i n ing partlyor on ly buds .

H ow strangely beaut ifu l , sa id the Engl i sh g ir l .Does i t not seem as i f there was someth i ng mysteous, unearth ly about it ?

”

“Ye s

,

” repl i ed her father. It i s indeed so . Therespec i es. And some th ink the

il another name for narc i ssu s i s der ivedphodyle or asphodel , wh i ch was sacred toand was u sed i n c las s i c t imes at funeralTh i s is the flower be loved of the gods ,

is sa id to b loom forever in the fields of

canon ’s face was al l aglow with h is innocentiasm. That nobl e e loquent face

,it was a per

se rmon and a l i tany, and spoke i n a un iversalage the story of peace and love h is l ips had so

told . For the l ineaments had rece ived thatua l ch i se l l i ng wh i ch left upon them the d ivine

2 2 4. H assan : a Fe l lah

benedict ion. H is name had gone i nto al l land s—theworthy son of the great Angl i can Chu rch .

Pre sent ly h is daughter heard h im murmur :

Those holy fie lds,

Over whose acres walked those blessed feetWh ich e ig hteen hundred years ag o were nailed,For our advantag e, on the bitter cross .

”

H ilwe , know i ng scarce ly a word they sa id, s t i l lsuffic ient ly understood the i r adm i rat i on . She caughtup one of the finest bunches of the narc i s sus

,and held

i t bes ide the asphode l .But here we have the Rose of Sharon

,exc la imed

the canon .

“ I t is prec iou s,indeed

,sa id h i s daughter

,k i ss i ng

the flowers w i th a fee l i ng of reverence,as she took

them from H ilwe and pressed a p iece of s i lver i nto herpalm .

I n tu rn,H ilwe bent and (oh ,

how gracefu l ly !)k i ssed the lady ’s hand, and then prepared to makechange .

“No, no ; keep it , sa id the young Engl i sh g i r l .

They are worth far more than that to me,when I

th i nk of th e dear Lord walk ing over the ground wherethey have grown .

She d id not know a l l they were worth to H ilwewhat they had cost her.See ing the change had b een refused, H ilwe ins i sted

on add i ng more of the flowers .“ They make one th i nk of the descr ipt ions in the

poets— of the ce l est ial meadows fi l l ed w ith these beaut i fu l b lossoms

,where the sou l s of the departed bl i ss

ful ly'wander,

” sa id the canon , w ith a s igh, and i n a

dreamy rem in i scent undertone.Why do even the best men always s igh when they

speak of H eaven ?The daughter of Br ita in l ingered, great ly i nteri n her Pal est i ne s i sters, fu l ly as mu ch so as theyin her.

“What beaut i fu l young creatures, she sai


h i l t,presented an uncommon ly fine appearance

, as hemet the gaze of the ar i stocrat i c Engl i shman and h is

daughter,and sal uted them i n m i l i tary styl e. H e

excused h i s i nterest very neat ly, and pol i te ly offeredto i nterpret.Of course

,they cou ld on ly thank h im and accept .

They not i ced h is rather c l ear complexion,the warm

r i ch color showing through . But they d id not knowthat though h i s father was a Tu rco-Syr ian

, h is motherwas part ly of European b lood, and that th i s h ighmett l ed

,wel l-bu i l t zapt i eh , i n a l l h is becom ing m i l i

tary trapp i ngs,was the product of one of those pecu l i ar

myster i es of the harem’

wh i ch are not i nfrequ ent in thedom i n ions of H is Imper ia l Maj esty the Su l tan.

As for the young ofli cer, there was not the s l ightestdoubt that he was we l l aware of the attract ivenes s of

h i s person . But he was far too c l ever to perm i t anyev idence of th i s to betray h im . The gent l e

,i n nocent

manner he affected, as if utter ly unconsc iousnes s of h isgood looks

,was h i s greatest fasc i nat ion .

There are few th ings wh i ch an O r iental values morethan to be accepted on an equal foot ing and rece ivedi n to i nt imat e re lat ion s by the Frank or European of

d i st i nct i on or h igh pos i t ion . H e wi l l do much to

br i ng th i s about, and seldom perm i ts an Opportun i tyof the k i nd to escape h im . But

,i f poss ibl e

,i t must

come to pass natural ly,wi thout the appearance of aux

iety or i ntent ion—of be i ng sought on h i s part .H e had heard the Engl i sh g i r l ’s reference to the

glor iou s eyes of the peasant g i r l , and he rememberedthat he h imself was possessed of as glor ious orbs

,wh i ch

he could use far more effect ive ly,and wi th greater

potency,i n that he was a man . H is blood t i ngled

warmly, and he was feel i ng at h i s best, and look i ngh is best

,as he knew the gaze of the h ig hbo

lady res ted upon h im . I t was the st imu lus heriated i n .

Stepp ing nearer to H ilwe , he commenced i ngat i ng her.

“What i s thy name ? ” he asked,i n Arab ic .

lady w i shes to know.

”

H assan : a Fe l lah 2 2 7

H ilwe .

And what does that mean ? i nqu ired the fa i rstranger. Al l the i r names have a mean ing

,have

they not ?”

“ Yes. H ilwe means sweet .What a pretty name ! And , I

’

m su re, appropr iate .

The gal lant aga, or capta in of zapt ieh s turned andantly.

She wants to know your name, he expla ined, afterlow murmur from H ilwe .

“ I t is Mary— Mary Stanhope.Mar i am

,

” he trans lated i t in g iv ing i t to H ilweS itt i Mar iam Lady Mary. That is the name of the

he remarked .

nge to say, the Mos l ems revere the B lessedas the mother of the Prophet J esu s, and sendto bu rn at her tomb in J eru sa l em

, on her fest ival

e sm i l ingly made reply.

she w i l l remember your name, and br ingwhen next she comes . ”

hank her . Do they have to br i ng them far ? I tbe weary for them .

”

th i s be i ng conveyed to them , both the Malhathrew back the i r heads, and made a pecu l iarng sound w ith the i r tongues as they excla imed

La,l a ! —. No, w i th a cont i n uat ion of l ess i n te l

g ible rejo i nder.“ They say i t is su ch a pleasure carry ing so beaut ifu lburden

,they wou ld not care if the d istance were

as great !H ow O r i ental sa id M i ss Stanhope.They l ive at Malha

,pu rsued the capta i n a

llag e on the top of a h igh te l l beyond the Va l l ey of

oses .M i s s Stanhope had drawn her notebook from hereket , and was mak ing some entr i es .“And H ilwe ’

s compan ion ! ” she sa id . I fear she

i l l feel negl ected . I have not l earned her name. ”

The agreeabl e young zapt ieh qu ickly remed i ed th i s .H er name i s Amne,

” he sa id .


And that meansBel i ever.And how old are they ? ”

The quest ion was du ly put , and promptly thoughunsat i sfactor i ly answered.

“ They say, Al lah knows .’

The most e legan t of zapt i ehs cou ld scarce ly keep h iscountenance as he conveyed th i s rep ly, wh ich is thecommon one throughout Pal est i n e to any i nqu i ry intoage. But he managed to expla i n that there is a superstitious d i s l ike to g iv ing such i nformat ion . I t isenough for them that God knows the i r ages .Bes ides the strong fee l i ng that .it i s sacr i l eg ious to

pry i nto su ch th i ngs,there . is al so probably a dense

ignorance and negl ect i n th i s d i rect i on . I t i s a landin wh ich stat i st i cs of any k i nd are looked upon withhorror—the keep ing of them

, or i nqu i r i ng i nto themas acts of imp i ety, l i ab l e to the cal l i ng down of d iv inewrath .

The feel ing, doubt l ess, is of long stand i ng. Rememher the number i ng of the peopl e by David

,and the

pest i l ence v i s i ted i n consequence .

Mi ss Stanhope kept her notebook open,puzz l ed what

to do, and half- i ncl i ned to enter the answer the g i r l shad made

,recogn i s i ng i t conta ined

,after a l l

,some

th i ng beau t ifu l and awe-i nsp i r i ng.

“Al lah knows . ”

Ye s ; she entered the very words .“Perhaps I can make out the i r ages for you,

sa idthe zapt i eh

,anxiou s to pl ease.

H e looked at the g ir l s very stead i ly, with the cr it icaleye of the O sman l i , sk i l l ed i n the bus iness, as thoughnot i ng and count i ng the marks and espec ial ly thebeauty poi nts that every year, s i nce they were born ,

hadmade upon them .

“ They are marr iageab l e, he sa id, and cannot befar from s ixteen years . ”

But M i ss Stanhope let her or ig i nal ent ry stand .

And my name,” he added,

“ i s K iamil—Perfect .What a name to g ive a man ! ”

I t ru st you tryto l ive up to i t, sa id the canon , sen


down , her eyel ids lowered, and she was s i l en t. Not

so with Amne, who enj oyed the opportun i ty, and waswayward enough to answer h im “ accord i ng to h is

fo l ly.

Though the zapti ehs are mounted gendarmes or

guards , who have l i ttle or nothing to do with municipalaffairs , but whose duties extend to the outlyi ng country ,including certain of the adjacent towns and vi llages

,he

had not hesitated to take advantage of his offic ial rankand the ignorance of the girls to impress them with hisauthority, and dazzle them with h is superb personal i ty .

No one can surpass t he Osmanl i in the seductivearena ; and th i s man

’s residence i n the gay French cap ital had flavoured and qual ified rather than corrected thetrai t .The zaptiehs have an i ll name ; perhaps not unde

servedly. I t has been said that, of all the Turkish oflicials ,they are the worst, Oppressing with the most perfectimpartial i ty both Moslems and Chri stians . The majorityof them have the evi l or sensual features that the deedsascribed to them would imply ; yet many of them arehandsome fine ly-formed men ; and , almost wi thout exception , they are ski lled horsemen with the graceful andconfident bearing the manly exerc ise i s apt to develop .

What would have been the outcome of the captain ofzapti ehs’ i nsi nuating gallantry , had i t been left undisturbed , i t i s impossible to say. In the midst of his mostardent demonstrations , a hand was laid on his shoulder .A brother offi cer had come up stealthily behind him , i nthe press of the crowd .

Ah,Kiamil , I se e thou art at thine o ld business ! he

said , i n Tu rkish .

Even so ,

” retu rned the other, unabashed .

Come , come , didst thou not hear the azan an

nouncement (cal l to prayer) ? The muezzin cried i tsome time ago . I was detained . We shall be late at themosque .

”

The speaker , whose face showed the more repellentTurki sh characteri stics , i nclud ing the sinister hookednose , evidently was one on whom the Observances of hisreligion had sti l l a strong hold , and who had a dec ided

H assa n‘

a Fe l lah 2 3 1

i nfluence over the man he addressed , though this d idnot p revent his making a gallant speech to the damselson his own account . They treated the peasant girls w i tha famil iari ty they would not have dared to d i sp lay towards women of thei r own class, -whom , i ndeed , theywould not be allowed to se e .

The voice of the new-comer was an . imperative voice ,and

,coming to Kiamil i n the name of the rel igion , was

not to be trifled with . The weaker wi ll gave way, thoughreluctantly .

As he was carr i ed off by his determined fri end , whoseface was a reproach to hi s fine sold ierlycaptai n turned to the gi rls and said s ig nifi1 return shortly .

”

ched with wondering, app reci ative glancess of the two young officers i n thei r finebeyond ordinary men , as those sons ofly or wrongful ly charged with scourgstrode off, s ide by side , down the streetsp lendour , the rowels of their spu rsds clanging on the pavement, the i roving with rhythmic regularity— a

to the feminine heart, one to admireth und iminished fascinaished , lost i n the crowd

f less i nteresting spectacles .In this , perhaps , the Malha girls were not so veryifl

'

erent from thei r more cultu red si sters of other lands .Across the way, a young man , stand ing on

_

a block of

r to get the better advantage , had been aall that had taken place between thegirls . H e wai ted ti l l the former hadvi ew, leaving the coast clear . Then

d , with a jasmine blossom heldis l ips , a not ungraceful custom .

there i s Sel im , said Amne , nudging H ilwe .

ming here .

”

the wily servitor of Anselmo Jacobini , nownephew Leone , to whom the

H ilwe.


She remembered the warnings of H assan and was morecautious on that account.Nay . H e means well . H e pays generously

,and i s

a good customer , every one says . But here he i s.”

I count mysel f fortunate ,” said Sel im , to have come

before all the flowers have been sold .

”

H e looked into the baskets , and examined the simplyknotted bunches Of the narc i ssus , which one might callnosegays , but could hardly consider bouquets . H e thenstooped and whispered something in Amne’s ear

,hi s eyes

,

all the time , being fastened on H ilwe .

“ Yes , yes , he repl ied , i n answer to a question fromAmne. Come with me . Bring your flowers . I knowone who wi l l buy all you have left, and give you a handsome pri ce.I n rep ly , H ilwe gathered together some of the best

bunches , and Offered them to him .

But thi s d id not su i t his pu rpose .

Again he stooped and said something aside to Amne,

speaking very earnestly and with emphatic gestures .Naam , naam—Yes , ye s ,

”she repl ied, nodding, with

a pleased express ion .

And be su re to bring you r companion , he addedeagerly.

H ilwe , he says the man of the house will give us atleast a medj id ie ap iece for what we have left . Thinkof that. And you have n

’

t half as many left as Ihavef

’

Wh i le they argued as to whether they should go , ano ld woman from one Of the vi llages drew near, and , withthe cu riosi ty Of the native , stopped to l isten . She hadbrought i n water from Ain Karim , and the black goatski n conta ining it was strapped to her back . She wasbend ing under' the burden . But that was nothing newto her . There were families in Jerusalem which she hadsuppli ed with the water from St. John’s b i rthplace formany years s ince she was a young gi rl . She had beena hewer Of wood and drawer Of water al l her l ife . Thequestion was referred to her out o f respect and habi t .Sel im saw his Opportuni ty to whisper a few words to

her, and to drop a small co in into her hand .


i ng the harem of the tru e bel i ever . There was morethan one i nd ication which wou ld go to confirm thi s .Selim

,steppi ng inside

,held the door open , and beck

oned to the girls to enter. But both Of them , lookingat one another i nqu i ringly , hesitated and drew back .

“ Come in,

” he said airi ly .

“ The good-man o f thehouse i s withi n . H e will abundantly reward you for theflowers .”

H e rolled hi s eyes langu ishingly on the girl s .Thus u rged

,Amne turned to H ilwe .

Let us go in , H ilwe . Come .

As sh e spoke , Amne passed inside the door ; butH ilwe did not follow.

“ Tell her to come , said Sel im .

“Why does she

delay ?In his agitation and eagerness he t wi sted the fragrant

jasmine between his teeth , and then , taking i t in hi sfingers

,unconsciou sly began pull ing the milk-white

petals i n p ieces .I t was one Of those made-up blossoms Of which the

O riental i s so fond , flower being se t within flower, repeatedly, ti l l the enti re resembles an elongated doubleo r composite bloom . While hi s dark penetrating eyeswere earnestly fixed on H ilwe , he tore the perfumedthing of beau ty i nto shreds.Come , H ilwe ,

” begged Amne .

Come ,” he repeated , softly addi ng his sol ic itati on .

But another voice sounded i n H ilwe’

s ears . Sheheard the warning words Of H assan as they told her Ofthe evi l of the c ity, and that the holy places were thewicked places .Entreat me no t, she said . I cannot come .

She stepped back several paces , and , while she d idso

,implored Amne to accompany her .This was more than Sel im could endure . H is del i

cate ly pol ite demeanour vanished . Provoked at beingthwarted upon the very threshold of success , he rushedfrom his place , and caught the reluctant gi rl by the arm ,

to compel her to come in . But before he had wel ltaken hold

,H ilwe , now thoroughly alarmed , broke away

from him and fled.


Away,away she flew, as i f she was a b i rd of the

mountai n ; nor did she wait to think whither her swiftfeet carri ed her .At first he tried to catch her ; but, seeing it was u se

less,and worse than folly where there were so many to

interfere , he retu rned , c losed the door, locking i t on theinside

,and

,resuming hi s bland and fasc inati ng air,

ushered Amne into the house .

She is a fool ,” he exclaimed , referring to H ilwe .

We now shall se e what she has lost through herstupid i ty .

”

It was only after she had run through several streetsand crooked lanes of many turnings that H ilwe feltsecure, and was sati sfied she had escaped . When shepaused

,almost breathless and exhausted , she found her

self by a part of the o ld battlemented southerly wall Ofthe c i ty , wonderi ng how she had come there .

Manag i ng to cl imb up by some broken steps into anembrasure , where she could rest and look out, she saw,

far below her , the Valley Of the Cedron wind ing betweenthe H i l l of Evil Counsel and the Mount of Offence , thevi llage of Siloam ski rting the lower slopes of the latter,and the Mount Of O l ives towering high to the left . Farto the right of the d ismal fanatic Moslem vil lage , layisolated the loathed dwell i ngs O f the lepers thoseaccu rsed unfortunates . Almost completely hidden fromsight

,i n the depth of the gorge , were the King

’s Gardens ,only a few of the trees and nearer inclosures beingvisible .

Recogni sing where she was , while she recoveredbreath , she rearranged i n her basket the few bunchesOf narc i ssus which had remained unsold , and which hadbeen sadly tossed and tumbled in her fl ight. She thenset out to retu rn to the former posi tion , at the entranceto Christian Street. “ It is there , she argued , “ Amnewi l l come when she has sold her flowers .”

Even cou ld H ilwe have found the way back toJacobin i 5 house , i n search Of Amne , she would not havedared to venture near i t, after her late experience . Butshe kept a constant watch for her companion , expectingto see her at every turn . And when she had sold her


last blossom , she made a more definite search ; thoughshe found that, i n her confusion , she had lost all idea Ofthe location of the house i n which Amne had dis

appeared , Or the way they had taken to reach itThe truth was that Sel im , for reasons best known tohimself, had brought the two gi rls by a roundaboutway, and through many unnecessary wind i ngs .I t was later than H ilwe supposed . H er anxiety had

made her forget her promise to Kadra to return withoutu nnecessary del ay, and not to wai t ti l l the fifth or afternoon call to p rayer .Suddenly rang out the azan Of the bl ind muezz in

from the topmost balcony of the nearest minaret, whichi s an anc ient structure fronting on the Via Dolorosa .

As he stood and cried his announcement to the fourquarters of the earth , from that ai ry octagonal balconywith i ts archaic phall ic ornamentation i n gross evidenceat every angle strange i ntrusion of the symbol of anOlder worship hi s vo ice had that plaintive tone so Oftenheard i n the utterance o f the bl i nd . Each time , i n clearmusical cadence

,sounded the opening words : “Allahu

akbar God i s most great ! while he closed with thei nvariable La i laha i lla ’

llah —There i s no God butGod ! ending with the asc riptio n to Mohammed , i nlong-drawn fine ly-accentuated syllables . It i s a touchingproof of the humanity Of the Moslem that the muezzi ni s so Often selected from among the bl i nd , who , alas !are too frequent i n the land .

H ilwe knew at once the cal l was for the prayer at the’asr , or afternoon , that i s about mid-time between noonand nightfall , and , remembering the stri ct i nj unction of

Kadra , hastened to joi n her, arriving none too soon , aswe have seen .

Once , on the way homeward , H ilwe ventu red to interrupt the conversation o f the women with the express io nof her fears as to Amne ; but she was s il enced with thereminder that Amne had friends and acquaintances inthe c ity with whom she Often stopped , and there was no

need to trouble hersel f abou t her.


a snake o r angry cat, ready to snap at the first Obj ectwhich p resented i tsel f.

0 you terror, how you frighten me exclaimed thecount, i n s imulated alarm . H e then bu rst i nto a laugh .

There was a boyishness , a freshness in the attitudeand manner o f Leone , as he entered into the enjoymento f this, which displayed hi s character in a new l ight. I twas as i f bygone days , when he was a mere lad , cameback and reincarnated him for the t ime, as i f o lden j oysand feel ings returned and fi lled him , possess ing him ,

looking through his eyes, moving his l imbs , flooding hisve ins .Most men have a love for pets , though they may not

cal l them by that name, and though not always able tograti fy the propensity. Even sai lo rs , s ituated as theygenerally are under ci rcumstances unusually d iffi cu lt forcarrying out the obj ect, manage to make and acqu i reand keep a great variety of pets , the class ification including birds , quadrupeds , and repti les . Like the love of

flowers , i t i s thought to ind icate a kindly sp i ri t . I haveknown a Prussian sai lo r, a handsome , neat young fellow,

on board a man-Of-war, carry fo r a long time fastenedto h is person , between h is wool len shirt and his skin , oneof the smaller monkeys. The two seemed to become apart of each other.With the sailo r, and others s imilarly situated , thi s love

of pets may be ascribed to the necessi ty of finding someoutlet for the restrained and pent-up affections of anotheryet kindred nature, which thus find some allevi ation .

Yet, i t may be taken for granted , the boy su rvives in theman much oftener than is supposed .

H ow strange that a creatu re so lethargic , inert, and '

dull, shou ld yet be so qu ick and sagac iou s in some of

i ts movements , such as in th is darting Of its tongue, i tssudden manifestation of anger, and the skeptical way itturns back on me its eye , so ful l of Pyrrhonic animus !One eye d irected forward , the other backward ! Whata valuable gift ! What an expression

,too ! See i t !

And then its capac ity for changing the colou r of its skinin a few moments . A man could not do the l ike in ahundred years

,i f he could l ive so long.


Leone had heard the footsteps beh ind h im , andaddressed the words partly to himsel f

,partly to Sel im

,

supposing the latter had entered the room alone .S ignor Count,

” began Sel im , to cal l attention , se e

the flowers I have brought you .

”

Ah ! what have we here ?” exclaimed Leone

,drop

p ing the chameleon and tu rn ing,w ith an altogether d if

ferent kind Of admi rati on , apparently to the flowers , buti n real ity to Amne .They are the fi rst of the year, S ignor.F lowers , i ndeed ; I should think so .

”

Is n’

t she handsome ? ” asked Sel im , as ide.Yes.This was uttered bru squely , with an impati ent acqu iescence, implying the admiss ion was altogethe rsuperfluous .I told her you would give her a good price for the

flowers perhaps a medj id ie perhaps more than

Certainly . They are well wo rth it.Wilt thou buy them Amne asked in Arabic , wh ich

el im translated .

That I will, fai r damsel .Amne had begun d isplaying the flowers with a natu ralace which was most becoming to her . She smil edftly,

though she understood very few of the wordsknew how to reply. But i n Palesti nea part of conversation that there is ,ountrywhere words may be so easi ly

sed with in communicating ideas as they may beShe was not slow to notice

'

the respect and d efpaid by Selim to Leone— the possessor of al landeur and wealth the fasc inating young lord ,m she looked with somewhat of the admiration ,reverence felt for a superio r being ; and she

hersel f accord ingly.

mention Of money, Leone had plunged h isinto his pockets i n search of pu rse or change.rummaging was Of no avail ; he had nei ther

m ind , S ignor, I will see to that, and make i t


al l right,said Sel im assuringly .

“ There is no need totrouble about i t. There i s no hurry .

”

Leone had early fallen i nto the habi t Of letting Sel imact as his steward and purser. H is knowledge Of thelanguage

,and acquaintance with the habits and customs

of the people , had naturally b rought about th is resu lt.And though the craving for authority and posi tion , andthe love Of disp lay and lavish expend itu re , so deeply embedded in the heart Of the Syrian , occasionally temptedh im to exceed , i t was not from any want Of affection forh is master, to whom he had become attached i n nosl ight degree. Though he loved h is money, i t m ighttru ly be said he loved the master more . In fact, i t wentso far as that he identified himself with h im to an extraordinary extent , taking pleasu re in hi s gratification ,and p ride in h is very person . Fo r the people ofPalest ine ,even in the c ity , are a warm-hearted people in whom thenatural impu lses have lost l i ttl e O f the primitive flavou r .

For your honou r , s ir.

The way in which he would say th is , when dete cted i n some piece O f extravagance , was altogetherindescribable .I t occas ionally took all O f Leone’s determination to

check his worshipper in h is u nbounded and prodigaladoration . And , i t must be remembered that none o f

the expense connected with the worship fel l upon thi sbu rner Of i ncense , upon whom the glo ry was reflected .

From the golden Tu rkish pound or napoleon of

France, distributed w i th lavish hand , to the most attenuated metalik, given to the bl ind beggar, al l came out ofLeone’s funds . But, then , they were constantly replen

ish ed from his wealthy uncle’s hoard . And who cou ldbe very angry with so devoted a follower as Selim ?Little d id he count the cost where h is master’s g ratification was concerned .

Sometimes Leone would lose h is patience abou t i t.This i s u nbearable ! he declared .

There were not wanting those in Jerusalem who to lhim that people were constantly saying : Poor younCount Spo llato . H is dragoman imposes on him ; anmakes him pay two prices for everything.

”


femini ne instincts as serted themselves . She had beenl ike a bird fluttering on the edge of the fountain beforewetting foot or wing. H ere she gave way . This wasthe grand cl imax . She could no longer contain hersel f.The impulses of coquetry inherent in every femalecreatu re , mani fested themselves— in the presence of

su ch a temptation were ungovernable, and were letl oose .Few of even the peasant women are unacquainted

with the uses of henna w i th which they stain to a ri chgolden orange the hands , feet , and fing er-nails , or thekohl with which they paint the borders of the eyes a ful lblack . H er fingers were al ready tinged with the lustrou s stai n Of the former . She , too , had learned , fromvis it ing her c ity friends , the employment Of the co smet

i cs in more esteemed u se . But now, th is lavish d isplayat her free d isposal was too much . It su rpassed her bel ief. These agreeable mysteries , Of voluptuous qual ity ,that held boundless poss ib i l ities of beauty, what mightnot be ach ieved through them ? The perfumed soap ,the dentifrice

,the cold cream , the gilded flasks Of otto

of roses , and rarer extracts to her u nknown , the violetscented powder with its dai nty box and puff, theivo ry-mounted brushes and other utensils, the uses Ofsome of which sh e could only guess at by intu ition ,

fi l led her with the i ntense desi re to experiment withthem upon her person . She cou ld not res ist i nqu iringabout them , or requesting permiss ion to so employthem , and Leone was only too wel l pleased to gratifyher in these wishes .May I use th is ? Can I have that ?The s imple words fel l from her l ips l ike the tw itter oa bird

, or the chatter of a child .

Certainly. They are at you r d isposition , he wouanswer

,i n the i ns inuating Eastern style “ They

yours to do what you l ike with . They are yours,m ine .”

No second invitation was needed . She felt as i fhad entered some palace Of the genu where her wism ight know no l imit— where sh e might gratifydes ires to the fu ll .


H ow del ightfu lly amus ing these natives are ! saidLeone , tu rn ing to Sel im .

Wait, and you shal l se e , was his p ithy reply.

And now, Sel im , you can go and arrange the flowersin water before they fade . And then serve us somethingex tra fine in the way of refreshments .”

Only too glad was the wi ly Sel im to depart o n suchan errand , which he knew meant a carte blmzcke for aban uet

Now I shal l do something grand , he said .

Amne stood before the great mi rro r, half entranced ,half ashamed , while beautifying herself, and arrangingher hai r and dress , Leone leaning back upon the softabundant cush ions of a broad couch

,near by

,and

luxuriati ng in the scene , to h is heart’s content .

She watched him furtively , her eyes demurely lowered while he was looking. But when he turned away

,

removing h i s enthrall ing glances for an interval,her

entire attention was given to h is wel l-shaped glossyhead , which sh e longed to hold in her lap

,and h is

attractive form , extended with careless abandon , displayed in close-fitting European dress , not concealedby the long-flowing garments of the country

,w i th

custom had rendered her fam il iar.ou ld that he might love me ,

” she whispered .

H er admiration for h im was bu t too evident ; and ,regarding him as an exalted god-l ike be ing

,far above

her, th i s made her feel al l the more keenly the ne cess ity for making herself more beauti ful , that sh e mightcome short of what was worthy of him .

0 she had laved i n the perfumed water,and made

lavish use of the articl es of the to i let, as women are0 do who have such an obj ect in p rospect .plain peasant garb , which h itherto had been

her adornment , now had become utterlyptible i n her eyes . She could not bear i t.wil l despi se me in it,

” she said impetuously .

ng Leone’s collections , which covered a wide

as a quantity of rich and costly Or i ental garOf both men and women . These fi l led

,i n an

oom, a large wardrobe which Amne had found


in her ransacki ng exploration . She had been struckpart icularly with the mag ificence of an elaborate si lkrobe, o f rich crimson , lavishly embroidered wi th gold .

The daring thought of appropriating it now flashedth rough her mind .

H e will not refuse it to me , she said , to encourageher act. H e i s so royally munificent.

”

Cautiously she went to where that most desi rableth ing of j oy and splendou r hung. It would fi t her toperfection . The sight o f i t inflamed her . She careful lytook it out. She held it against her. Oh , the glory of

i t ! Again and again , she measu red her height with i t,admi ringly . I t would make her l ike a hou ri .She tore off and threw aside her peasant d ress . It

was done in a sort o f rage a passionate d isdain .

She,at once

,was a modern Eve i n her undraped

beauty.

In a few moments the gorgeous apparel , al l crimsonand-gold

,enveloped her . It clung to her as i f i t was

hers of right , as if i t belonged to her and loved her.She clasped it about her wai st , and fastened its spangled c incture , with gracefu l freedom drooping looselyover the sheeny folds . She was l ike a rad iant imagoa splend id butterfly, freshly emerged from the unsightlycocoon .

She had found an antique chain of gold , and tw i stedi t abou t her neck . A similar ornament she twi ned inher hair.

“ H e will not refuse them to me , sh e repeated,to

embolden her. “ I t i s only to honou r him , and makeme nearer to him and more worthy o f the intimacy of

h is subl ime presence .

”

Softly and yearn ingly, al l crimson and gold , withthrobbing heart , longing to se e h im longing yet fearing that he shou ld see her she came to the door andlooked in .

H e sti l l remained where she had left h im ,hal f-recl ined

on the couch , amid the billowy cushions .There was a giving way to his feel ings d isp layed inhis attitude which , being alone , he d id not try to conceal

,but evidently was careless about. H is heart had


For a moment he could scarcely bel ieve h is senses .Then there was the whisper ing ru stle O f the s ilken dress.She stood beside him .

Amne ! he exclaimed , making a hurried effort tosit upright.What qu ickened admiration and del ight he conveyedi n the s ingle word ! I t was sweeter than the sweetestmusic i n her ears .After a sl ight hes itation , she stretched forth her hand

and,ever so del icately, touched hi s closely-tr immed ,

pointed beard with the bewitch ing tips of her taperingfingers , roseate-golden with the tint of the henna, thenraised them to her l ips and kissed them .

The concil i atory gesture of suppli cation , the mode of

preferri ng any request of moment, famil iar, yet sacredlyimperative in the land for thousands ofyears, i t was newto him . But under such c ircumstances as these , had hewitnessed the custom scores of times , for him it wouldhave pulsed with al l the pristi ne warmth and freshnessof youth of the day that saw i t done for the fi rsttime . There could be no staleness about it from sucha source .

“ Bounti fu l lord , be not angry with me because Ihave borrowed from thy goodly store th is costly raiment , sh e pleaded . It i s to do thee honour, grac iousEmir, and that I might not shame thy princely state .Grant thy forgiveness i f I have offended .

”

H er touch had sent the obedient blood in saltatorybounds through his veins . H e guessed what she meantand said , though to him her action impl ied more thanwas i ntended . H e sprang to h is feet. H e was sti l l fu l lO f the del i c ious glamour of his day-dream , ofwhich thi swas but a part. Lifted out of himself, i t was as i f hewalked on ai r. H e was happier, more positive , morenatural than i f he had been h imself h is ord inary self.H ow could he withstand those dark plead ing eyes ,those budding l ips , red as a pomegranate flower ?Angry ! Offended ! Oh, no ! Not I ! The rai

ment is yours . I t i s noth ing. Did I not tel l you ? Allthat I have is yours . I myself am you rs .What more he said he d id not know. H is si gns and


actions more than satisfactorily suppl i ed h is want ofwords .It is well , she murmured , half- inqu iri ngly.

It i s heavenly well ,” he profanely responded , with

the blunt unequ ivocal assert iveness of the manunrestrained .

H er long black s i lken lashes reposed with entranc ingmodesty on the r ipened glow Of her O l ive check . Therich gleam of that which is l ife -and love shone through,l ike a l ighted lamp within an alabaster vase . Gently ,almost submiss ively, she at length l i fted her fu ll-orbedeyes to h is , as he gazed with ove rpowering intensenessupon her. Is it not in this gentl e submiss iveness , whereused w ith d iscretion,

that the chief power of the womanresides ? It was l ike the sudden meeting of decisivelances in a friendly tou rnament.

“ Allah is kind to me , and thou , generous lord , artkind to me .

”

Amne , I love you , I love you ! IPity h im . Envy him . And her ?To her he was a great power a great hope —andmore , - he was the embodiment of love .

Except for some stray fragments ofArab ic conversation which Leone had already acqu ired

,and a few sen

tences of I tal ian and English known to Amne , neitherunderstood the language of the other ; and Sel im wasnot near to i nterpret ; nor d id they want him near.Eye to eye , l ip to l ip , heart to heart, there is a language for which , be the lands o f thei r b irth ever so farapart, the ir speech ever so d istinctive , man and womanrequ ire no interpreter . I t i s the voice of Nature ; i t i sthe cry o f love ; the universal tongue which has beengiven to all .There were in both Of them the natu ral elements that

drew each to the other and besought recognitio n .

Perhaps , of the two , the woman felt th is the moreintensely. Separated as they might be by race , rel igion , education, train ing, and position, there st i l l wasthat, down deep in the heart of each , which remained tocla im affinity and association .

The moments swiftly passed ; the shadows of ap


proach ing eventide began to fal l , fi l l i ng the room withsubdued gl immering. As it happened , i t was at theidentical t ime that H ilwe had interrupted the conversation of the women , as they approached Malha in returning from Jerusalem , with the repeated expression o f herfears as to Amne .

But Amne had no fears for herself. Nor d id sh e

th i nk of retu rn i ng home . She was past al l that .Through the half-opened windows came occas ional ly

the feeb l e undertoned warbl e from a cage of goldfinches hung i n the veranda under the tre l l i s of j asm i neand pass ion -flower. A spray of the l atter w ith as i ngl e star-l ike flower

,wh i ch had broken loose

,swung

to and fro in the breeze,w i th a s ib i lant sound .

W i th i n the room there was s i l en ce so deep that th i ssoft ru st l i ng made i t se lf heard.

More than once Sel im had entered the ante-chamber,th i nk i ng he m ight he wanted, and had l i stened at thedoor. H e d id not Often enter the i nner room w ithoutbe ing summoned by h is master, or under u rgent reason s.SO he cont i nued to wa it outs ide .

H e had fu lfi l l ed h i s orders to h is own sat i sfact ion ,and was not wi thout natu ral pr ide as to the resu l t.I t w i l l be a grand banquet, and do cred i t to the

house,

” he told h imself.H e bent h is ear to the door.“ She has no intent ion Of l eav ing, he wh i spered, a

pecu l iar ins i nuat ive gesture accompany ing the words .Not she !

”

H e ventured to tap l ight ly on the pane l s .There was no answer.Agai n he tapped ; th i s t ime a l i tt l e louder. St i l l

there was no response .

H e now steal th i ly and no i se l ess ly Opened the door,and gent ly pu shed as ide the drapery wh i ch overhung i ton the ins ide, j ust suffi c i ent to i nt rude h is head.

H e stood and gazed for a space ; then s lowly droppedthe port iere and wi thdrew,

a s ign ificant sm i l e cu rl i ngh is complacent, sen suou s l ips .As in the case Of most Or i ental s , Sel im

’s cur ios i tywas of the inord i nate rapac iou s qual i ty, and where h is


Who cou ld refuse h im ? ” she sa id . Who wou ldnot worsh ip such a lover ? ”

H e talked to her al l the sweet l i tt l e broken pratt l eOf the Arab i c that he knew, and used toward her thetender

,endear ing

,fasc inat i ng ways of wh ich he was

master ; encourag i ng her to reply i n her unsoph i st icatedv i l lage phraseo logy.

I t was remarkab l e w ith what tact she fi l l ed her placeat the tabl e . There were few or no blunders percept ibl e on her part .The kn ives and fork s were

,no doubt , somewhat of

stumbl ing-blocks to her ; and, l ike the Eastern peopl egeneral ly

,she con s idered that food tasted sweeter

from between the fingers ; yet she was too shrewd tol et th i s appear

,but watched and cop i ed Leone in

everyth i ng .

St i l l she cou ld not forbear to put cho i ce b i ts of thefood i n to h is mouth w ith her fing ers

—oh,how

da i nt i ly !“ I t i s de l ightfu l to be so int imate w ith you, she

sa id ; “ I love you so.

And he retu rned the compl iment i n k ind,after her

exampl e, and w ith the add i t ion of an ardent k i ss .She even d id not show su rpr i se at the forb idden

fiz z ing sparkl i ng draught of amber hue wh ich Sel impoured i nto the s l ender glasses placed for her andLeone ’s use , and wh ich exh i larat i ng flu id Of Franceshe m istook for the most de l ic iou s sherbet she had evertasted.

Not i c i ng its pecu l iar effervescence,i n her heart she

supposed i t conta i n ed some potent love-ph i l tre . Butshe d id not care .

“SO much the better

, sh e sa id,toss i ng Off the

pot ion ;“ I cannot l ove h im enough .

And Leone drank he r hea lth ; and, w i th rep l en i shedglasses , i n i t i ated her i nto what sh e accepted as asacred ceremon ia l l ibat ion

,teach ing her to dr ink h is

heal th .

H e l uxur i ated i n ta lk i ng to her at her l evel .“What a dear l i tt l e bead ! he sa id .

I t was one of those b l ue beads (su spended from her


neck) so common ly worn by the peasan try as a tal i smanto ward Off the i nfluence of the “ ev i l eye .

H e bent forward, and tak i ng i t between h i s fingerand thumb, ra i sed i t to h is l ips and k i ssed i t .I love i t so, because i t is yours,

” he l i sped.

I t is noth ing,”she returned

,sm i l ing.

I t is everyth i ng.

H e rep laced i t , soft ly and s lowly, where i t rested ,above her breast . H is hand l i ngered there tender ly

,

caress ingly. And st i l l flowed on the de l i c i ou s ly fool i shbabbl e of love-words :O del ight Of my eyes, joy of my l ife, do we not

love one another ? ”“ Tru ly

,t ru ly.

”

That is a beau t ifu l star tattooed upon thy bosom,

Amne. Let me touch i t w i th my l ips .Qu i ckly apprec iat i ng the change i n pos i t ion wh ich

had taken place between herse lf and Sel im,Amne

fol lowed Leone ’s example i n order ing h im about. Sheeven went further, exact i ng very part i cu lar serv i ce fromh im in innumerabl e ways , c lapp i ng her hands to cal lh im, and mak ing h im fee l her super ior i ty in acts on lyposs i b l e to an O r i ental . I t was perfect ly characteris

t ic Of the peopl e.Leon e laughed

,much d i verted. Sel im showed no

rest iveness,but took i t a l l i n good part

,treat ing her as

a capr ic i ous ch i ld . H e had a greater joy.

And when the n ight sett l ed down and darknessre igned supreme

,and the fowl s of the a i r had gone

to roost and the beasts Of the field to the i r l a i rs andman to h is repose

,and Amne ev i nced no anxi ety or

fear as to rema i n ing, Sel im qu i et ly repeated to h imself w i th scarce ly-suppressed exu l tat ion :

H e i s p l eased . I am glad . She i s wel l contentto stay. Why shou ld i t not be so ? She has no

thought Of leav ing .

”

And the moon came and looked down on the ru i nousplaces

,and on savage and desol ate reg ion s where no

man dwel t, and on homes Of beauty and love ; onth i ev i sh haunts and murderous dens

,and cradl ed i nno

cence ; on seragl ios, and holy shri n es ; on peacefu l


sanct i ty,and hotbed of l ust ; and l eft on each a l ike

her chaste cold k i ss . For to her a l l was wel l uponthe earth .

And that day and n ight passed , and were fol lowed byothers l ike unto them . And Amne was conten t to l ivethe new l i fe sh e had found w i th Leone, and to forgetthe place of her b i rth, and the house of her peopl e, andthe old l ife at Malha . Nor d id i t t roubl e her, nor

enter her head to th i nk she had made herse lf accurstw i th a dog of a G iaou r.H e was k ind to her accord i ng to what such men

count k i ndness, far k i nder than wou ld have been oneof her own re l ig ion or peopl e.I n he r est imat ion he was as an i ncarnat ion of a l l

that was to . be des i red .

0 man the beast ! the angel the g od ! Whatart thou ? And where is thy reckon ing ?The o ld man , Jacob i n i , l iv i ng c lose by, —almost

unde r the same roof, came and went,i n h is plac id

exi stence,knowi ng none of these th i ngs . O r

,i f a

s t ray su sp i c i on entered h i s m ind,he averted or c losed

h is eyes, th i nk i ng i t better not to se e . What cou ldhe do ? H e reca l l ed, too

,the proverb he had once

heard quoted by Sel im :“Why shou ld a man set fi re

to h i s own beard ? ”

CH APTER XXI

VEN as Kadra had prognost i cated,Fat ima was so

rejo i ced at the amount of money obta i ned bythe sal e of H i lwe ’

s flowers, that she was eager the gi r lshou ld go, the very next day, i n search Of more of thespo i l Of the fi eld and h i l l s ide. On ly too gladly d idH ilwe set out the fol low ing morn i ng

,and found the

expectan t H assan awai t i ng her,and eager to accom

pany her and ass i st her i n her task,as he had done

prev iou s ly.

If pos s ib l e,the natu ral garden -l ike i nclosure was


the qu i cken ing ardou r of the great central orb, i t wasnot for such as he to play the coward or the laggard.

I t was not i n h i s musc l e or i n h i s bones, i n his heartor h i s hands . H e , the strong one , who had l ived so

c lose ly to nature,and who had wrest l ed w i th

,or made

playfel lows and playth ings of the w i l d creatures on themounta i n s and i n the val l eys , and had l earned the i runtutored ways

,i ntu i t ively knew what was expected Of

h im,and was not dwarfed to the cold, cal cu lat ing,

convent ional standard of art ific i a l l i fe.With the sweet mus i c Of the vo i ce of the woman

he loved r i ng i ng i n h i s ears,—so sooth ing and low

,so

l ov i ng yet so modest, —what wonder that h is heart wasst i rred i n no ord i nary degree !Love i s i t s own excuse. There is no apolog i s ing

for i t. I s there anyth ing sweeter i n l ife ? NO— no !

I t i s, as H assan repeatedly had sa id, H eaven on earth .

She had met h im i n the h i l l s,under the shadow of

the rocks,in the fie lds, i n the cave where he s l ept and

found she l ter. Men have warm hearts i n the O r ient,

and,l iv i ng a rude pastoral l ife

,are not ashamed of the

natural endowments— rather, i ndeed, are they proudOf them . They have not l earned the shame that comesof progress of a certa i n k i nd .

NO one br i ngs accu sat ion aga i n st the wi ld, un l i censedcreatures of God for acts of immoral i ty or immodesty.

With man,of whom ,

rat ional ly, more is expected, i ti s otherw i se . Yet , Often , the natu ra l emot ion s reducea man to the bare or ig i na l pr i n c ip l es .In short

,H assan ’s love for H i lwe had al l the impetu

ous ardour of the healthy robust peasant . Ful l of thestrong i nst i nct s Of the man who has l ived the free

,

outdoor l i fe Of the mounta i n s ide, and w i th comparative ly l i tt l e or no concept ion of th e restra i nt s andl im it s the convent iona l i t i es of a refined c iv i l i sat ionnecessar i ly have erected around al l that i s connectedwi th love and marr iage, i t Obv ious ly wou ld be unfa i rto judge h im by any of the art ific ia l standards of

modern soc i ety. They cou ld not tak e h i s measure.

H e was too l arge for the i r s tra i t- laced mou ld . H e

l ived more i n h i s fee l i ngs and emot i ons than in h is


thoughts and reason ; and even h is reason was draggeddown i nto h is fee l i ngs . And in th i s respect he was noexcept ion to h is c lass .St i l l

,i t may be sa id h e d id not conform to the rul es

and customs of the pr im it ive people to whom he

belonged .

True. B ut th i s was not a ltogether h is faul t. H e

what i n h im lay to reach th i s end,and ga i n

approva l ; and even yet hoped to obta i n the des i redion . Except ional c i rcumstance s had preventedhwarted h im . O therw ise there wou ld have beenom for th i s cr i t i c ism .

the s ight of God and the ange l s, H assan ande were man and w ife . What mattered i t thater H ilwe ’

s unc l e nor the she ik at Malha,nor the

B ettir had sanct ioned the contract and mute formu la Over them ? What matte r what theary

,c iv i l or re l ig iou s, or otherw i s e, had sa id

or not sa id or done , abou t i t ? or that , forH i lwe

’

s guard i an had w ithhe ld consent ?the sacred words consecrate unho ly partn er

and the most w icked compact s ; and somet imesre want i ng i n the case of the genu i ne marr iages ,ons made in H eaven . Bes ides

,w ith the fel la

a wr i tten or even a verbal contract is a l l that isy requ i red i n marr i age.the i r honeymoon , the feast of the i r marr ied

But for them no wedd ing banquet was spread,

were there rejo ic ing and merry-mak ing Of k insfolkfr iends, fatted calf, and golden r ing, and mare garment, nor a l l the l itt l e forms and ceremon ies

the nat ive heart . Even the most ma imedwant ing . Yet sweeter than the methegl i nby O ld Teuton i c cu stom for br ide and br ide

dur ing the br idal month,known from th i s as

e honey-month or honeymoon , —were to them thelutations of the flowers

,and the “

God speed ! ” of

e fresh breezes b low i ng up from the Great Sea ove re wa i t ing expectant h i l l s . And w ith i n

,they were

h a secret gladnes s and a fearfu l joy.

the t ime of year when the l and may be seen


i n a l l its beauty ; and Pal est i ne seemed to put on itsglory to rejo i ce w ith them . Throughout rugged Judaea,and fa i rer st i l l in the land of Ephra im , whose l i neshad fal l en in pl easant places, on th e r i ch ly-gardenedS lopes

,named Parad ises , the fresh ly-expanded young

l eaves Of the pomegranate bushe s had that de l i cateorange-p i nk hue pecu l i ar to them when fi rst theyappear. I t is ne i ther p i nk nor orange, but sm i l esamong the soft green fo l i age of the ear ly year w i th acheerfu l

,fu lvou s g low, br ight ly beaut ifu l as any

blossom,l ight i ng up those grand l pe s . They saw

,

day by day, the h i l l s ides and val l eys, love-flooded,flame out redder and redder, warmer and warmer,w ith the scar l et of the anemone, t i l l they seemed tohave caught fi re from heaven

,and al l was un iversal

conflag ration , that, l ater, smou ldered on i n the moresu l l en cr imson of t he ranuncu l us , or the adon i s , whosesangu i ne flowers among the i r fr i nge of tender greenthe Chr i st ians have pathet ical ly named “ The blooddrops of Chr i st . The spurs Of the mounta i n s werec l othed as in a b lue m i st w i th mu lt i tudes Of lup ine ;and the l itt le ce l and i ne, beloved of the swal low,

l inedthe marg ins of the coo l streams w ith its goldencups .And the days and the weeks passed , and to the man

and the woman,in the i r Eden of bl i ss

,al l was as a

dream,and the blazonry and pageant of the flowery

landscape symbol s of the love that each fe l t at heart,

growi ng fonder and fonder, s tronger and deeper.

H ow mu ch dream or dream i ness enters into thePal est ine l i fe and character

,the peo

even the dres s ! The trave l l er or theh imse lf to the impress ion , and he feel s a s if hwalk i ng in a v i s ion Of the past , and that by some strOf the mag ic i an ’s wand wh i ch had created i t

,i t

shou ld sudden ly d i sso lve into impalpabl e a i r.I t is the B ib l e al ive !Yet i f i t is the land of thre e thousand years ag o,

i s al so the land of to -morrow, of proc rast i nat ion .

haps th i s is the explanat ion Of i t a l l .Boukra, Boukra ! —TO-morrow,

to-morrow !


s i nned as bad ly as Dav id s i nned ; and I never cal l edH assan “ a

'

man afte r God ’s own heart .But had the br ight cal endar of those days of the

year as i t unfolded i tse lf in flower, and b i rd , andi nsect

,in sky, r ivu l et and grove, for H assan and H ilwe

no undertone of melancho ly,no touch Of subdued

,

sombre colou r ing ?That cou ld not be answered pos i t ive ly from outward

Observat ion . We on ly know that where man is,there

must be sadness— that even h i s h ighest bl i s s i s tempered wi th it . And we doubt that they were except ions. I t i ndeed wou ld be st range were they abl e

,

except,perhaps

,i n the i r most exa lted moments Of

happ i ness, to shut out from themse lves a l l thought of

the in im i cal . cond i t i on s wh i ch , however courageous lythey had pushed as ide and he ld off from them , st i l lenv i roned them .

Yet,whatever quest ion ing or inau sp ic ious thoughts

may have intruded upon the i r gladn ess, they gavethem no utterance dur i ng those days of l ight . I t wasa po i nt of honour as wel l a s of love w i th them . Theywou ld not say aught that m ight seem to br ingreproach .

I t was not t i l l the harvest of the roses that H ilweat last gave way, and broke s i l ence as to what wasreverberat i ng, a m i nor tone, i n her m ind .

She had sto l en away, one even ing, to meet H assanat the O ld tryst i ng-place. She was late , and foundh im wa it i ng, and impat ient at the de lay. There was abo i sterousness i n h is manner towards her wh ich someth ing to ld her was forced

,unnatural , and meant to con

ceal or counteract h i s t rue fee l i ngs. She resented th i si nward ly, wh i l e she gave way to h is mood

,and appar

ent ly took no not ice of i t .H er ha i r had fal l en loose on her shou lders, and was

blown i n dark tangl es abou t her face,wh i l e her gar

ment s,i n wh ich sh e had been work ing a l l day

,were

more or l es s bedraggl ed and d i sordered . She hadhastened at unusual speed

,i n her effort to make up for

be i ng late ; and she thu s exp la i ned and excused herd isheve l l ed cond i t ion , wh i ch she t r ied to set r ight as


best she cou ld. Bu t H assan on ly laughed , and toldher

,humou rous ly

,he found no fau l t wi th her.

“Why shou ld I ? ” he asked fl ippantly The faceof a beloved m i stres s has no need of a t i re-woman , headded

,quot ing an Old proverb .

She wi shed he spoke more cand id ly and ser iou s ly.

Now, she fe l t, he i s speak ing away from the subj ect atheart ; and tears fi l l ed her eyes.Not i c i ng th i s

,he ral l i ed her about i t .

“Why art thou so woe -begone and dej ected ? ” hesked .

“H assan

,i t is the t ime of roses, she sa id, with

fee l i ng.

I know i t, he repl i ed care l e ss ly.

H e wou ld not understand her.H e was very proud and sens it ive abou t th i s

, and

uld not bear interrogatory upon i t,even from the

n he loved. I t had been a sorer mortification to

than he h imse lf had qu i t e measured,that he had

fo i l ed in reach i ng the end he had sought,and

that he had not yet found the hoped-for de l iveranceer. I t was a reproach to h im ; yet he d id not careknowledge i t .

Abd-e l-nour spoken to her unc l e had1 1 upon H assan ’s bra i n too deeply not

,at

e cal led by even a far s l ighter h i nt than

rose-harvest began three days ag o ; and to

wi l l be the greatest day of a l l,when most of

ers wi l l be in bloom .

H ow pla int ively she spoke of the joyous , the beauiful event !“And al l Malha is rejoi c ing, he sa id, w ith a con

emptuous backward toss of h is head .

“Al l but H ilwe .

”

Th i s was u ttered by her in a low sad vo ice, scarce lyud ible .

H assan ’s face had assumed a hard,drawn express ion ,

d h is eyes were fu l l of pa i n as he looked beyondfar d i stance .

c i ng,” he muttered, as though he


She l ifted her eyes deprecat ingly to h is face,but

she cou ld not catch his averted glance .

And soon i t wi l l be barley-harvest .”

Yea . And what of that ? he said .

Oh , H assan And hast thou forgotten th e words ofAbd -e l-nou r to my uncl e Ismael ?H e roused himsel f with an effort, and drew himself

i nto a more erect posture.Nay . That could not well be . Didst thou th ink I

cou ld forget ? ” Then , as though he were recall ing andrepeating some unpleasant l esson , he went on i n amonotonou s key : H e said the crop of roses would beabundant , the barley—harvest early and good , and , counting what the lentil s , wheat, O l ives , grapes , and all wouldbring h im , together with What he al ready had saved ,that

,by the time the doura was ripe and garnered

,he

would have the ful l amount he had promised for thee .H ave I forgotten aught o f that thou d idst tel l me ?Veri ly and i ndeed thou hast remembered every

word .

”

A strange awe fi l led her at h i s rigid manner .Oh

,H ilwe , l i ttle dost thou know how, n ight and day,

those words have been before me ! H ow I have brokenmy heart against themForgive me for speak ing about i t, and i f I have

wronged thee .

”

Didst thou th ink I took it too easily ? Or d idst thouimagine I was beginning to forget ? Too heavy wouldthe reproach be for that. If I have leaped l ike a wolfinto the fold , if I have broken through l ike a th ief in then ight, was there no excuse for me ? And even then , d idI take aught that was not mine own , or was not freelygiven me ? Or d id I Ofl e nd against cu stom til l Natu recried within me and I could not help myself ; or till I

had tried every other means I cou ld think o f, withoutavai l ? I brought peace-Offerings , and spake pleasantwords to thy kinsfolk. And my daysmspake sweeter words or more movingly than dBut they put thei r ears to sleep . They wou ldThey were as the deaf adder that wil l not hearof the charmer, charm he never so wisely .


to carry water into Jerusalem . Doubtless thou hastheard , for i t has made much talk and trouble .

Yea , I have heard , and that he charges the o ld

women with taking backsheesh to betray the young girls .I t looks bad . But as for thy people pu tting thy l ife i ndanger—I cannot bel ieve that .”

Then , as if to draw H ilwe’

s m ind from the graver subj ect, H assan continued to speak of the waterThey say the people o fJe rusalem comp lained to the

pasha of the sheik withhold ing the water, but rece ivedno satisfacti on , he sa id “ It i s a good th ing for thepeople ofAin Karim . The water there wil l now be ingreater demand than ever ; and also the she iks of theMosque o fOmar will reap goodly profit from the waterof the Great Sea ,

’ as they call i t, and the other vast c iste rns u nder the pavement Of the sacred inclosu re . SO

i t comes to pass that the misfortunes O f some are for thebenefit of others .

“ It seems with us as if one trouble followed uponanother .”

“ I t i s even so . I have watched and waited , hop ingfor del iverance ; I have wasted the night hours trying tothink out and find some opportun i ty which would workto our advantage . But in vain. I have feared harm tothee d id I take some Open and decided step before thetime had come. Again I thought, while I am contriv

ing who knows what Allah hath determined i n our

behal f?I t may be as thou sayest, she repl ied . Doubtless

thou art right .”

H ast thou never heard ofwhat happened w i th Azraeland Suleyman ?Nay ; how should I hear it, unless thou didst tell i t

Then hearken , sa id H assan : Azrael, the angel ofdeath

,i n an assumed vis ible shape , once passing by

Suleyman,and looking stead ily at a man who was sitting

w i th the king , the man asked who it was. WhereuponSuleyman informed him that it was the angel O f death .

H e seems to want me ,’ said the man , alarmed .

‘ Ibeseech thee

,therefore

,order the wind to carry me from


hence into Ind ia .

’ This accordingly was done, for

Suleyman , the wisest ofmen , was skil led exceed ingly inmagic and enchantment . Then Azrael , turning to Suleyman

,said : ‘ I looked so earnestly at the man out of

wonder ; b ecause I was commanded to take h is sou l i nInd ia

,and found him with thee in Palesti ne .

’ Thus mayit not be so with us ? i nstead Of bettering matters

,may

we not make them worse by meddl ing with them ? H avewe not had experi ence of thi s ?The story i s a p rofitable one , said H ilwe . I shall

take it to heart.”“ I t i s a good whi le yet ti ll the dou ra harvest

, H assanBy that time I wou ld have laid up sufficient

no unworthy p resent to thy uncl e ; and then ,was told , when he knew all , he wou ld give h isand Abd—e l-nour would yield , at last would

e obl iged to give thee up .

”

And there are the people of B ettir, she said .

They wou ld have to be pacified .

”

“ True . But that i s comparatively as nothing anI do not trouble myself with it . Betweenthe sheik , his father, I hope to make the wayd peaceable.”

be so .

eyes brightened . The happy,boy ish

them while he softly smiled .

Did I not po int out to thee from afar the hab itationmy father and of my mother in B ettir? I t i s my inritance , and wil l now be our dwell ing-place m ined thine, even as it has been thei rs . Shall we not beppy there , H ilwe ?Su rely, surely. Be it accord ing to thy word !It is a pleasant place ,

” he continued , w i th the easythe agreeable and acceptance of the Optimto the O riental . Pomegranates and fig sGrapes, ap ricots, melons , almonds , peaches,en qu ince and purpl e mu lberry more thanr ; besides vegetables Of every kind thatned . There are not such g ardens in all


H ilwe’

s heart was swell ing with suppressed emotion,and this was al l she cou ld say.

Then the flocks and the herds , the honey dripp ingfrom the honey-comb , the ol ive groves and the fields ofgrain

,he continued .

“Well may it be called a landO f corn

,wine and o il , and flowing with milk and honey.

And the water springing ou t of the sol id rock ! Ah ,that i s something to boast of ! Not as at Malha, wherethou hast to go far to draw it, but close to thy verydoor ; and then it i s l iving water, fountains ofwater,cool and sweet.”

What a gentle, loving, gen ial fellow he was , and howfull of l i fe ! Carried away with h is recital , he swayedhis body to and fro , and he laughed fondly , and benthi s knees , from time to time , suddenly sp ringing themback

,qu ite as effectively as , and much more natural ly

than any of the young bloods of our most exclus ivese t, after thei r manner, when , u nder s im ilar impulses ,yield ing themselves to the fasc inations of some pleasantstory.

Man is man , however he may be garbed , to whateverrace he belongs , i n whatsoever station he may be found ;he cannot conceal h i s sex ; and h is natu re wil l revealand declare itself, Often u nconsciously, and spite ofc i rcumstances .Would to Allah it were accompl ishedPassionate tears d immed H ilwe

’

s charmed gaze assh e spoke . She adored him more than ever as shelooked upon h im , so handsome, so strong, so kind , andcared for nothing but h is love .I t wil l al l come in good time , H ilwe . Do not be

d i squ ieted or cast down . Two hearts un i ted can removea mountain, they say. Nor needest thou think thoushalt be lonely at B ettir,

” he added , misunderstand ingher tears , and with the obtuseness of man when deal ingwith woman’s keener sensib il ities . Thou soon wilt getfamil i ar with the women of the vi llage . Moreover, whenthy housework is done, thou canst follow me to the fieldo r the pastu re , and we shal l be together, and I shal l helpthee , as before, to p repare and gather the fuel .

”

The reactio n cau sed by the happy pictures H assan


Catching s ight of H ilwe , he at once drew re in , and madethe customary salutation .

Whom have we here he cri ed .

Then , with the perfection o f ease , fl i nging h imselffrom his Arab mare , he made pretence to tighten thesaddle-girth , as an excuse for his halt. And as he d idso , most attractive he looked , i n hi s dark-blue uni formturned up with red .

H ilwe immediately recognised h im as the young agaor captain O f zaptiehs whom Amne and she had met inJerusalem , and who , with that pecu l iar mingl ing of

badinage and egotism , Offens ive to the stately rel igiou sconception , had given his name as Kiamil or Perfectto the daughter of the Engl ish eccles iastic .The gay captain was now i n al l his glo ry , and in thefu ll exaltation and bravery o f hi s equ ipment, whichprobably no one cou ld apprec iate more than he cou ld .

H e estimated , without doubt, at its ful l value , the effectproduced on the ord inary m ind by his fine figure arrayed in his m il itary trapp ings and accoutrements .Sl ipp ing the bridl e over h is arm , w i th a word of eu

courag ement to h is blooded gray mare , he left the road ,and , sword by side , with measu red step , app roachedthe spot where H ilwe stood .

Ah, I perce ive thou art the fai r damsel whom I meti n Jerusalem with the flowers !H e paused , trying to recal l her name . Meanwhile he

had fastened the mare to a thorn-bush .

H ilwe d id not attempt to reply , but, yield ing to thefemin ine weakness

,kept her eyes fixed on the superb

Spec imen o f the genus homo , magnificent i n h is closelyfitting u niform ,

the gl itteri ng bu ttons and gold braidhaving their u sual effect and completing the result.Yet

,withal , she was alarmed .

Amne ? No , H ilwe ! Thou perce ivest I rememberthee . I retu rned that day, as I p romised ; but couldnot find thee . Thou hadst l eft.H e now stood oppos ite to her, and so close that she

felt h is hot breath on her cheek ; and , abashed , she

stepped back a few paces.“ There i s no need thou shouldst be afraid , most


mely of damsels . I shall not do thee harm . Thatfar from me . Am I so very frightfu l to her I

5 he spoke , he smil ingly followed her, which broughtface to face with H as san , who , fi l l ed with inarticurage

,had thrust h imsel f between .

And who art thou ? ” asked the baffl ed aga , whofor the fi rst t ime perceived H assan , he havingbeen partly h idden in the shadow of the rockich he stood , and the gaze of the young zaptieheen so thoroughly concentrated upon the fai rto have left him but l ittle s ight for aught else .

g ht rather ask who thou art ; and why thoui n upon u s to molest us ,

” was the natural butreply .

eside h imself with j ealous anger, andt mingled with dread which the peasanty has for the zaptiehs and bashi

g e rous peop le , whom he wou ldle ntly. The nizam , or regularsuch fear or detestation as do

rapac ious i rregu lars .moment the young officer appeared inht, not a single movement of his wellhandsomely-fashioned l imbs escaped theyoung shepherd , to whom each and everyelegant postures was an unspeakable toru lt. H is brain was afire . H is heart wasrect centau r—l ike d i splay—horse and riderne , the carelessly-easy d ismounting, the

i n tightening the girth , the debonH ilwe

i t al l !dsome

he more H assan hated him . Thatbody was at once a reproach andpresence was an affront.

impu lse o f the zaptieh was to resent H as

de and words , so contrary ‘to the u suallysp i rit O f the fel laheen i n the p resence of

ssive tyrants . But the young offi cer had , on


occas ion, the u sefu l gift o f be ing cautiou s . Doubtlessi t was of selfish origin . This made him hes itate whilei t suddenly flashed through h is m ind that th is fellahwou ld not have dared to take the stand he did , hadhe not some of his people near at hand to supporth im .

Who knows what those rocks conceal There maybe a band of his followers with the ir guns , ready top ick me Off, thi s evening in this lonely p lace ; and noone would ever get at the bottom of it. O r they mightknock out my brains , and , send ing my horse loose , tofind her way home

,when my body was d iscovered

,make

it appear I had been ki lled by a fal l from her .”

This rap id reasoning had a decidedly sobering effectupon Kiamil Aga, espec ial ly when taken into consideratio n with the resolve , which was really uppermost in hismind : “ I shal l not fail to pay h im Off for this

,another

time .

”

SO the d iscreet and d issolute captai n smoothed hisrufll ed feathers , while he moderated h is speech . O fcourse , he knew the game was up .

’

H is fi re wasquenched .

Mayhap the woman is thy wife ? Thou wilt bearme witness that I d id not know,

”was his conci l iatory

rejo inder.Though she were my wife , what i s that to thee ?Fo rsooth, eve rything . Were there no such tie

betw ixt ye , might I not ava il mysel f of i t to share ther ight to admi re her ? Desire i s no fau lt i n the young ;or, at least, i t i s pardonable .

”

“ Thou very well knowest that such an one as thouart doth not mate with such as we are .”

And why not ?Because there are bounds between , which cannot be

passed or, ifpassed , not withou t danger.”

H assan ceased , both the speakers stead ily gaz ingeach other’s face .

As the zaptieh caught the clear penetrating glancethose wonderfu l hazel eyes Of the young shepherd ,was , on the instant , strangely moved . SomethingNature sti rred with in him . I t was that sign, that tok


road . Tw i sting h is fingers i n the flowmg mane , hel ightly vaulted into his seat with the aplomb of theexpert horseman that he was , without waiting for H as

san, who came up Offering to hold the sti rrup .

Once mounted , Kiamil felt an immediate exal tationan access of hi s confidence , h is cou rage and superior

ity. Again the ir relative positions were defined . H e

was the proud Kiamil Aga once more ; H assan thedespi sed fel lah . I t rankled i n his breast to think thatthis miserabl e peasant had thwarted h im had got thebetter Of him . H e , the Osmanl i , the zaptieh , the aga,to be humbled ,— and that in a love-affair ,— and by afellah ! H e could not forget i t. I t touched him wherehe felt the keenest where the sensitiveness of such aman as he was ch iefly resided . Looking down at himfrom his lofty pos ition, he muttered , under h is breath ,the words :

“When the snake’s hou r of death comes, he goesupon the h ighway .

”

H assan heard not the words , but he saw the look,and he remembered it.The aga had commenced to ride Off, when somethi ng

seemed to occu r to him . It was with him even as theO rientals say :

“ I f a bad man would repent and reform,

his lust wi l l not permit h im .

”H e retu rned to where he

had left the young shepherd standing and looki ng afterh im .

What i s thy name ? he asked .

H assan.

”

And the vi l lage where thou dwel lest ?B ettir.

”

H’

m. It is well .The next moment the aga struck spurs into h i s horse ,

and the noble animal , responding to the unnecessarypressu re , sp rang fo rward wi th grandly-l engthened strid einto the eveni ng shadows .The aga’s l egs clasped tightly her heatedin order to keep h is seat. H is blood boiled .

loose to hi s depravity , and unpent h imself. A tlava-l ike words bu rst from his l ips . Again andsent the cru el rowels upward , ti l l they entered


of the beauti fu l creatu re. I t seemed , i n some sort, agratification of the fierce pass ion that raged i n h im to

do this,and to feel her r ise and plunge beneath him at

thei r touch she who would have obeyed with pleasureh is sl ightest word .

The blood stained her dapp led skin that gl istenedt. H er sweat m ingled with i t. The breathstrils was as smoke . H e r muscles and veinsl ike cords. She was driven to the utmost.er slender tapering legs went out with regu larmotion , sure and certain , as i f she flew over theithout touching it .on fi re of Sheol , he said .

“ And to th inkrable dog shou ld come between me and my

easure ! I ought to have killed him .

”

H e cu rsed and swore , drunk and maddened w i th theg e Of his d isappo intment.“ They may say what they l ike , he sa id , but lovethe same with desi re ; or, i f i t is not, I know nothingout i t .”

H e took no thought, i n h is wi ld riot, o f the hollowsd broken places in the way . Many a time his brains

have been dashed out, had it not been for his5 su re-footedness , preserved under such trying

r intently stari ng eyes , p ierc ing the darkness , sawhe could not see.

or fellow,

” she thought, he does not perceive ;But I can see and know for him . Ius , and l ike h i s wi fe .

1 1 him ; she loved him— that was thepart of it— and Often had she ri sked her l ife

0 , loved her, and , i n general , d id not abuse her.now the besottedly bestial appetite i n him stirredto hi s unholy depths , and made h im unworthy of

and Of the image he bore .

til l he drove the spu rs into her with the sensual fu rysatyr.It i s a case of l ife and death

, she thought. “ Ih im swiftly and su rely. H e rides for his

2 7 2 Hassan : a Fel lah

l ife . I t is i n j eopardy . Everything depends on mBut I shall save h im .

When they came toward the end of the valley, to

place where the torrents of centu ries of ra iny-seasohad washed away eve ry particle of soi l , and leftenti re road-bed a mass O f huge cobble-stones i nspersed with boulders, she knew they must holdand go slowly , or be dashed to p ieces. Even indayl ight no l iving creatu re of her kind cou ldunhu rt through that horrible experience withoutgreatest care . I t was now p itch dark . Csagaciou s an imal steered her way ;a sl ip ; but she always recovered herselherself from the worst, never so entire l

footing as not to be able to regai n it . Onend of the dangerous defi l e , she gave a snort of rel i eand satisfaction , and prepared to ascend the slope .

It went hard with me ; but I am over the worst,she thought.Turni ng a bend in the road , they saw a l ight.

proceeded from a fi re which h is men had made , forcomfort of i t, to keep off the chil l of the eveningand also as a gu ide for thei r captain , so that he mithe easier find the place i n the darkness .At a few paces farther , there loomed up beforemagnified by the broad effect of the massed shand the reflected fire lig ht, the huge bulk Of theof the H oly Cross .I t resembled a med iae val stronghold rather

peaceful monasti c institution , and , l ike many anol ig ious bu i ld ing in Palesti ne , has the appearanceing been bu ilt to res i st a s iege defence againstentrance being a necessary precau tion in thewhich they were erected . Around it, and espethe rear of the convent , where the clay soi l , theulated washing of the h il ls , i s red , and rich tori se up

,terrace above terrace, abundant and wel l-k

Ol ive-groves . These and other fru i t-trees caughtl ight on the i r plumy branches, showing l ike bu rnbu shes against the blackness of the night.Within the p ile of bu ild ings i s the chapel , wh ich ,

2 74 H assan : a Fell ah

H er aristocratic blood was sti rred . It was as i f shesaid :

“ It wou ld never do to let those in ferior-bred thingsthose scrubs— se e me blown and used up . I wou ldrather d ie fi rst.”

That was how the high-sp iri ted creature felt. I tdeceived her master . I t would have deceived any one .

“ H ow many thousands o f ants , beetl es , fl i es andgrubs I have crushed to death under my hoofs du ringthis ride ! ” she thought . “ Who knows or cares anything abou t them ? They were made to be stepped on.

What i s thei r l i fe to u s ? What is l i fe , anyway ? Whoknows ? I only know that I am a blooded mare of thedese rt . That i s enough to know. I am of importance .”

I t was the ph i losophy ofLou is XIV. i n a horse .

She had one other trial to endure before the day wasended

,and that was the cl imb up the heights i n front

of the convent . The summi t formed the d ivid ing ridge,separating the waters that emptied i nto the M ed iter

ranean from those which emptied by way of the Gihonand Cedron valleys into the Dead Sea. H ere the road,i f such it may be called , went up the face of the rockyprecip ice , steps be ing cut into the steep accl ivity , so

that i t resembled a rough and bulging staircase strewnwith stones and bou lders .The aga , from necessi ty , gave the mare her head ,

laying the bridle on her neck . The darkness renderedthe ascent doubly dangerous . But the sure-footedmare carr ied the aga safely through , though severalof his men came to grief, some receiving bad fal l sbefore reaching the top .

After th i s horror, the road , though sti l l bad , seemedcomparatively easy.

Ahead , they soon began to see, at i ntervals , the l ightsof Jerusalem d imly gleaming in the d istance . They wereapproaching the abrupt descent into the Gihon Val ley.

As they passed the tal l windmil l on the left , a prominent landmark, Kiamil Aga call ed one Of h i s troopersto his s ide

,enteri ng into conversatio n with h im in a low

tone. H e was the young man o f abou t his own agenamed Assad , whom we have already met, and who ,


having proved usefu l to him on more than one o ccas ion ,when involved in d ifficu lti es , had become a favourite Ofhis in consequence . Through the i nfluence of Kiamil,Assad had been p romoted ; and now they were morethan ever together.Assad ,

” presently said the Aga,

“ dost thou knowa fellah of the name of H assan ?

H ow should I know the man thou meanest,Aga ?

Assad accompan ied h is reply with the usual sug g e stive cl ick of the tongue and backward movement of thehead , conveying the imposs ib i l i ty of his possess ing thedesi red information .

But hearken , Assad . It is important. I am anx iousto know, and I am su re thou canst tel l me .

H ow can that be ?Now, hold thy peace, while I show thee— ti l l I de

scribe him whom I mean . H e i s a young man ; hisname is H assan, as I have told thee ; and he dwells atB ettir. H e i s tal l , uncommonly tal l and l arge, andwell-bu il t. I f I m istake not, he i s a sh epherd . Thouhast been much i n that part of the country of late .Thou shouldst know him .

Veri ly, Aga, thou speakest truth . I know h im well.Now

,what canst thou tell me of h im ?

H e is a man of B ettir, young and wel l-favoured ,and has kept the accounts for the she ik. And , againthou art right, Aga , he keeps sheep.

”

“ I s he married ?No more than thou art, or than I am , Aga .

What dost thou mean ?Surely, that should be known to thee , Aga .

Assad laughed low and deep . I t was the mellowchuckle of a man who can afford to be fam il iar wi th h issuperio r

,and who feels he has said something good or

tell ing,and enjoys what he has said .

“ Nay,speak plainly. We want no parables . Is he

marriedH e i s not married .

There !Though that

,doubtless

, has been no hindrance to


And i s that al l thou canst tel l me Of him ? H astthou had no trouble with him ? H ave the taxes beenpaid on the land and trees , the sheep and cattle ? H as

he res isted or evaded ? Or has t thou aught to com

plai n of him ?“ Nay

,forsooth , I have no more against h im than

against others .”

Thou hast evi l to complain of him, then .

For that matter , al l are i n one c ond ition. All arenaked in one bath , as they say. They are al l al ike . Onei s as bad as another. They are qu ick to res ist and evade ,if poss ible . I t i s the ir natu re . They hide their flocksand herds in caves when they learn we are coming .

Even , as thou knowest, some of the more obstinate O fthem have cut . down thei r O l ive-trees rather than haveto pay the tax. The people o f B e ttir are not worse thanthose of other vi llages on this s ide . They who give u sthe worst trouble are i n the country beyond— the menof H ebron. They are possessed of Shaitan ; they arefull of the very devil .”

Assad , I asked thee for testimony against th is manH assan ; and lo , thou speakest in h is favou r. Yet hastthou said enough to convict h im . What though othersare as bad as he is , that does not excuse his evi l-doing .

And I am determ ined to make an example of some ofthose people . Why should i t not be he ? H e deservesit for his i nsolence to me this day .

The compl iant Assad at once perce ived what wasexpected of him .

Excuse me , Aga ; I d id not u nderstand . Doubtlessit i s as thou sayest. H e i s worthy of punishment . I tcan be proved .

”

“ Now thou speakest sensibly, and after mine own

heart. I te ll thee , the dog’s death approaches when he

defile s the mosque ; and when the hou r Of the game iscome , i t runs i n the way Of the hunter .

”

They had now crossed the Gihon i nto the main road ,by way of the ancient aqueduct, which carries the waterfrom Solomon’s pools into the Templ e Enclosure ; andthe enti re troop of zaptiehs , fall ing into order, pushedon more briskly as they ascended the west flank of

2 78 H assan ? a Fe l lah

nected with Amne’s d isappearance , H ilwe had madeno mention of Kiamil Aga’s p resence . She had con

sidered i t as a subord inate inc ident Of the unfo rtunateaffair, or as bei ng not actual ly related to it. But nowall that poor H ilwe cou ld say i n explanation fai led tod isabuse H assan’s mind Of the d isagreeable impress ioni t had rece ived .

There i s ne i ther patience in the heart of a lover norwater i n a s ieve,

” says the Eastern proverb.

H e broke out into violent language, upbraid ing her,us ing Amne’s fall as an ensample , a case in po int, andremind ing her of the advice and warn ing he had givenher. H e could not contain himself.H e had used words considered i nadmissible in that

land—words , once spoken , not easily recalled. Theyparted in anger .

“ Tru ly, love is the cause of a thou sand susp ic ions ;and j ealousy is the rage Of a man ,

” murmured H ilwe ,i n the suffering she had to endure i n secret.H assan’s heart was sore within h im . H e had spoken

unadvisedly with h is l ips, but h is stubborn wi l l andrampant heat would not permit h im to confess i t. H e

longed with an unutterable longing for H ilwe . But hisp ride had h im in strong possession , and would not lethim give way. H e wou ld not take back what he had said .

During the last days of the rose harvest, he l ingeredabout the neighbouring h ills

,from where he could se e

her in the d istance . H e hau nted the place . H e couldnot help it, though desp is ing himself for i t.H e tried to persuade himself that he was i n the right,that h is anger towards her was j ust ; thu s , only

ing to h is d istress and pain .

Even the rej o ic ings of the Malhaite s over theearl i ness of the rose harvest and the abundanfineness of the flowers, were offens ive to h im ;stu ng h im to the qu ick that H ilwe should partthough he knew wel l she had no cho ice in thebut must be there to do her share in the wosuch is the u nreasonableness of a man whosegnawed by j ealousy , and who does not knowget what he wants , and have his own way.


Desp ite h i s angry feel ings that would not let h im se e

i t,i t was a rarely lovely s ight— that wide sweep of

freshly-opened blossoms . The great p i les of the crimson flowers grew pyramidally larger as , i n the cool Of theearly morn , the maidens empti ed the fragrant contentsof the ir baskets on them , am id the vines, and u nde r theshade of the ol ive-trees .The men helped , or acted as guards . And as they

worked and gathered the blooms , they al l sang togethera quaint o ld song of the place , i n p raise O f the rose .They called it “ The Chaunt of the Rose .

”

The air i n its primitive setting had , i n its monotonou s motive, abrupt rhythm and crude s impl ic ity , astrange resemblance to the Wedd ing Song in Wagner’s“ Lohengrin .

” The words caught from this fantasti cmelody a magic perfume and a fine rare colou r l ike areflected rosy glow.

TH E CH AUNT OF TH E ROSE.

Fair is the rose ,B orn out of h eaven ;N0 other flowerIs like unto her.

See how she sits ,H ig h on her throne ,Serene lyaug ust,The Queen Of the World.

Smile of the mom ,

Lig ht of the dusk,Long hath she worn ,

Warm in her breast,T he last blush Of the sun

As he sinketh to rest,Kis sing the one

H e loveth the best.Sweeter than musk,Or spikenard most rare ,Or cassia from far,Is the breath of her lips .

T he branch Of the rose,Wherever it g rowsWherever it blows,Is always a roseIs always a rose .


The song was meant (perhaps only i n a bl ind , incoh erent, half

-fel t way) to typ ify the blooming o f theflower. At fi rst, there was no semblance o f rhyme ;then dawned a faint h int of i t ; after, came imperfectrhyme , then the perfect form , final ly bu rsting into theluxuriant, l avish , superabundant d isp lay of it— the fullblown rose .

The last verses formed the refrain , and they wereinvariably carolled more loudly , and by all the combinedvo ices , with evident gu sto , and much clapp ing o f handsand postu ris ing.

The strains floated up to H assan , softened and sweetened by the d istance . H ow pleasant and gladsomethey had once been i n h i s ears ; but now he heardthem with a pang. They brought h im many memories ;for i t i s the hab it Of the people o f Palestine to s ing atthei r work . Even labourers i n excavating , and carryingoff the rubb ish in their collapsable straw baskets , ormasons in bu ild ing a house or a wal l , h ave the ir own

pecul iar songs , more or l ess archaic and quaint, whichthey sing or trol l , to aid them i n thei r work , i n a wayoften more l ike intoning than singing.

Others Of these lyrical efforts are Laments . Thesemay , some of them , i n thei r original form , be as o ld as

the times of Sau l and Jonathan , a fragment of whosee legy, with that grand refrain : “ H ow are the mightyfal len ! written by David , i s found in the Second Bookof Samuel ; the enti re , entitled “ The Bow , being con

tained i n the lost Book O f Jasher, not l ikely now to berecovered .

With what hungry eyes H assan watched the womenofMalha , i n hopes O f catching a stray gl impse ofH ilwe .

The figures of the men and women , clapping thei rhands, as they passed i n and out among the grapevines and rose-bushes

,the O l ive-trees and pome g ran

ates , made an animated and attractive p ictu re . Thetall hawthorn-trees l in ing the roadsides were sheetedwith creamy-white blossom , i n fine contrast to the carmine o f the Provence and damask roses , the rich warmscent of which , grac iou sly satu rating the ai r, ascendedto mingle wi th the coo l fragrance of the hawthorn.

2 8 2 H assan aFel lah

For al l that, she probably wou ld have obeyed herheart’s promptings and gone to H assan , had she not!

been so closely watched. There were too manymies present to permit her to carry out her purpunobserved .

I n the evenings the women performed the sh

dance ; and then the sword dance , i n which they gthe penetrati ng ear-spl itting war-cry , E l-e l-e l-loo

used in the battle to i nci te the men to theand stimulate them to more active andcombat.H assan was outs ide i t a l l . H e

,the great

son of the so i l , had no place i n the sports.he saw the flash and heard the report s of

gun s i n the “ fantas i a,

as the i r horses pl ungi n the m1m1 c encounter, he wa s a proh ib itedAs the shades Of even i ng gathered more th ickl

H assan ’s des i re s and anxi et i e s became too much fh im . H e cou ld not keep away.

I am a fool ,” he sa id.

Someth i ng compel l ed and drew h im to the placH e cou ld not help i t . H e s l ipped from rock toand from tree to tree, t i l l at l ength he was on forb iground i n the enemy ’s count ry. H e stoodbeh ind a huge fig -tree fronted wi th pomegranateand rose-bushes.H e was now ve ry near the revel l ers , and cou ld

H ilwe’

s vo i ce and se e her d i st i nct ly . The yman ’s heart throbbed and plunged and swel l ed wh im as he saw her m i ngl e w i th the var iou s groups .H ow beaut ifu l she l ooked ! None Of

Of Malha or B ettir compared w i th her.But she th i nks not Of me,

” he sa id. Ihere conceal ed , l i ke a contempt ibl e fel low, not dto show myself, wh i l e they make merry w ith her.

’

Th i s fi l l ed h im with darknes s, j ealou sy, and— the thunder and l ightn i ng of the sou l .There were moments when , i n sp i te Of the fol lyi t, he wou ld have broken out upon them ,

had not betthought s preva i l ed.

At the c lose he saw them lead H ilwe forward, w


at ion and c lapp ing of hands, and loud cheers , a sbrought i n the last basket of roses.

made ropes and cha ins Of the cr imsonthey tw i ned around her, and on her head

a sma l l er basket , l ike a crown , fi l l ed w i th thet of the blossoms, which, overflowi ng, m ingl edher ha i r

,and hung down upon her neck . She

the Queen of the F lowers.ang the Chaunt Of the Rose, as theyher and l ed her to her throne

,wi th

am id showers of roses . They seatedey had bu i l t, so that H assan

her more pla in ly than ever.young man

,shaken w i th h i s pass ion

,stret ched

her h is hands w i th vehement gesture. H e flungf upon the ground

,and h id h is face, tortu red to

H is love had conquered h im .

he flame of the bonfi re soon d ied out ; andd eparted, l eav i ng h im alone i n the darkness .

the i r shout s of joy, and he watchedi r torches , as they went upon the i rthe te l l to Malha.

At last the rose harvest was over.“ I t has come ear ly

,and not l ast ed long

,the people

id, w i sh ing i t had been tw i ce as l ong.

On ly here and there, a straggl i ng late bloomer hungly bl u sh i ng face beh i nd stone fen ce or hedge

,

hamed of be i ng belated , when Kadra broughtwe ame ssag e from H assan . I t was not much . Barelyw words. But they were everyth i ng to H ilweIn the Wady B ettir

,in the place where thou

west, I shal l awa i t thee on the morrow. Fa i l me

eyes shone br ight ly through a m i st of tearshe heard the words .I am great ly beholden to thee, Kadra, she sa iding ly.

“ B l ess i ngs be upon thee for that thou haste th i s day.

Be l ike thou wou ldst have done as much for me, hadof i t . I t ru st I shal l soon see theeut of thy troub le.


Al lah reward thee !H i lwe pau sed . I t was ev ident she would have mad

fu rther i nqu i r i es had not her modesty prevented. Shhung her head and s ighed .

“And H assan,—how d id he seem ? ” at . last

managed to ask .

“To j udge by the woe -begone v i sage Of the lad

h i s eagerness to bespeak my good offices,not to men

other and more part i cu lar s ign s,I doubt not he

had as much pun i shment as he cou ld wquoth the cyn i cal woman Of Malha

, who cou ldres i st tak ing hold of the humorou s s ide of the predment i n wh i ch H assan had found h imse lf.There was a certa i n tone of drol l ery as wel l a

t r i umph i n her vo i ce, t est i fy ing as to her sympwi th her sex under the ci rcumstances

,wh i ch was

minative .

“And I was the cause of i t,sa id H i lwe sadly.

Nay,he brought i t upon h imself. Bes ides

,i t

do h im good,or at l east no harm. H e i s b ig en

to stand i t . There are none Of them but wou ldi t whol esome d i sc ipl i n e . Yet, no doubt , i t hashard w i th h im ; for when I tr i ed to make 1and told h im i n sport I wou ld take a k i s sto thee

,he wou ld not see th e p l easant ry

an swered contemptuou s ly,and gr im ly as

Doth one send a k i s s by a messenger ? But mywent out to h im for al l that, and for al l my mo

words . I cou ld not refra i n . At fi rst I to ld hwas mak ing h imself much troub l e for noth i ngthat the kn ife doe s not cut Off i t s own handl e ;expected better of h im than to make h imse lffoo l .

“And thou d ids t te l l h im that,exc la imed H il

horr ified .

Yea . H e l i stened very w i l l i ng ly to me, al so.

was ‘ on ly too glad and anxious to be reconc i l ed .

never saw a man so ready and w i l l i ng a s he was.

’

H ilwe was i nd ignant .H ow cou lds t thou treat h im so ? she cr ied .

But Kadra on ly laughed.


Nay,nay. That be far from me . Who am I that

I shou ld exal t myself above h im ? ”

That H assan shou ld be hum i l i ated or wounded byher was utter ly repugnant to H ilwe

’

s feel ings. I twou ld have l owered h im ser iou s ly i n her est imat ion

,

and was not to be thought Of.She had brought w ith her a l i tt l e bread

,a few fig s

and ol ives, and espec ial ly some of the dr ied cakesmade of the j u i ce and pu lp of the grape

,i n wh i ch are

embedded seeds of sesame and p i ne,wh i ch comest ibl e

,

as al ready ment ioned,wi l l keep formany years, and is

great ly esteemed by the peopl e. I t was the O ld ideaOf a present or peace-offer ing

,wh i ch has been the

hab i t Of the l and for thousands Of years .Whi l e she was yet a good way Off

,H assan saw her,

and hastened to meet her. And so he brought 'herback w ith h im .

Oh, hung ry eyes, and hungr i er heart , and arms achi ng to embrace the be loved

,what a feast Of love is

prepared for you ! Poor, chafing, impat i ent H assan,and gent l e, endur ing H ilwe , has i t not come tru e,the say i ng of the seer : “ Sorrow may endure for an ight ; bu t joy cometh i n the morn ing ?Both of them were too glad at heart to fee l aught

but love between them , or to remember wi th b i tternessthe days wh i ch had separated them . If there was anyal l u s ion to thos e days, i t was wrapped i n some endeari ng express ion , compl etely absorb i ng or t ransmut i ng i t .Sure ly my sou l l onged and hungered for thee

,

H assan wou ld say. The days were dark w ithout thee ;and at n ight thou d idst hold the s lumber from m inee e s .

”

“ And ver i ly my heart fa i nted for the l ight Of thycountenance

,was H ilwe ’

s reply.

“ D id not m ineeyes wa i t upon thee

,t i l l thou shou ldst beckon me to

thy s ide ? ”

They wandered a l l over the wel l -known ground, flowing and t end i ng the sheep

,and happy at be i

together.I t was the beaut ifu l O ld pasturage wh

to H assan ’s

H assan : a Fe l lah 2 87come into the land Of Canaan . Many an anc ientlandmark i n the shape Of a b lock of stone set into the

heap of bou lders , denoted the boundar ies,ch had rema ined unmoved from generat ion

on,for t ime out ofmind .

be he who moveth h is ne ighbour ’s landan archa i c mal ed i ct ion .

was the fenced i nc losure where H assan hadleopard

,and beyond was the cave, wh i l e

tween was the spr ing of water gush ing out

rock and form i ng the l i tt l e pool where H as santhed and by wh ich he had prayed on that eventru i ng . They v i s i ted a l l these places w ith muchinterest and del ight than if they were new to

and had much to re late of the var iou s incidentseach , wh ich they were n ever t i red Of

ilating on.

“ I am happ ier than ever, H assan kept repeat ing.

On ly the t rue lover knows the joys of l ove .

”

I t was the season Of the “ latter ra i n .

” But theot fal l en w ith the i r u sual abundance .

s we have more ra i n soon , the ears Of cornfi l l w i th gra i n

,

” the fe l laheen began to

i l l the c i sterns be fi l l ed w ith suffic i ent water,(1 , who were dependent on th i s resou rce for

former ra in , that of the autumn andh had been cop iou s, the ra infal l had beend to l ight i nterm i ttent showers , al toient for the perfect matu r ing of the pr i nBut otherwi se the season had been

m ; and certa i n fru its,other products of the so i l were un

we have seen i n the case of the roses .ceptible to i rr igat ion were

,Of course,

ent of the ra i nfa l l , and were comparawh ich the garden s of B ettir were

st,H assan had watched the c loud s

i n great masses overhead , prom i s


ing the welcome downpou r. They were the true n imbu s

,heavy w ith bl ess i ng . But day after day they

had d i spersed,

~ Or dr ifted off,carry i ng the i r prec i ou s

contents w ith them undi scharged, and d i sappo int i ngthe hopes Of thousands.There are few lands

,i f any, i n wh i ch certa i n meteor

o log ica l phenomena can be stud i ed to gretage than i n Pal est ine. Among the moreof s uch spectac l es i s the act ion of the dry a i r-cusas there man ifested dur i ng the ra i ny season . Thseen to perfect ion around J eru sal em . Often , foreral days together

,enormous vo lumes of c l oud

gather,common ly from the d i rect ion of the Med

ranean,t i l l the ent i re dome of the

p i ed by them ; but ow ing to the i nterven i ng cush io

dry a i r,they cannot d i scharge the i r contents upon

earth . The dry a i r-cush ion cont i nues to absorbmo i sture

,and unt i l i t is compl etely saturated no

can come through to de scend upon the th i rsty land .

The c loud s are frequent ly seen to gather for thrdays before the resu l t i s produced . Not se ldomlonge r per iod is requ i red .

I n a country so denuded of i t s forest s and so

ing ly u nder cu l t ivat ion as is Pal est i n e, the gmed iat ion Of tree and shrub

,spear of cereal

,and

m inate l eaf of a l l k ind s, i s to a ser iou s extent wanen masse, or i s so restr ictedeffect . As is wel l known ,beaut ifu l agenc ies , thousands upon tof water are pumped da i ly into thethe unsaturated a i r-cu sh ion i s almost ent i re lyof th i s a id, or rece ives comparat ively i napmo i stu re from beneath . H ence an add it ionalthe protracted characte r of the phenomenon .

Were the forest s renewed,and were the re

l iberal p lant i ng of o l ive groves,fig orchards

,and

yards,wi th genera l cu l t ivat ion of the land, dou

the ra infal l wou ld be more abundant and mored i str ibuted

,and not be confined to spec ial se

subj ect to paroxysmal and i nj ur iou s outburstsing w i th droug hts.

H assan : a Fe l lah

H eavy drops of ra i n now began to fal l th i ck and fast .H asten , H ilwe ; we shal l yet reach the cave before

the worst comes, cr i ed H assan, as he caught her

hand to help her forward.

The fi rst b last s Of the a lmost hurr icane-l ike windnear ly carr ied them Off the i r feet

,and took away the i r

breath . The dust Of the ground was caught up i nto awh i r l ing col umn . They had scarce ly reached themouth of the cavern when the ra i n descended

, no l ongerin drops , but i n broad sheets , as i f r ivers Of waterwere pour i ng out Of the sky. At the same t ime theent i re atmosphere and the ground seemed afire withthe incessant flashes Of the e lect r i c flu id

,wh ich were

accompan i ed by as i ncessant thunder ing.

Ne ither H assan nor H ilwe had ever been exposed to,altogether

,so fearfu l a storm . I t cou ld on ly be l ikened

to the descr ipt ion i n the Old psalm ,wh ich or ig inal ly

must have been a transcr ipt ion of a s im i lar scene .

What a grand panorama is d i sclosed ! the fi re run

n ing a long the ground , and ha i l m ingled w i th fi re.The Lord thundered . The earth shook and trembled ;the foundat ion s of the h i l l s moved and were shaken .

H e bowed the heavens a l so, and came down ; and darkn es s was under h i s feet. H e d id fly upon the wingsof the w i nd. H e made darkness h i s secret place ; h ispav i l ion round about h im were dark waters and th i ckc louds of the sk i es . At the br ightness that was beforeh im h is th i ck c louds passed, ha i l stones and coal s Offi re. H e shot out l ightn i ngs . The channel swaters were seen

,and the foundat ions of the wor

were d i scovered.

”

Now,l ike many another cave i n Palest ine, 1 n

case of th i s one (wh i ch , as has been ment ioned,l arge ly used by H assan as h is temporary quartersa refuge i n bad weather, anplace), the entrance s 1 0ped abruppassed i nward

,so that the l eve l 0

end was cons iderably lower thanOuts ide was a mound-l ike ba rri e r

,

the debr i s Of crumbl i ng rockthrough ages, part ly of the

H assan a Fe l lah 2 9 1

served as a perfect protect i on aga i nst the i ngressdinary ra in s and floods

,so that du r ing the ent i re

Of H assan ’s occupancy Of the place i t had rema inedd ry, and free from al l danger from su ch

was no ord inary storm . The w indows of

e opened . I t was a va st c l oud -burst sweepbefore it . From the cl i ffs above the

aract. They rushed i n a torrentwn the steep i nc l ine . They leaped l ike a foam i ngld beast over the mound-l ike barr i er

,and broke in

i rres ist ibl e flood i nto the cavern .

The effect was i n stantaneou s .Before H assan and H ilwe comprehended the naturethe danger, or

, i ndeed, knew what had happened ,ey were sm i tten , se ized and overwhelmed by the

nd dashed backward aga inst the rockyreached forward to try to save H i lwe ,

va in .

stunned, b l inded, gasp ing for breath,

consc iousnes s for a moment . H e was

the grasp of such a force,t i l l i n its

i t y i e lded , hav ing sat i sfi ed i t se lf.reupon , wi th the i n st i nct of se lf-preservat ionnt i n a l l l iv ing creatu res

,hardly knowi ng what

he c l utched with h is hands and feet the roughons of the rocky wal l , and thereby l ifted h imove the water

,that now was r i s i ng rap id ly

,

ous depth .

mo i sture from h is eyes andse lf dry, and looked aroundH e perce ived the character

which had overwhelmed them ;

I cannot see thee ! Where art thou ? ”

l oud and lamentab l e entreaty.

There was no response, othe r than the hol low reverrat ion s of the cave.Where art thou

,my beloved ? ” again he cal l ed .

Then , rece iv i ng no answer, he l ifted up h is vo i ce incry, the most dep lorabl e sound i n nature,

H assan : a Fe llah

the agon i sed outburst of a man ’s gr ief. There wereno words i n i t , i t was on ly a cry. But those whohave heard such

,care not aga i n to hear i t .

H ilwe,in the rebound and wi ld edd i es of the water

,

had been borne away from the spot where H assanc l ung. Afte r a few u sel ess struggl es

,confu sed and

baffled,her strength near ly expended

,she had suc

cumbed to the i nev i tabl e, and sank i n the dark flood .

But l ife scarcely ever yi e lds i tse lf to death w ithoutrepeated effort for del iverance. Is i t the love of thesoul for the body i t has so l ong dwe l t i n ? O r what isi t ? There i s a salvatory force w i th i n that gathersi tse lf for re s i stance . Twice had H ilwe st r iven w i thher untoward fate, r is i ng to the surface of the water

,

unseen by H assan , for he was dazed and stupefied byh i s own exper i ence, and the gloom of the cave rn hadth ickened . When

,the th i rd t ime

,with a feebl e dyi ng

effort she aga i n rose, the i n s i stent, s earch i ng, heaventaught eye of love , p i ercing the darkness, found theObj ect Of i t s quest, H assan saw her.Without a thought , wi thout an i n stant

’s pause,he

plunged i nto the water and faced the i nrush ing torrent,

wh i ch was shutt ing out the l ight more and more.Strong mu st the arms be to buffet such a force

,

brave the heart to face such a danger. But “ perfectlove casteth out fear.With difli culty he made headway. More than once

,

in sp i te of al l h i s efforts , he was borne backwards ;and repeatedly the angry sp i r i t Of the current frustrated h is attempts by snatch i ng the s i nk i ng form OfH ilwe when almost w i th in h i s grasp and wh i rl i ng i ti n an Oppos i te d i rect i on . More than once he d iveddeep for her, i n va in . But at last he reached her

,and

c lasped her in h i s arms, l ift i ng her head upon h i sbreast above the swel l .

“ I have saved thee ! ” he exc la imed . Now am Iglad.

At length he worked h i s way,bear ing her lovingly

,

tr i umphant ly,thought l ess of h imse lf

,with a few brave

strokes,to a p lace i n the cav


H e had found the corner where was h is s impl e bed,

the bed he had so often s l ept in , a few armfu l s Ofdr ied grass and a mat. H e had la id her there with thegreatest tenderness . H e now searched out h is earthenlamp

,and with fl i nt and stee l st ruck a l ight ; and hav

ing l ighted the lamp, set it in the l i tt l e n iche madefor i t .Smal l as was the room-l ike recess part ly cu t i n the

rock,the fl i cker ing flame bare ly i l l um i nated i t s narrow

bounds,and showed that , accord i ng to the very modest

ideas of the Pal est i ne peasant, H assan had prov ided i ton ly w i th what was neces sary for h is temporar i ly ab iding there .

When he saw the death-l ike pal lor Of H i lwe ’

s face,he was great ly moved . H e tore Off the rent remnantof her drenched garment s that the waves had left, andcommenced chafing her l imbs . H ow sacred the fa i rbody was to h im ! I t was h is . I t cou ld not be moreto h im . H e knew the desperateness Of the case, andthat no t ime mu st be lost .The morn i ng had been so warm that

,fortunate ly

,he

had l eft h i s aba i w ith other of h is ra iment here . H e

wrapped her i n the warm fo lds of the str iped robe,that

was l ike an o ld fr iend, and never ceased h is exert i onsove r her.

“0 Al lah , the Most Merc i fu l , i f I have done ev i l ,

and th i s is the pun i shment, forg ive me !”was h is

suppl icat ion ;“or i f not, lay thy hand in j udgment upon

me alone,and save the i nnocent !

H e heard the lapp i ng and surg i ng of the wi ld water,

and kn ew i t had now r i sen w i th i n a few feet Of th i s,

the i r l ast retreat .If H ilwe is dead I care not to l ive, he sa id .

Let us both per i sh together ! My dar l i ng, my l ife,I shal l d i e w i th the e !Then

,when the horr iblenes s Of the i r fate presented

i tse lf, be murmured :

“And was i t th i s wh ich was wr i tten from the beg i nn ing ? Was th i s , al l the t ime, to

'

be the end ? ”

The roar Of the rel ent l ess storm as i t st i l l ragedw ithout and with i n, made the wal l s of the cave to


reve rberate and sh iver. The water was now sm it i ngthe very threshold Of the ir ret reat, and seemed to h i ssin his ears the words : “ There is no hope . Of whatgood is al l thy labour ? If thou br ingest her back tol ife i t is on ly to d i e m i serably, to drown w i th thee. ”

“Ye s, even then ,

” he repl i ed, I shou ld d i e happy,

if she shou ld but sm i l e i n my face once more . But,who knows ? Al lah may have mercy upon us at thelast

,and the waters may abate . ”

I n h is pass ionate d istress he caught her to h im onceaga i n .

Let me warm her back to l i fe ! ” he sa id O God,

hear me ! Take my warmth and my strength to saveher ! Take my l ife, and put i t i nto her, that she mayl ive ; and le t me per i sh out of the land of the l i v i ng

,

if i t be thy w i l lWh i l e yet the pet i t ion was upon h is l ips , the newly

returned sou l t rembl ed w i th in h i s arms . H e fe l t theheart beat aga i n st h is heart, s lowly and soft ly at fi rst,and then more sure ly ; and al l the warm pu l sat ionawoke throughout the body. The breath of l ife touchedthe mouth. The eyes Opened , and looked into h iseyes w ith fond recogn i t ion . The arms went up andc losed about h is neck , and drew h i s l ips to her l ips .Great tears were cours i ng down the cheeks of the

magn ificent young g iant.Where am I ? she asked.

You are w ith me ,” he sa id .

CH APTER XXV

H E storm continu ed to rage into the night , butwith lessened fu ry . Still the water d id not cease

to pour into the cave , the resu lt of the overflow of thevast watershed ; and H assan anxiously watched , as thelevel rose wi th a constancy which was maddening.

H e tri ed to keep the truth from H ilwe ; but it wasimpossible, and she became a Sharer in h i s d istress .


It was a terrible heart-search ing ordeal - One whichtries the sou ls ofmen . As he held h is feeble lamp-l ightover the b lack mass of water fi l l i ng the cave

,and saw

the stealthy creep ing up upon them O f the cold darksnake-l ike death, i t was enough to ch il l the l i fe, and slaythe courage of the bravest .But H ilwe was by his s ide .

Yes,—his j oy and comfort, and his sorrow.

H ow he tortured hi s m ind i n trying to plan somemeans of escape , before the worst should come , and erethe waters closed i n upon them , and overwhelmed them .

H e , so big and strong, so full of l i fe and force , so powerfu l , and yet so help less . At times he fel t as if he cou ldrend the rocks with his hands, and make a way of

del iverance for H ilwe and h imself. H e could hardlybel i eve that they must perish .

H is mind wandered .

I shal l make a dash with her through the fiercewaters , he said .

Yet he remembered with what d iffi cu lty he hadstemmed the flood for even that sho rt d istance

,when

unencumbered , i n rescu ing H ilwe , and he knew it wouldbe imposs ibl e for them to make the mouth of the caveagainst su ch a tremendous power.H ow i t went through him l ike a sharp arrow as H ilwe

asked him : Does the water sti l l r ise , H assan ?H e would shake his head , but make no other rep ly .

At l ast,when the flood began roll ing over the floor ,

and the night close at hand, he felt the end had come .

Yet will I not despai r,” he said . Despai r is

infidel ity .

”

H e drew H ilwe to h im ; and when a stream Of waterran up to where they sat, thi s great natu ral man movedher away

,to a h igher part, where the bed was , and h id

her face i n his bosom , so she might not see , and coveredhis eyes with his hand .

Thou art not afraid to di e with me , H ilwe ?The words were on his l ips ; but he did not speak

them .

I t i s enough for one to know the evil, he sa id . Ishal l conceal i t from her ti l l the last.”


Awake,H assan ! The waves are upon thee . H e

started up with a h ideous sense of cu lpabi l ity— of

betrayed trust . H e was certain they were engulfed .

The lamp was fl ickering and splu ttering, on the vergeof going out.

H e se ized and l ifted H ilwe in h is arms ; and , as hewent to replen ish the exp iri ng l ight from his store of o il,the feel ing of being flooded so impressed him , he imag ined he was wad ing with her through the water .In the motion given by h is movements to the ai r, the

lamp went out. But he blew upon the smou ldering,

smoking wick until the flame leaped back, and , re-fedwith o il, blazed up anew .

As , lamp in hand , he peered abou t the cell , he wasgreatly aston ished , not only to find no water, but also tosee that the floor was mostly dry , and that even thestream which had poured in at one end had returnedwhence it came , as if drained off.Setting down H ilwe , he ran to the open ing .

Surely the waters have not advanced,

” he thought .They have not prevailed ; but , i f at al l changed theyhave abated .

”

Yet he feared he but fancied i t, and would not tru sth imse lf to tel l H ilwe , lest he shou ld raise her hope tod isappo int it .Presently he went again and su rveyed the black

depths .H ilwe notic ing his i ntense earnestness , asked him ,

asbefore , Do the waters sti l l i ncrease upon us , H assanAllah be praised ; but , as I l ive , I bel ieve they

recede . Come hither, H ilwe , and judge for thyself. Seei f I mistake not.

”

She flew to h is s ide, and perceived it was even as hehad said .

Thou art right, she said exultantly. They arefall i ng.

”

“ Then thou art saved , he exclaimed , showing that,throughou t, h is chief thought was for H ilwe , and to saveher .Taking her hand i n hi s , he led her backward to the

bed.


Now thou canst lay thee down and take thy rest inpeace . Allah the Most Merc i fu l hath del ive red us.

Praise be to hi s holy name .

And so , re l ieved of the intense strain which hadtortu red them, in the sudden reaction they found thesweet slumber Of the weary, and , l ike two lost chi ldren ,sl ept into the morning watchThey dreamed they were in Parad ise , as well theymight, so great was the contrast with the horror theyhad so lately escaped . And when thei r eyes wereopened , when they woke on the morrow

,they could

not understand , for some moments , what had happened ,and how they were together i n the cave .The place was doubtless o ne o f the reso rts or abodes

o f the ancient Canaanites, before the bu ild ing of houseshad been adopted . Who cou ld tel l bu t that H assan’sancestors , those mighty men ofAnak , had occup ied th isvery cavern with thei r w ives, thei r ch i ldren and thei rcattle ?The abundance of such dens and retreats i n Palestinesuffic iently attest thei r u se i n the prehistori c age

,thei r

occas ional or part ial occupation continu ing to thepresent day. Great i s the interest and importanceattached to them from the i r h istoric associations and frequent mention i n B ible times . There were caves of

sepulchre , as , for i nstance , Machpelah , which Abrahambought from Ephron the H i tti te , at H ebron , that hemight bu ry Sarah . There were caves of refuge , towhich in time of war o r other trouble the people hadrpcourse , hidi ng themselves there in , ti l l the danger waspassed . Obad iah concealed o ne hundred prophets in acave on Mount Carmel ; Elij ah lodged i n a cave on

Mount H oreb ; and the cave of Adullam,to which

David retreated and to which a ll that were in d istress ordiscontented o r d isaffected resorted , t il l soon he hadfour hundred fo llowers , has it not become a proverbamong the nations ? Even the H oly Temple was bu iltover the cave and threshing-floorofAraunah the Jebus ite

,

from whom King David pu rchased them . Christ wasborn in a cave .H assan was up betimes that morning. As the sun


rose, the slanting rays entered and smote the su rface of

the water, making a dancing network of reflected l ightupon the roof, so that he knew the weather was fai r ; andhe greatly rejoiced with H ilwe .

Yet had they to remain with in the i r prison for anotherday and night. I t was not ti l l the following or th ird daythat the waters were suffi ciently abated to permit h imsafely to carry H ilwe out.

But they were far from murmuring at this. It, moreover, seemed to them that it was a confirmation Of thei rdestiny— an establ ishment o f the relations which hadarisen between them . I t was written — it was fatethe wil l OfAllah that they shou ld be man and wife .H ilwe , with the sweet and patient nature of unselfish

woman, took p leasu re i n setting things to rights , andkeep ing them i n order, and in preparing their slendermeals from H assan’s frugal store . They began to feelas i f i t had long been so w ith them . It strengthenedthei r hearts ; for usage sanctions , and wont substantiates .She gathered together the few simple vessels of pottery ,such as are in u se all over the country, and i n whi ch hehad kept h is provisions or which he had employed inpartaking Of his food , and she cleansed and arrangedthem , as a housewife should , laughing, meanwhil e atH assan’s carelessness i n the keep ing of them , and rid iculi ng hi s negl igence and ignorance in domestic duties , tohis great del ight.Added to H assan’s trial had been the fear that hi sscanty supply of food might not be sufficient to lastthem . I t assu redly wou ld not were they detained beyonda certai n very bri ef per iod in the cave . H ow carefullyand cunningly he abstained from fully sati sfying hisappetite, so that the few cakes o f bread and few handfu ls of figs and Ol ives might be eked out to the u tmost,and

,at the same time , that H ilwe might not notice his

friendly stratagem !H assan repeatedly tested the depth Of the water, and

when the morning of the th ird day dawned , he con

s idered i t best no longer to postpone the attempt toescape . Though i n the deeper p laces he was submergedto h is l o ins, he bore H ilwe on his broad shoulders

30 2 Hassa n a Fel lah

the i r hideous task, or crowded the rocks i n anticipationofwhat they had come to do .

H assan , noticing a vulture tearing a dead sheep whichhad been a favourite , rushed towards i t i n a frantic ragehe could not control , and drove the u nclean fowl away .

It slowly rose , and alighted on an adjo in ing rock,ready

to resume its work .

“ H ilwe ,” he said , “ I am a poor man . I have lost

everyth ing. And those also who trusted thei r sheep tome , and gave them into my hand , have been deprived ofthem . We are al l destitute together . What shall I say?What shal l I do H ow shal l I render account or answer ?What shal l become Of u s ?H ilwe d id not dare reply . It was not expected she

should speak . What could she say? She sank uponthe spot where sh e had stood . She h id her face in herhands , and mourned as though her heart would break .

This somewhat recalled H assan to himself. H e re

sumed his seat upon the rock bes ide he r, and would havecomforted her .Slowly his thoughts gathered strength they gathered

themselves together, even as a river which , i n someconvu ls ion of natu re , has forsaken its bed , leaving itempty and dry and deso late , despo iled of all beautyand grace , retu rns once more to the places it formerlyhad made pleasant and glad, and again fi l ls the aridcourses with l ife.It was a s i lent bu t steady process .H e sat with hands clasped before h im , his eyes gaz

ing steadfastly out beyond the su rrounding desolation .

H is l ips , moving sl ightly , gave forth no aud ible words .Islam . The very name of th ei r rel igion means resigna

tion —submissi on to the will of God .

While he held his peace and mused , h is heart grewmellow within him , and at length he spoke, and madeconfess ion with hi s tongue :

“ I t i s Allah . It cometh from his hand . Who am Ithat I should question the judge of al l the earth , or sayhe doeth not all th ings wel l ? H e hath given . H e hathtaken away that wh ich he gave , and which was h is ownto take . Let me hide my mouth i n the dust ; but let


me not reproach the Creator and h im who made me .Shall I not yet praise h is holy name for the goodness heshal l do unto me ? ”

The pa ined expression had gone out of his eyes . H e

gathered his raiment abou t h im , and with the ai r of onewhose mind i s made up , he tu rned to H ilwe .

he said . Let u s be going. It is t imeepart. Must I not se e thee on the way toand thy people , where even now they con

one dead .

”

H ilwe arose as he spoke , and made preparation tol low him .

“ It is well,was her simple reply.

H adst thou not thought otherwise , H ilwe , and thatwere not best at th is time , I surely wou ld have takencc to my own dwel l ing-place, even to B ettir. I wou ld

do it. Yet perhaps thou art right. Thineprudent way , espec ial ly i n the great troublebefal len u s .”

passed from under the shelter i ng rocks andthey came into full view of the

ind ing wady , crowned at the headits stately tell , expecting the glad and pleasantwhich had always met thei r gaze when bent i n th istion , they both suddenly stood sti ll , appal led andtu rned to stone .

The beautifu l val ley which , i n al l its lovel i ness , hadlessed the ir eyes when last they looked upon it, wastte rly transformed— ru ined . They could scarce be ~

eve that they saw aright. The Angel of Destructionad been there also— had stretched hi s hand overe ight and hol low, dingle and slope ; the wi ld tempestand cloud-burst had swept the length and breadthe place , and this was the resu l t.e fast-maturing corn and other crops were enti relyaway ; many of the fru it-trees were uprooted ,had been dri fted about like feathers ; and the fairand pastu res which had smiled so peacefu llydays ago , were laid bare and naked i n the s ight

aqueduct had bu rst,

304 Hassan : a Fel lah

carrying all before i t and devastating the lower lands .The bottom of the valley was a poo l o f stand ing water

,

fi l led with the debris,and the havoc was as heart-rend ing

as it was complete . The besom of Euroclydon , thestorm-wind , had done i ts work thoroughly ; the Overyearth was swept and washed away by the trop i cal raindeluge - the work Of years blotted out i n a moment.H assan and H ilwe stood , s ide by s ide, almost mo

tionle ss . Thei r eyes were fixed upon the scene of

wrath and terror, as i f i t had hypnotised them .

Litt le do we know,

” at last spoke H assan .

“Weare as fools, and know nothing . Verily I thought myaffl iction which had come upon me grievous and hardto be borne yea, i ntole rable ; and now, behold , i t i s asnothing to th is u nspeakable calamity . We sat andlamented ourloss , almost with in s ight Of th is great andterribl e overthrow, and we knew i t not. 0 my people ,ye are indeed affl icted ; and the home of my fathers i sdesolate ! Sol itary as a widow ,

tears are on her cheeks .She hath none to comfort her . Stripped and peeledand smitten , how shal t thou , O B e ttir ! stand before thistrouble, to endu re i t ?They could se e , scattered here and there among the

uprooted fru it-trees and the soaked and untimely reapage of the grain fields garnered by the storm , thedead carcasses of sheep and cattl e . This touchedH assan to the qu i ck . H e groaned i n sp i ri t .

“ The flocks and herds of B ettir were beyond al lothers beautiful , they we re above praise ,

” he murmured .

“They fi l l ed the pastu res Of the valleys and the h i l ls ideswith gladness , and the ir lowings and bleati ngs rejo icedthe heart . Where shall we seek them , or the l ike of

them ? The anger O f the heavens hath devoured them .

As for me , I have no sheep to tend . But who am Ithat I should speak of myself when al l are suffering ?And nowH e could say no more . The words , broken ag ai

h is grief, refused to come .That inexp ressible pain — the agony of agonies

the to rtu r e which seizes the man overwhelmed withfortune and loss , whose heart i s to o strong to b


have forgotten myself, and am no man . Why should Ilay my bu rden upon thee ? Why

'

should I be castdown ? Let me praise Allah and take courage . Mayhap it is not as bad as it seems . Some of the flocksand herds must have been driven into the houses , andare saved . And the upper caves cou ld not have beenflooded

,and mu st have sheltered others .”

In thi s last,i n the m idst of his angu ish, he spoke

against h is j udgment,to soothe the grief of h is

beloved .

There was that i n the sweet lovi ng natu re of the manwhich rose above his personal trouble , and l ifted h imi nto the region Of compassion compass ion for othe rs.As they walked together towards Malha , his mind

was fi l led with the thoughts of what he would do to aidthe stri cken , and restore as much as poss ible the damage which had been done by the storm.

“When thouart safe i n Malha ,

” he sa id , “ I shal l retu rn at once toB e ttir, and do what I can to help and console them .

”

This was the bu rden of thei r conversation . Theytouched l ittle upon themselves , and how all th is whichhad happened would reflect disastrou sly upon them .

Yet no one knew better than they did how much morehopel ess than before was the ir cause , and how almosti nsuperable were the difl‘iculties to b e su rmounted in acountry so welded to anci ent custom

,and where the

possess ion Of the bride is Obta ined only through thepresenting Of heavy gifts to her family and the payment of a sum enormously extravagant fo r a peoplecomparative ly so poor.Yes , I must do all I can to help them , he said .

Men , as wel l as nations , are tru ly great when , unse lfishly, they ri se to their emergenc ies , and deal withthem in the spi rit of the God-Man , who to-day walksthe earth , perhaps nearer than ever before to the realisation of his b i rthright his kingdom .


CH APTER XXVI

H EN H ilwe entered Malha, she found , as H assanhad said , her people lamenting her as one who

had ceased to l ive . At first they almost looked uponher as a sp i ri t

,and thei r supersti ti ou s feel i ngs did not

wear away for several days .They closely questioned her regard ing the incidentsconnected with the time i n which she had been absent .And though she made the best of the pecul iar c i rcumstances

,describi ng her great peri l , and her narrow escape

death,through her rescue and shelter i n the cave

th H assan , there were grave surmises, and openly exessed condemnation as to her conduct, while theyuld not deny the necessity of the case .

It i s probable she would have fared worse at thei rand have experi enced the more severe rigour of

nq uisitorial methods , had not the concurrence Ofand more important events engrossed thei r atten

chief of these was also connected with the storm,

the most fatal character , i nvolving the loss ofI n some of i ts features i t resembled the

which had overtaken H assan and H ilwe anddevastated B e ttir.

party Of men , women , and chi ldren , all Moslems ,the larger number p i lgrims returning from ce lebrat

the feast of Neby Moussa , ~— the prophet Moses ,the reputed tomb Of the great lawgiver , to e s

nce of the storm , had taken refugea narrow rocky pass . In the tre

ng ratulat

worst, and at havinga place of refuge , when there occu rred what wasbed as the bursting of a waterspout. I t appearedthe centre o f the storm which had extended toConfined to the contracted defi le , the immense

ofwater rushed headlong i n what had all the charof a raging river between high rocky banks ; and,


without a moment’s warning, broke into and fi l led thecave l ike a deluge .

I t was a p iteous but swi ft agony .

A fearful struggle ensued , amid the shrieks and screamsof the women and chi ldren . H ero ic efforts were made tosave l ife , but i n such fearfu l Odds even the strongestmen were but as straws and rubbi sh , dashed about atthe mercy of the flood .

When all was over , thi rty-five dead bodies were takenout.

The news of thi s sad event had reached Malha beforethe arrival of H ilwe , and made a great impression there,and also on the su rround ing country , where a numbero f those who had perished had either l ived or wereknown .

As the accounts ofthe d isasters which had overwhelmedB e ttir came in , day by day , they also served to d istractattention , and were received with a grim sati sfacti onwhich occasionally expanded into notes of tri umph , bornOf the o ld enmity and hatred . Malha itself had escapedwith but sl ight inj u ry , and so could look downupon B ettir as being the special subject of D ivi newrath .

Then followed renewed reports of the approaching arrival Of the long-expected Palestine regiment. It hadbeen detai ned to subdue a revolt ; but would enter Jerusalem

,doubtless , i n a day or two . They must go forth

to meet i t,with due p reparation , and mani festati ons

respect and welcome .

So H ilwe was comparatively overlooked .

H assan , accord ing to hi s i ntenti on , had immediatelyretu rned to B e ttir, where he proved to be an invaluableaid in the work of restoration . The harvest, i ndeed , hadbeen swept away , the vineyards washed out, and Of thegreat flocks and herds , the famous sheep and cattle,but few remained to testify as to what they had been .

The people were impoverished . But of the fru it-trees, alarge number could be replanted . Many of them werebut sl ightly shi fted , others were only bent over , or hadthe branches broken . With proper attention , the maj ority Of them could be saved .

3 1 0 H assan a Fellah

mould s character . The only change vi sible i n him wasthat he was kinder and gentler in his manner .Especial ly did he show this to H as san , as i f to assu re

him that he cherished no bitterness towards him . Wheneve r he addressed him now, it was H assan , my son .

”

The young man’s heart was touched , and , with all hisp ride and strength , he could have bent and kissed thesheik’s feet.H assan and Chali l occup ied , as heretofore , the Old

stone house which had been the dwell ing of the former’sfather and mother . As , wearied from thei r to i l , both thefri ends at night lay down to sleep together, with the unrestrained familiari ty which had exi sted between themfrom boyhood , Chali l referred to thi s action Of his si re :

“ Didst thou not hear my father call thee his son,

H assan ?“Veri ly I did . And i t warmed and gladdened my

heart, so that I well-nigh forgot my losses and mytrouble . H e knows I loved the sheep , and wouldhave given my l ife for them .

Yea ; and that the loss was through no fault of thine .

Did they not fare al ike on thi s s ide ? And was not agoodly share of them thine own ?

“ Yet I blame myself. I cannot help i t. Though i ti s doubtfu l that aught I might have done could haveava iled to save them . Thy father i s a good man . H e

bears the trouble wel l .“ H e bears i t well . But he suffers ; though , i n h is

pride , he lets no one se e i t. There are those who wil lnot be persuaded but that he bath a hoard , a buriedtreasu re . But bel i eve i t not. I t i s not true . H e was evermore than generous with hi s means , and never withheldhelp from him who needed i t. H e never refused breadto the hungry , nor turned away from him who asked of

him . H e la id not up treasu re . H e is i ndeed strippedand peeled ; and who i s there to give unto him ?

”

True , true . We are all ru ined together . It wi l l gohard with us ti l l the earth once more yields her strengthand her increase , and gives u s bread to eat . And now Imust spare the O il and quench the l ight. The poor manputs out his lamp early i n the night.


Saying which , H assan extingu ished the feeble fl ickeri ng flame, leaving the p lace in darkness .Yea , we are al l poor together . But thou and I

,

H assan ,” added Chal i l , “ we stand by one another .

Naught has ever come between us to d ivide us, or

break our fri endship , neither poverty nor ri ches, sor

row nor j oy. And shall it not ever be so ?”

“ I t i s easy for me to agree to that. I owe thee much ,Chal i l ; and that which I can never pay thee . All thoudidst sufl

'

er at MalhaNay , mention i t not. The accounts of friends are i n

the heart. Doth not the Old proverb say that a s i ncerefri end ought to suffer the b i te of a snake for his friend ?

sp eakest, too , as i f the weight was on one s ide of

alance , and dost not remember al l that I owe toe e . Didst thou not save my l i fe once ?SO they argued , and i n such gentle contention fellleep .

The nex t morning, at early dawn , they were awake , asand hastened to return to thei r labours . Unlessad given their constant supervision to the worktle would have been accompl ished . Among nowatching so necessary as wi th the Oriental .cessantly watched , workmen and employeesr thei r tasks , or s it down to smoke . I t i s anderstood fact , which i s supplemented by an

takes such a large number of persons to doone must always be present

ect them i n the most simple operations . As alhas been said , the Oriental has plenty of time i n

ich to do nothing.

CH APTER XXVI I

UT of the wreck and ru in of B ettir, H assan hadone possession preserved al ive . It was a prei ndeed . I t was his horse , an Arab of the


from the horse of the Prophet Mohammed himsel f, onwhich , as is bel ieved by every true Moslem , he hadperformed that miracu lous midnight journey from Meccato Jeru salem .

Bes ides the stone house i n the vi llage which had beenhi s father’s

,and the division of land apportioned to him

as hi s individual share o f the ti l lage held in common ,the horse was all of any great value that was left toH assan .

Without the least exaggeration , thi s superb animalmight be said to be worthy of an emperor’s stud . Ithad never been sold . Money would not purchase thenoble creature . I t was a present to H assan from aB edawe sheik whose l ife he had saved at ri sk Of hisown . In recognition of his i nestimable service , the horsehad become H assan’s , and was prized accord ingly .

H e had called him Al Borak , The Lightn ing ,after the suppositiou s mystic steed already mentioned ,on which , moreover, i t was further held the Prophet hadascended to the seventh heaven and the presence of God

,

return ing to Mecca the same night.The horse loved H assan . Before he was very long i nthe young shepherd ’s possession there could be no doubtOf the singularly affectionate feel ings the beautifu l andsagac ious animal possessed for him .

The joy that Al Borak exhib i ted when hi s mastermounted him was at once noticeable , and was shownin numerous ways . H e seemed at such times a d ifferent creature , i nsp ired with a raptu roushim outside of himself. The very weight o f H assan uponh im gave him del ight. The pressu re of h is master’slegs upon hi s sides sent a wild thril l of p leasure throughthe horse , which carried the beloved burden with a gladness that love alone could i nsp i re .

Al Borak could not bear that any one els e shouldmount h im , and resisted the act,—at l ength carrying thehosti l i ty so far as to attack and inj ure those who pers isted in attempting to employ h im in th is way.

O f late , owing to h is close occupation in tend ingsheep , H assan had not been able to u se the horseoften as he formerly had done . But when he had to

H assan : a Fe l lah

Abou Chali l was deep ly moved , so that the express ion of h is countenance changed , and for a space hewas u nable to speak . H e took H assan’s hand in h isown , and pressed it to his breast.My son H assan , how shall I praise thee ? at last

spoke the she ik .

“ Thou bringest me a present such asone king might give to another king . Thou honou restme when my head i s in the dust

,when the shadow of a

great m isfo rtune hath fallen upon me and upon mypeople . Not out of thy abundance dost thou bringthi s lordly gift, for thou thyself hast been stricken , andlaid low with us , and we al l are poor , poor indeed , andwell-n igh naked ; but o ut Of the richness of thy generosity and love , out of the noble thought Of thy heart ,that penury could not impoverish , hast thou done thisth ing. And now, my son , i f I have found grace i n thys ight , hearken to me ; and be not offended , and take i tnot amiss , nor imagine that I think any the less of thee ,because I cannot accept thy gift.”

H assan stood before h im with bowed head .

Speak , my father,” he said , thy servant heareth .

Far be it from me to tel l thee what thou shouldst dowith that wh ich i s th ine own. Yet why should I not

show my heart to one who hath dealt as thou hast withme ? Am I not s ituated even as thou art as regards thehorse ? I s he not beyond my cond ition and the poorestate i nto which I have fal len ? It i s not as though hewere accustomed to work the l and . H e hath neverpassed under the yoke . I t wou ld break his p roud heartto be put to the p lough . Neither thou nor I could seei t. Ah, no ! But were the horse indeed mine , to dowith according to my best j udgment, I shou ld take thepri ce o f him and d istr ibute i t among my people who arei n want of seed and o f food , or to repai r the damagedone by the storm , and repay the money borrowed Ofthe u su rers— for are we not helpless and in the handso f the money-lenders , who are withou t mercy, and knownot compassion ? ”

My father, I wil l do as thou sayest. .Thy words arethe teachings Ofwisdom . The horse is th i ne , to do withaccording as thou hast spoken .


As the words passed the l ips o f H assan , the agedeik fell upon h is neck and kissed him .

B l essed be thou , my son , and God reward thee as Innot,

” he said . But nei ther I , nor my son , nor hisson shall forget to thee and thine the thing thatt done th is day . God do more to me and morefail to do as I have ‘ said .

”

no more,my father. The gift i s naught as

d to the honou r I bear thee . Do with theseemeth good in thine eyes .”

ai n man from Jerusalem was here , not manyseeking such a horse as i s th ine . H e had

and came to se e him . H e gave hisand said h is master was ri ch and was

pay a goodly price for the horse if he wasth i t. And how can he help but be pleased ?

e is not such another horse in al l this part of thetry. Would it not be wel l for thee to se e th is3 master without delay ? Let him se e Al Borak .

wil l be enough . We told the man , as we bel ieved ,thou wou ldst not part wi th the horse for any

am at thy d isposi tion , repl i ed H assan promptly .

1 1 do i n all th ings as thou hast said . I wil l see thevery day , i n Jerusalem . Is no tAl Borak readyto my hand to show him— in fine condition

fu lly caparisoned ?Yea, he i s i n good shape . I never saw him looker.”

In all , save one thing, will I obey thy voice . I can~

take back my word . I have given the horse to thee .

i s th ine . And whether the price be great or small ,thy hands it shal l be paid , to do with it as thou

lle st ; and to thee shall I render account.”

H assan had no d iffi culty in finding Sel im , who forthth ushered h im into the presence of his master, the

lato . The ride from B e ttir to JerusaBorak into excellent sp irits ,which to admire more , the


The native on horseback feels l ike a prince — a

changed and exalted being ; and he shows thi s . To

H assan , so handsome already , i t was not easy to addanother beauty point ; but, mounted on the horse , i twas accompl ished .

The young men were at once drawn together, andbecame particu larly friendly and confidential . Leonetook especial pai ns to please and entertai n H assan , whowas eas ily b ’egu i led into tel l ing abou t himself and h isexperiences

,i n retu rn for Leone’s condescension of a l ike

character.When H assan told of his love for the horse , i t madeLeone hate to deprive him of i t.Then they rode out together, H assan d isplaying the

fine po ints ofAl Borak to perfection , and Leone , carriedaway , determining to own the beautiful creature i f moneycou ld buy h im .

When Leone demanded the price he would take, withthe characteristi c Oriental finesse , that n ice blend ingof the pol ite and the pol it ic ,— H assan left al l that toLeone’s honou r.I n the end , H assan rece ived a larger amount than he

had expected , though not more than he had apprai sedas the value of Al Borak .

‘

Leone paid him in gold , as is usual in the H oly C ity ;i n twenty-franc p ieces , mostly napoleons and lou isd’or, wi th a few Austrian , I tal ian and Greek co ins of

the same value i nterspersed .

It made a nice l i ttle p ile upon the table ; thouH assan wondered how it could be an equ ivalent forBorak .

H e pou red i t i nto a small canvas bag, which hecu rely tied with cord , feel ing l ike a criminal .

Presently he po ised the weight in h is hand , ansmiled as he thought of the good o ld she ik , and thedropped the bag into the bosom of h is vest .There was sti l l the backsheesh , which Leone will i

added when it was explained to him .

H assan took out the bag, opened it, and droppethe add itional co ins .The O riental , when you have completed your


They rode out qu ite a l i ttl e d istance , Leone managing the horse admirably. H e d id not worry h im by toomuch handli ng , but gave him his own way.

With the Ori ental worship of beauty, H assan lookedat Leone approvingly.

“ You are a well-made man , he said, speaking i nEngl ish .

“ You are by natu re l ike Al Borak . You

have i n you what wil l make h im love you. Since Ihave to part with the horse , I am glad that a man likeyouw i l l be his master.When retu rning , they took it more slowly. H assan

had many things he wanted to say to Leone about AlBorak , and yet it was with d iffi cul ty he spoke. H e

was unabl e to say al l he wished to say ; the words stu ckin his throat, and seemed to choke h im .

And now they were aga in i n the stabl e .

H assan had no longer any excuse for delaying. Themoment for part ing had come .

Leone had d ismounted . The two young men stoodtogether, side by s ide, but were si lentH assan stepped forward a single pace , and put his

arm about Al Borak’s neck, speaking to h im in a lowtone , as i f only for the horse to hear.We have been brothers , these many days , he said .

We love one another . Faithfu l and good hast thoubeen to me ; and I have tried to be kind to thee as Iwas able . We were friends together, though I was themaster and thou the w i l l i ng slave. I brought thee out

of the dese rt which was thy home , i nto a strange country ; but thou d idst cleave to me al l the closer, andnever failed me . And now it has come to pass that wemust part. I who was thy master am so no more . Iam become so poor , I am no longer able to own thee .Another is thy master, and thou must love himserve him , and— and forget me .

”

H e could control h imself no longer , but, h id ingface against the horse’s neck , sobbed l ike a ch ild .

Al Borak turned his head inqu i ringly , and trubbed it gently against H assan , as i f to comfortH e also leaned against h im , throwing hi s weighth im

,as though he would embrace him . H assan p


neck and shou lder of the horse while he spoke aremain ing words to h im that were scarcely audible.1 1 , taking Al Borak by the bridle , he led him to

i s is thy master, he said to the'

horse . H e w i l le e . Love him and serve him as thou hast loved

served me .

”

hen , putti ng hi s arm around Leone, he whispered tosome Arabic words .These are the words that the B edawe spoke when

the horse to me . I have never spoken themand se e that you do not. Nor u se them needI f ever you are i n a strait, whisper them to him .

then d ie fo r you .

”

e bowed his head .

you got them ? and wil l you remember

I have them ; and I shal l be su re to rememberd do as you have said , answered Leone .

speak the words to him . Speak them softlyme see thee do it.

his l ips to the horse’s ear, and wh isp eredords.as a spel l upon Al Borak .

betrayi ng h im ; and H assan knew i t. It1 1 1 over u tterly to Leone .

proud fond horse was transfig ured .

re ; he flung up his head , shaking outane and d rew in the ai r through his d is5 as i f he were sn iffi ng the winds Of the

while he stretched o ut his l imbs as thoughng with them the level sands .i s wel l . H e will obey you, even to the death .

san had placed the brid le i n Leone’s hands ; ando leave . As he reached the door , the

looked on h im a wistfu l look , almost agoniz ingintentness , and then sent out a long tremulousy that was l ike the c ry of a human be ing in di sIt was as i f he said

nd art thou leaving me thu s—I who have loved0 well and so long ? Ah , no , no !


I t was too much . H assan stopped . An incoheresound l ike a groan burst from his lips .

“ I thought I cou ld do i t ,” he said . But I cannot !

H is heart beat fast . H is hand went down i nto hbosom . H e drew out the bag Of gold .

Then , when he thought of the noble Old sheik ,the sufferings Of the impoverished people, andcruelty of the money-lenders and tax-gatherers

,and h

all the sheep the sheik had intrusted to him were lost,

dropped the bag back again , covered his face withhand

,and went out.

Amne , looking through a lattice , had seen H asscome and go , and said to Leone :The young man who was with thee , and whos

thou hast bought , H assan of B ettir, i s he whohave marr ied H ilwe , but for the Thar beple and the people ofMalha . And nowher marry Abd-e l-nou r , an O ldthree wives , but who has many flocks and herdsother possess io ns . I greatly feared the youngshou ld see me , and hid mysel f from him , l est the peof Malha shou ld hear where I am .

”

Leone d id not greatly notice her words, andher a trivial rep ly ; his mind was taken up wi

recent purchase , and the thought of the impresswould make when mounted upon Al Borak . Esped id he th ink of Miss Warren in th is connection .

the fai r American , having carried her po int, hadtu rned to Jerusal em , as she had promised , and wasl ingering there. It was openly said that Leone wasoccasi on of this, and he bel ieved it—h e

There is no doubt that she gave him what mwould cons ider great encouragement . F latteredhe again had been led on i nto such demonstrati

attentions as we re u nmistakable s igns of histowards her.I t fanned the flame Of he r van ity to have in her train

a t itled caval ier of so d istingu i shed a presence . H OW

much deeper were her emotions , we need not consider.Perhaps she herself was not qu ite conscious of all she


broad and often rounded shoulders , upon which thei rcoarse and rather savage- l ike heads were so closely se t,

they seemed to have very short, or no necks . Theywere strong , tough-looking fe llows , accu stomed fromthe ir youth up to sleep i n the open ai r,— capable of enduring much exposure and hard usage , but ungainlyand clumsy in thei r movements . They evidently werefo r bus iness , not for ornament. There was somethingbrutal in .many of the faces. Perhaps thei r army l ifehad not improved them . And there too was that aboutthei r enti re phys ique— a condensation of endurance,which seemed almost a threat—which said : We comeo f an o ld potent stock , and shall not fa i l to proj ect ourselves into the future generati ons .

”

They presented a remarkable s ight, as , covered withdust from thei r long march , they fi led in at the JaffaGate

,and through David Street, following the ir red and

thei r green sacred flags , and the ir tal l , l eather-apronedax ebearers , past the Tower of Dav id , to the Barrackson Zion’s H i l l .They were accompanied by a vast concourse, com

posed of relatives and fri ends as wel l as s ight-seers .These mostly followed closely i n the rear, cal l ing andshouting, clapp ing hands , and with other exhibitions O fwild joy

,partic ipating in the eager demonstration .

Some Of them ran along by the s ide O f the sold i ers ,talking to them— asking them questi ons , and g iv ingthem information of events which had occu rred in theirabsence. Others held up their children to show them ,

some o f the babes havi ng been born while their fatherswere abroad . Many a touching scene might be wi tne ssed ,

the heart breaking down under the strain of itsemotions .O f course the sold iers marched on , of necess i ty ap

parently regardless of th is , scarcely turn ing thei rheads

,and keeping step to the queru lou s d roning minor

of the Tu rkish band , which kept re i terating, with pers istent d istracting monotony , sounds uncanny to the unaccustomed ear

,and having the effect of a melancholy

j ig .

It was difficult for the women in the exuberance of


the i r feel i ngs to understand al l th is . It was hard for themen to carry out the part of ind ifference thei r d isc ip l ineprescribed . The youngsters babbled and crowed

,stretch

ing out the ir arms ; o r, frightened at the strange menshrank back, screaming and crying, on the i r mothersbreasts .

On , on , marched the men , and continually disappeared through the yawning doorway Of the barracks ,which , l ike a hungry mouth , swallowed them up . Closepressed the crowd , from behind and from the sides .And when the las t sold ie r had vanished from sight

,i t

seemed as i f, s imultaneous ly, the enti re square was one

mass of human beings , so densely packed that one cou ldhave walked upon thei r heads .Nor i s this merely a figure of speech . H ere and

there , up on high , men , unable to penetrate the crowd ,might be seen stepping from head to head and shou lderto shoulder to reach some desired place . The space theso ld iers had passed through was blotted out i n a flash ,occupied by the surging mob of gesticu lating peasantsand townspeople— the fellaheen and the be llade en, nowinextricably mingled .

The windows were fi l led and the walls and roofs covered wi th spectators , ti l l the su rround ing bu i ld ings m ightbe said to be al ive with people .

There was a momentous pause , a delay impatientlyborne by those outs ide , i n which , espec ially, a certainprocess was passed through by the sold iers withi n thebarrack yard

,which to those who beheld it must have

been a highly amusing i f no t ed i fying spectacle .

I t is not every day that o ne thousand men can be seenal l at once d isrobing, for the purpose o f passing fromthe comparatively modern dress o f the European sold ierinto a garb having an anti qu ity of fou r thousand years .Yet th is grand divestitu re was the sight presented behind those blank walls , beneath the open heavens , i nthe dril l yard.

The Turkish ofl‘icers stood by , d irecting the operation ,the su sp ic iously sedate and even grave express ion of

the ir countenances o ccasionallyre lax ing under the provocation of some unusually mi rth-provoking inc ident.


Itwas more than cu rious to se e those sold ie rs who hadpassed into the barracks in thei r ful l m il i tary un iform

,

shedd ing the coarse , dark-blue coat and trousers andred fez

,presently emerge in the unconfined fel lah garb

,

the striped abai envelop ing all al ike . I t was d iffi cu lt torecognise them as the same men. NO doubt it was agreat rel ie f to most of them to put Off the tight-fittingmodern pantaloons and j ackets, and get back oncemore into thei r flowing easy garments , —though thepantaloons of the Turkish army , especial ly i n the caseof the common sold iers , are made a rather looser fitthan ord inary , i t i s to be presumed to render themmore acceptable .

The meetings and kissing s of the male relatives andfriends afforded a demonstratio n such , probably, as isseldom or never beheld in any other country . Only themen are seen to kiss— never , at least openly , do thewomen partic ipate in th is pecu l iar oscu latory privilege.Some of the poor peasant women had come many

miles to meet thei r husbands , sons , and other relatives ,and in many cases had brought food w ith them to satis fythe hungry sold ier after h is weary , hot, and dusty march .

One Old woman had brought a cooked chicken , withol ives , r ice , figs , and cheese , as wel l as cakes of bread ,for her son returned . They might afterwards have beenseen

,s itting together on some steps i n the street , eating

with much joy and satis factio n the simple, but to themluxur iou s , repast .I t was the same woman who , on the earl ier report of

the retu rn of the regiment , had said rej o icingly to theMalha women , her compani ons , that the son o f herstrength would be given back to her .As her son appeased his hunger, she kept up a continual chatter, giving him all the news of the vi llage andsurrounding country , and a perfect chronicle ofwhathad occu rred s ince he left .Naturally they had much to say upon the subj ect Of

the feuds and faction fights .There goes one of the Yemani, she exclaimed w ith

some bi tterness , as a slender young man with a conceited ,defiant swagger , passed by, wearing the d istingu ishing


hast seen her already . The same as ever . Let u s speakcomfo rtably to her, and offer her a morsel of bread anda draught of the water, lest she tu rn upon u s an evil eye .H ardly had she ceased speaking when Kadra stood

bes ide them .

“Wilt thou not taste a morsel of bread , Kadra, andquench thy thi rst from our bottle ?

Ay, that I wil l , at thy generous offer : I thank theekindly,

” repl ied Kadra , as she squ atted beside the motherof the young sold i er .And i s there any news , Kadra ? Thou always hast

the latest.”

News there is ,” was the reply ; and no good news .

Sayest thou so ?”

Verily and indeed .

Tell us i t, Kadra .

”

Thou seest, over against the castle, those two menof B ettir, H assan and the young she ik, Chali l .

”

“ I se e them .

”

They have just told me that there is a war i n Crete ,or somewhere , and that more soldiers are requ ired .

The Reserves are to be cal led out, and there wil l be aconscription , or I know not what .”

I t must be a mistake ,” said the sold ier . If i t were

so we would know of i t.”

They seemed to have it straight enoug h . They saidthe information had only j ust arr ived , and that therewould be a proclamation by the Pasha in a day or so .

”

Then why did they d isband us ?I know not, unless i t was that thou hadst fulfi ll ed

thy time of servi ce .”

That would not have stood in the ir way in case Ofnecessi ty . Besides , they have held u s already for severalmoons over our t ime .

"

“ Then thou mayest thank thy stars that they knewnot of th is trouble unti l they let thee go , orthou wouldstnot have got Off so easily. Peradventure they may evenyet stretch forth thei r hand and take thee .

I t is an evi l day ! cried the poor mother , wringingher hands . Oh , those Tu rks , how they abuse us ! Wel ike notthem,

and they hate us . They deal unrighteously


with us . They tax our lands and our crops , ou r flocksand herds , and ou r trees , whether they bear or not ; allthat we have is theirs ; and th en they are not satisfied .

They take our husbands and our sons from us , and placethem in the front of the battle , so that they may getkilled . They put them where they themselves wou ldnot venture . Shal l there not be retribution for th is ; andwi ll not Allah take vengeance ? ”

There , there, mother . Speak not so loud . Thosez aptiehs are l isten ing to thee .

Nay,my son

,I spake not against ou r Lord the Su l

tan ; that be far from me ,” the frightened woman hurried

to expla in .

“ Thou knowest we are always wil l ing torender to him the things that are h is , even to ou r l ives .But we are an unhappy people , throug h unlawfu l deal ingand Oppress ion ; and there i s none to speak for us , orplead our cause to our Subl ime Ruler, the Padishah .

”

The zaptiehs referred to were two who stood immed iately Opposi te , leaning against the stone parapet guard ingthe foss at the base of the Tower Of David , orthe Castle ,as they called it. They were no other than Kiamil Agaand Assad , his sergeant, and they were evidently on the-watch for some one .

By th is time the immense concou rse of people whichhad fi l led the square had begun to d isperse , each manreturn ing to his own home. The O ld histori c spot whichDavid had captu red from the over-confident Jebusite wasfast resuming its normal appearance .

The people descended from the roofs . Group aftergroup went by .

At length , as H assan and Chal i l passed , Assad call edthe aga’s attention .

That i s he , Aga . Is i t not ?It i s he .I thought, from the description , I could not be

mistaken in the man .

Thou art right , 0 most sagac ious Of zaptiehs !But who is that wi th him ? ”

That is Chal i l , the son of the sheik of B ettir.

Thou sayest . Mark him well,Assad . We shal l

have more to say to him ,als o . D i dst thou not tel l me


that it was reported the sheik had a large treasure ofs i lver bu ri ed ?Yea ; i t i s so reported , Aga .

NO doubt the o ld man wil l be will ing to pay us agoodly ransom for h is son, and to escape our overhaul ing. What thinkest thou ?I t i s most l ikely .

But keep a close watch on them .

Thou mayest depend I shall .”

Let them not escape u s . That H assan is fu ll of

cunning . Remember that I regard thee as responsiblefor him . I shall hold h im, ransom or no ransom .

”

H e i s of comely bu ild , and wil l make a fine sold ier.D idst thou notice h is stature ?

“Ay. I t i s not that I consider . I have other endsin view. H e would make excellent food for powder .I t is a sin to al low such a man to waste h is time tendingsheep , or settl ing down , contented with married l ife ,and the begetting of chi ldren , when he might be serving hi s country by help ing to defend her against herenemies . What sayest thou , Sergeant ?

”

Thou speakest wisely, Aga .

”

Take heed to my words ; i t wi l l go hard with mebut I shall accompl ish i t. H e shou ld be will ing to giveh is l i fe for h is country. It would be a crime not to puthim where he can be of the most use .

”

The doc i le sergeant smi led appreciativelyH e would make a consp icuous figu re 1 n the front

of the battle, Aga .

”

There is where I should l ike to test the cou rageand lustihood of the bu lky brute .

CH APTER XXIX

T was i n the m idst of the rainless season , those six

torrid months when not a d rop of ra in falls inPalestine .

The hot, anc ient , and malodorous dust lay severalinches th ick on the streets, roads, and byways of Jeru


Cross ing the northwesterly ridge, through scrub andbrushwood , and by rocky pathways , two men mightbe seen

,coming from the d irection of B ettir, and walk

ing rap idly, desp ite the heat. They were men of thecountry

,— Of the people of the land , —and d id not

seem to suffer from the excess ive temperature as d id thestranger and the townsmen o f mixed blood ; but, l ikethe anc ient high-places and the exposed te lls , were apparently dumbly accustomed to it .They were H assan and Chali l . The detested conscription was u rgently being carried out, and with un

usual severi ty ; and both the men had rece ived friendlynotice, that morning, that, j ust at present, they hadbest not be found in B e ttir.

The reported insu rrection i n Crete had proved to betrue. All the sold iers which could be spared fromJerusalem and Jaffa were at once s ent fo rward ; and tworegiments

,in addition , must be rai sed with as l ittle

delay as possible .

The peasantry were greatly excited , and were res isti ng with al l the i r might the enfo rcement of this mostunpopu lar levy . They d id not hesitate to resort to themost extreme measu res i n such a cause .The zaptiehs , o r bash i-baz ouks, employed to bringi n the men were often unnecessar i ly severe and notseldom cruel in the execution of the ir duty . They were

,

as i s well known , un iversal ly feared and abhorred by thepeople.The feel ing between the Syrians and the TurkishGovernment i s far from friendly. There i s l ittle or noconcealment about it , even i n the face of the danger ofOpenly express ing op in ion under the circumstances.The statement is continual ly repeated , that the Syri ansare hated by the Turks , and i n war-t ime are put inthe front o f the battle , so that few o f the men retu rn .

The prej udice was so strong after the Crimean War ,the Syrian regiments suffering severely, that to pacifythe natives, and in some degree counteract this b i t terfeel ing , and tu rn as ide the i r wrath , they were told i t wasthe Christians— Russ ians especially— who had killedthe ir relatives and friends. 50 that to thi s day in cer-e


tai n parts of Palestine the an imos ity o f the Moslempeasants towards the Chri stians is intensified . Theregiment from H ebron having been almost enti relycut Off, the feel ing of that anci ent c ity as regards Chri stians i s decidedly feroc ious and fanatical .Yet while most posit ively obj ecting to leave thecountry and enter the army , the peasants usually areloyal to the Sultan and Islam , and qu ite wil l ing to fightfor both within the l imits of Palestine , though i n generalthey have but l i ttle knowledge of the Moslem rel igion ,many Of them l iving i n a state approachi ng to semibarbarism .

Most of the ir manners and customs are pecul iar tothemselves. These with certain ethnological characteristics and trad itions , together with thei r language , whichd iffers from pure Arabic , would seem to point to aCanaanit ish origin. H owever , they are carefu l to followthe o rd inary Observances and to keep the ch ief festival so f the Mohammedan faith .

On descending the spur of the hi ll , H assan and Chali lfound themselves not far from the celebrated “ SealedFountai n ” which feeds the Pools of Solomon , andwhich also suppl ies the aqueduct which carries thewate r to Bethlehem , and into the Temple Enclosu re atJeru salem

,where , at last , the pure cool stream ascends

into the so -called Fountain of the Cup , which standsamid the ancient cypress trees , before the Mosque o f

Omar , and , with apparent probabil ity , i s supposed tooccupy the posit ion of the Brazen Laver u sed for theabluti on of the priests i n the symbol ical ceremonial ofthe proud Old H ebrew worsh ip .

Both the men paused , and looked around them cautiously. Not far beyond the Sealed Fountai n ” rosethe grey batt lemented walls of the Castle e l-Burak .

Below lay the three wonderful pools , the work of thewise k ing, majestic, venerable , u nspeakably grand ,gleaming fitfully i n the broad sunshine , as the warmbreeze passed over thei r su rface , rippl ing it into mu rmuring waves as if they were min iature seas .They fi l l the enti re breadth Of the upper reach of theValley of Urtas, each success ive pool lower than the


preced ing one , and they are separated by mass ivelyconstructed dams , sol id earthworks , ru nning at rightangles across the valley , p ierced with connecting condu its . Large enough to float a frigate of the l ine ,trad ition has it that H erod the Great insti tu ted the performance Of mimi c naval battles upon them . From thethird o r lowest pool the water i s d istributed to i rrigatethe gardens , farther down the valley , which are bel ievedto be those referred to by Solomon when he says , i nEccles ias tes : I made me great works ; I bu i lded mehouses ; I planted me vineyards ; I made me gardensand orchards , I planted trees in them of al l kinds of

fru its : I made me pools of water , to water therewiththe wood that bringeth forth trees .At the present time, the earl iest and best fru its and

vegetables i n the Jerusalem market are brought fromthese gardens of El Fure idis,— the Little Parad ise , asthey are call ed , and which is the ve ry name appl ied toth em by Solomon in h is l ament.The appellation Urtas seems to be a corruption of

the Latin H ortus, a garden , the name natu ral ly giventhe place by the Romans , who had here a mi l itary post.Etham appears to have been another name for this

place , and which Josephus u ses i n hi s fasc i nating description Of Solomon’s vis i ts to these gardens .Stating that the king was possessed of fou rteen

hundred chariots and twenty-two thousand horses , theh istorian continues :These horses also were so much exerc ised , i n orde r

to the i r making a fine appearance, and running swiftly,that no others could , upon the compar i son , appeare i ther fai rer o r swifter but they were at once the mostbeautifu l of all others , and thei r swi ftness was incomparable al so . Thei r r iders also were a further ornament to them , bei ng , i n the fi rs t place , young men i nthe most del ightfu l flower of the ir age, and be ing eminent fo r thei r largeness , and far taller th an other men.

They had also very long heads of hai r hanging down ,and were clothed in garments of Tyrian pu rpl e. Theyhad also dust Of gold eve ry day spri nkled on the i r hai r,so that thei r heads sparkled with the reflection of the


l ike a fri endly hand from out the past thei r boyhooddays , when they had

‘spent so many happy hours paddling i n the refresh ing flood or playing along the banks .The Pools o f Suleyman the Wi se .

As Chal i l uttered the words , softly and gently, theyseemed l ike a sigh from his heart , a tribute to sweetmemori es , —the days that were gone .

Ay,

” came the response from H assan.

Each understood the feel ing . Not another word wasrequ i red in explanation .

Let us go down to them , urged Chalil , presently .

We can find plenty of h id ing-places beyond ; and weneed no t go near the castle .

”

I will do as thou hast said , assented H assan .

They made a wide detou r, and came out below thefurther end of the fi rst great pool .The sooth ing s ib i lant murmur of the water as it broke

against the sides of the pool reached them in a lowcontinuou s hum . The vast rese rvo i rs are partly cu to ut of the sol id rock , partly constructed of mason ry ,and , i n places , are l ined with the hard cement s imi larto that u sed , from ancient times , i n the structure of

cisterns , throughout the country .

“ H earest thou the vo ice of the waters ? askedH assan .

That I do . It reminds me of the day when we werel i ttle fel lows , before I was abl e to Swim , and when I fel li n and came near d rowning , as I su rely wou ld havedone , had you not l eaped i n and saved me .

I remember it well .We both came near drowning. You barely were

able to reach the stone steps with me . Shal l I notalways remember thou d idst save my l i fe , and at ther isk Of th ine own , H assan ?It seems, as thou tel lest it , as i f i t was only yester

day, and that we stil l were boys . It makes me sadwhen I consider al l the troubl e which hath befallen u ss ince that time , Chali l . And yet methinketh we hadour troubles then too .

As they passed through the brushwood covering theslopes, Chalil noticed some scrubby l i ttl e terebinths,

H assan : a Fel lah

pushing up among it . .They had escaped the greedyquest of the goats .See the tereb inths , he said , call ing H assan

’s atteno them . There must have been many oaks hereWhat th inkest thou ?

the days of Suleyman,and perhaps

se slopes and ridges were covered withther kinds of trees .”

so long ago—thousands Of years ag oto understand it. And they say he maded these pools ofwate r to water them .

”

Ay ; so he d id ; and many other marvel lous th ingsade he . I s it not written i n the books he wrote andthe chron icles of the k ings ?By th is time they had passed the second pool , ande approaching the thi rd and last, which was at asiderably lower elevation than e ither of the otherIt was also at a d ifferent angle , corresponding to

the cu rve in the valley. Therefore were the youngmen more o ut of s ight o f the usually travel led way , andthey fel t more secure .

When they had reached the th ird pool , they saw thatseveral o f the fellaheen were bathing in it. Seei ngH assan and Chali l , though not recognis ing them ,

theycalled to them repeatedly ,Come in ; the water i s ju st right. It i s soft and

pleasant as milk ,” they cried .

“ Strange , how l ike a frog a man looks swimming inthe water,

” said Chal i l .“ I have Often thought of that , said H assan ,

how i n other ways , also , men are l ike to frogs .”

On the great terminal dam , the strongest and highestof al l , and a magnificent p iece of work , some more ofthe peasants were gathered , and were rap idly d ivestingthemselves of thei r raiment , one after another, andplunging from the height into the pool . They , too ,invited the new-comers to j o in them , whi le those in thewater continued the i r eu logies of the del ights they wereexperiencing,Come bathe in the sweet waters

,and cool thyse l f.

They are l ike unto the waters of Parad ise .

”


Let u s have a swim , u rged Chal i l . “ It wi l l cooland refresh us for the rest Of the day .

The heat , and the s ight of the others bathing , madethe temptatio n too great to be eas ily res isted . Boththe friends j o ined the men on the dam , and were soonprepared for the bath .

They al l praised the beauty o f the elegant cu rvemade by H assan as he plu nged from the h ighest po intinto the water ; and they wondered at his d iving— h e

coming up at so great a d istance from the place wherehe had entered .

They thoroughly enjoyed the experience , and alladded thei r praises to those Of the former eulogists ofthe bath , i n the extravagant language of the East . I twas l ike bathing in l iqu id gold , the sun shone down so

lavishly , so royally.

A few of the men who had had enough of the pastime

,had cl imbed out, and were ru nning to and fro , on

the top of the broad dam , dryi ng themselves i n the su nshine

,before resum ing the i r clothes ; but the majority,

including H assan and Chal i l , were sti l l i n the height Of

the i r enj oyment in the pool , when a sudden alarm rangout over the water. It came from the men on the dam .

The zaptiehs are coming !I n an instant the splash ing and the play ceased . The

laughte r and the vo ices were s il ent. For a moment al lwas so stil l the rippl ing treble o f the wavelets cou ld beheard . Then a strong voice rolled out the words

,

Where are they ? —Which way do they approach ?It was the unmistakable bass of H assan .

“ They are even nigh at hand ,” came back the answer

from the men on the height, who were hasti ly puttingon thei r garments.Come

,Chalil we have no time to lose ! exclaimed

H assan .

They at once swam toward the steps cut i n the rock—the same steps where , so many years ago , H assan hadsaved Chalil’s l ife ; and now, reaching them fi rst, hehelped the young sheik out.

Stand ing together , dripp ing from the water, the glorious specimen of manhood tu rned upon his friend al l the


and this he had thrown around him . H e had pointedout to Chali l the d irection he shou ld take , while hehimself took a d ifferent one .

The pol icy of d istracting the attention of the z aptiehsby taking different routes was unquestionably a wiseone , as wel l as an unselfish one on the part of H assan .

H is noble stature at once made h im a consp icuousobject, and he evidently was singled out for spec ialattack , as he had expected . H e had gone but a shortd istance when he found h imself confronted by two of

the troop, who attempted to take h im .

There was a desperate struggl e , in which H assanknocked down one of the men ; the other grappl ingwith h im , and laying hold o f him , while stil l others werecoming up , he left h is garment in the sold i er

’s handsand fled from them

,naked .

H ow swift ever had been h is feet upon those h ill s !and now he was flee ing for his l ife . It were strange i fhe cou ld not foi l those men and find some place of

concealment .Once he tu rned to look after Chal i l , and saw him

d i sappear from sight, down a decl ivi ty.

“ It is well . H e i s saved .

”

H e murmured the words beneath h i s b reath , andw ith a look of sati sfaction , which was almost a smile ,upon h is l ips. H e knew that the d ivers ion Of attentionwhich he had caused had been the means of del iveringh is fri end .

Thank Allah , he exultantly repeated ; “ he issaved

,though they should take me . But why should

they take me ? Am not I also to escape from the irclutches ?While he spoke with gasp ing u tterance , springing for

ward with renewed hope and fortitude , there rang out

the sharp report of a rifle , and a ball came whizz ingover h is head , dangerously near.They had fi red to intim idate h im , or perhaps careless

as to whether they kil led him .

H e only bounded forward more swiftly than ever.Yes

,after all , he felt he was escap ing from them.

H e knew of a cave in a certain ravine, a secret place ,


a harbour of refuge . H e saw i t now, as he thought ofi t,

as plai n as i f he were looking at i t : The huge grayrocks heaving and pierc ing through the earth , or i n savage confusion , scattered around ; the narrow Obscureopening concealed by brushwood ; the sol i tariness of

the regi on, on the borders of the desert . NO one that

did not know Of i t could guess there was such a den there .

H e would make for that. Who could d i scover him insuch a retreat ? H e had told Chal i l of i t. H e , too , wouldfind his way to the place .

H ow rap idly the thoughts cou rsed through his brainas he ran , more rap idly than the motion of his feetover the ground , u rgently as they smote i t. H e imaginedhimself al ready with Chali l , secure in the place of safety .

When this pass ing trouble was over , they could return . I twould be but for a l i ttle whi le . Then al l would be well.Thus he innocently reasoned , but he l i ttle knew what

was i n store for him .

H e had hardly turned the cu rve Of the hil l when immediately he was surrounded wi th zaptiehs . It seemedas i f they sprang out of the rocks and brushwood , or as

i f the boulders had tu rned into armed men .

Then began a miserable scuffle , hopeless for H as san .

H e broke away from the soldier who had laid hold of

him , and , having dealt him a severe blow, made a bravefight. But what could h i s strength and courage avai lopposed to so many ? H e was soon overpowered .

H eld secu rely by soldiers on both sides of him ,they

brought him to thei r captain , who stood sl ightly apart ,eagerly watchi ng the scene . That Offi cer was no otherthan Kiamil Aga .

A look of i neffable sati sfacti on mingled with scorn sat

on the face of the proud aga as they brought H assanbefore him . H e l ifted hi s eyes with an insolent air of

superiori ty, and calmly su rveyed the unfortunate youngman from head to foot with a stony

,unfri endly stare ,

ending i n an i nsulting smile meant to reflect on H assan’

s

pecul iar condi tion . Yet every l imb , member , and muscle of the young giant was a reproach and a subject ofenvy to the aga .

H assan was drawn up to his full height. There was


not the least ai r of shame or Of the suppl iant about him .

Only at hi s brow and in hi s eyes there was a painedexpression .

H e stood naked before hi s enemy , naked i n theeyes o f man , but in the eyes ofGod clothed as an archangel , — in the robe that covereth a multi tude of si ns ,in the wondrous body which the Creator had pronouncedgood , the image of God , as the o ld H ebrews unq ue stionably believed .

What a beautiful thing is the human integument !H ow suffused with exqu isi te colou r ! H ow suggestiveof the high nature o f the royal creature within , theheavenly i nhabi tant ! The naked man , the son of

man,— the son of God . What has he to be ashamed

of? When God reveals himself i n his work , where i s thecreature who has occasion to blush ? “Who told theethat thou wast naked ? ” demands the Creator H aveI not clothed thee i n thi s beauti ful robe ?Standi ng opposite to each other i n such strange d is

pari ty, they both continued to remain si lent for a space ,H assan feel ing that every eye was fixed upon him . Butthere was no faltering or fl inch ing i n a single fibre of theprincely man .

In a great treasure-house of art , in the Ci ty of theFlower , the Queenly Li ly , ever blooming, as she keepsher stately seat upon the Arno , beauti ful , belovedF lorence

,i n the centre of a noble hall , l ifted on high ,

on an unusually lofty pedestal , al l alone , as unapproachable in its magnificence , stands the glorious , colossalDavid of Angelo — a naked man . All eyes that behold him , salute and admire ; for he i s clo thed with thel ight immortal , the l ight that i s d ivine . And nonefinds fau lt. NO fau lt can be found , for i n such a p resence there i s no place for the wicked or the small .H assan might have posed as the model for the David .

“ H a ! Thou art at last in my power, muttered theaga , after his cruel si lence .

The captured man spoke not a word .

Dost thou remember me ?There was an ominous and bi tter threat i n the words ,

and especially i n the tone i n which they were uttered .


could not remove h is gaze . H e fel t h imself sympathisi ng with his pri soner . H e was drawn to him .

After al l , how comparatively trifl i ng was the personalgrievance of the aga ! H ow wrong i t was to cherish i t !And as to H assan’s resistance of the government andattempt to escape , such incidents were of everydayoccurrence . Why should he be singled out for especialpuni shment ? I t i s true he had given them more thanord inary trouble . But what a handsome fellow hewas ; of what noble stature and grand proportions , andwhat superb thews and sinews he was endowed with !Why should he hate him ? Why should his beautifulbody he bru i sed and puni shed ? What offence had i tcommitted ? I t would be cruel ; i t would be wicked tohurt i t. Once before the aga had fel t thi s i nfluence .What might i t be ? Was it a touching of soul and soul ,— the recogniti on o f a ki nship higher than any earthlyrelation ? Once before he had partial ly succumbed toit. Now i t was stronger than ever upon him . H e wasashamed Of h i s severe treatment Of H assan . H e beganto feel w i th him in his unfortunate cond iti on

,—almost

to love him . H is hand went out to touch h im,to take

hold of him , to clasp hi s hand . H e would have spokento him gently , kindly. But suddenly with a violenteffort he recovered himself, he wrenched himself away .

The spell was broken . The evi l princ ip le tri umphedover the good .

H ad they been alone , had they not been surroundedby so many , i t might have been d ifferent . They mighthave come together, obedient to the vo ice of nature

,

which is the voice o f God .

I f thou wou ldst expect any mercy,said the aga

,i n

a strained , unnatural vo ice , thou must inform us as tothe whereabou ts of thy companion

,the young sheik .

”

“ I know not where he is,Aga .

”

Thou knowest not ! Beth ink thee . Where is heh id ing ?Surely, I know not, Aga . It i s as I have told thee.

But what ? Speak and tell what thou knowest.

I f I knew, I shou ld not te l l thee . I am satisfied,yea

,


am glad that my capture shou ld have been the means ofhis escap ing.

”

Take heed what thou sayest . Thou art inj u ringthyself.”

The wrath of the aga was ris ing to the dangerou spo int. Yet was there a l ingering of the kindl ier influence

,the last fl icker of the taper’s flame ere i t leaps

back and disappears , lost in its origin .

H assan held h is peace , i nflexible .

I f even now thou wilt confess , and reveal the youngshe ik’s place o f concealment ; and and if thou wiltp romise to cease from al l fu rthe r efforts to escape , andsubmit thyself it may yet be well with thee .

"

“ I cannot, Aga . I can promise thee nothing.

”

The words Of H assan rang out defiant and clear, so

that those who were stand ing around heard h im .

Then thy doom be upon th ine own head .

”

I t was the turn ing-po int . The aga looked towardshis sergeant, Assad , who . with others of the troop stoodnear, and exclaimed : What u se i s there of any fu rtherparley with h im ? Ye have heard what he says .

“ Yea , Aga , we have heard ,” repl ied the sergeant. It

is even with him as with one who knows not his owngood , and when he i s dealt with mercifu lly. H is fo rtunei s gone , bu t h i s pride remains . Surely i t is unprofitableto hammer cold i ron ; and an ass cannot be made a horseby beating. There is nothing to be had of him . I tmay wel l b e said he has neither p rope rty for the cou rtto take from him nor rel igion for Shaitan to take .

”

Thus re inforced in h is j udgment, the aga felt mortifiedat his former weakness in yield ing to h is sympathies andbetter feel ings . And now, all the more , d id his accursedhate take possession of him . The recollection of h is

baffled purpose agai n was in the ascendency, and ragedwith in h im . H is strongest pas s ion u rged him to requ ital .H is unsated desire cried to him .

Knowest thou no t that thy l ife is i n my hand ?The aga’s face was darkened with anger as he ad

dressed h is captive .H assan stepped forward a s ingl e stride ; then bent and

said something to the ag a which no one but themselvesheard.


Whatever the words were, they convu lsed the captain.

Kelb dog ! he cried .

Dost thou call me kelb ?Ay. Shemme l-ui ya kelb tu rn to the left

,thou

do g ! Get out ofmy way !This i s the contemptuous express ion sometimes usedby the Moslems when , in pride o f power, meeting on thewalk Chri sti ans and other unbel ieve rs in the Mohamme

dan fai th. It was an intolerable insu lt to H assan .

Then art thou no true son of I slam to call o ne Of thefaithful kelb— as though he was a giaou r— a kaffir.

Art not thou thyself the kelb , and worse than a kelb ;for the dog knows his own kind ?Then the aga drew his sword and smote H assan with

the flat of i t, and made as though he wou ld run himthrough .

But the eyes ofH assan those eyes which had lookedin the fierce o rbs of th e leopard that fiery terrorand quelled it those gateways of his sou l sent forth apower that restrained the infu riated captain .

The next instant, maddened by the insu lt ofthe stroke ,H assan sprang upon h im . But he was at once se ized byAssad and two others of the zaptiehs .Take h im and bind him secu rely, and put h im with

the other prisoners,to be dealt with presently ,

”com

manded Kiamil Aga, collecting h imself sufficiently togive the order . H e i s a d angerou s man ,

” he added .

We will scou r the country for the young sheik . H e

cannot be far Off.

”

What if H assan was , as he declared , under the regulati on age , and notyet l iable to mil itary serv ice hi s greats ize and enti re appearance were against the supposit ion ;and under any c ircumstances those high-handed menwould not care would hes itate at no such imped iment.They laughed i n h is face . H e was i n thei r power, andthey did with him as they wil led .


DO not be cast down , H assan , was Chalfl’

s reply ;I am happier to be with thee than i f I were free . Evenin despair there are many hopes .”

Thou art right,” responded H assan , always ready to

look on the bright s ide ; and , referring to thei r wretchedness , he added : Perhaps this ve ry egg, born Of darknessand sorrow , may put forth feathers and wings, and becomea phoen ix .

”

But in thei r hearts they felt i t was l ike hop ing againsthope .

“ Were it not for H ilwe and thy father I could bear itwell , was the constant express ion of H assan .

Bitter had been the d istress of She ik Abou Chali l . Itwas now he felt the angu ish and thorough depth of hisimpoverishment . The vi llage had not enough money tomeet the taxes which were overdue , and the payment ofthe amount ofcompensation requ i red for exemption frommil itary service was out of the question . Even had theo ld man been able to raise , by some extraord inary means ,the sum necessary to redeem h is son , h is sense of honourand of right p rohibi ted hi s taking such a step . Besides ,Chali l would not permit it.

H ow could I endure the shame of i t , to see H assanand others of our people go to the front, and I, boughto ff, remain at home ?No ; i t was plainly an impossib i l i ty on every account .The idea that the sheik had a treasure of moneyburied somewhere i n the vil lage had exc ited the rapac ity of the zaptiehs , and was the cause of the i r press ingthe ir claims al l the more u rgently, with the hope thusto tap h is secret hoard . Such cases Of hoard ing s ilversecretly burying it—were so common , they wou ld

not bel ieve the protestations of the sheik, and hi s re

peated den ials .“ Come now , O Sheik, and let u s reason together,

they said to him . Why dissemble ? I f thou hastmoney thou hast no occasion for th is trouble , and no

necess ity to res ist, or to lose thy son, or, for that matter,any of thy fri ends .”

But he had been a father to h is people , and had notoppressed them ; he had ministered of his own means to


the wants of al l who were d i stressed and need ing help,

and had taken naught Of any man , and the terr iblecalami ty which had lately befal len B ettir had exhaustedhis resou rces .

“ Think ye that, had I the treasure , I should holdback , and not ransom my son and my people ? ” was hisrepeated answer.But they bel i eved h im not

At las t the day came for transporting the conscriptsand the recru its , i nclud ing the p risoners , to Jerusal em ,

that they might rece ive the i r outfi t , on the way to theirdestination . This latter the destination the authorities had tr ied to have kept secret , though i t was wellunderstood , or, at least, was general ly supposed , to beCrete .

The men were brought into the city in smal l bod ies ,or companies , as they happened to arrive , guarded bymounted zaptiehs , and secu rely fastened together, hal fa-dozen or more i n a bunch , with stout ropes . Theywere dressed in the native garb ; and , i n some cases , thesacred green flag o r gu idon was carried before them ;while

,with the hope o f amel iorating thei r lot, they made

much ado,clapping thei r hands , shouting and chanting

in a loud vo ice the p raises ofMohammed and the Su ltan ,feigning a joy which thei r captive , bound cond ition andforcible se izu re man ifestly contrad i cted .

Cries of Allah yanso or e s-Su ltan !—God give victory to the Sultan ! continued to rise from them ,

though frequently drowned in the shrieks and lamentations of the women , who with the male relatives closelyfol lowed them into the c i ty, sometimes to the ve ry gateof the barracks .No t a few of the men , however, maintained a su llensilence . There were certainly two among them H as

san and Chal il—who d id not feign j oy.

With few exceptions , the conscripts were hu rried ou tOf s ight of the i r relatives and friends into the barracks ,whence some of them presently emerged , having undergone the strange metamorphosis the substituting ofthesoldier’s uni form for the d iscarded peasant’s dress . I twas noticeable how awkwardly they moved about in


the ir lately-adopted and generally i l l-fitting habil iments.The coarse dark-blue cloth ofwhich these were madewas not seldom threadbare and ragged . They were O ldunifo rms for which the o flfi ce rs charged the governmentas though they were new.

Abou Chal i l,as he beheld his son , captive and bound ,

and i n the hands Of the sold iers , ran fo rward , and fello n his neck

,and kissed him again and again . Then he

tu rned to H assan , and embraced and kissed him l ikewise.Lift ing up his vo ice , the aged she ik lamented ,O Chali l , my son , woe i s me that I should l ive to

se e this day ! H elp less to help thee , poor and broken ,what shal l I say ? What can I do ? I t were wel l that Ihad died that I had given up the ghost rather thanthat I shou ld l ive to se e this evi l come upon thee andme .

Do not take i t to heart, O my father ! said h is son .

It wil l be more bearab le than thou dost think . I sorrow not for myself. All my grief is that thou shou ldstbe left alone , i n the end of thy days , withou t H assanand me to comfort and ass ist thee i n thy troubles andaffl iction .

”

“Allah give thee aid , and restore thee fou rfold , honoured She ik ,

” added H assan .

O Chali l ! O H assan ! Allah hath affl icted andhumbled me in these my darkened days . The crown ofmy honour and my glory was taken from o ff my head .

My pride rebelled . I could not bear it . I was ashamed .

I covered my head with ashes . I h id my face i n mymantle . I h id i t from my neighbours and friends andmy own people . Little d id I think that worse shouldbefal l me . Alas, alas , there is an evi l b eh ind the evi l ,and there is a sorrow that cannot be measu red , and thatthe mind cannot take hold of !

H ere the guards stepped fo rward and laid hands onChali l and H assan to remove them .

The o ld man , desperate , and bl inded by hi s feel ings ,threw h imself between , and tried with all the powerremai ning in him to prevent the removal .

“ 0 Chal i l , my son , can I not save thee ? O Chali l ,my son , my son ! cried the poor father.


them ? The country folk are departing. There is nc

place here where thou canst very well stay ; and the

kahn is overcrowded .

”

The sheik tu rned on h im a bewildered look . I t wasdifficult for h im to collect h is thoughts , or make up hismind to leave.Chali l I want to se e Chal i l , he said.

But thou knowest they wil l not let thee se e h im . I !thou returne st i n two o r three days , perchance they maylet thee talk with thy son and H assan , as then they wilibe i n the i r un iform , and will doubtless be led out tc

dri ll and for other exerc ise .

Others speaking to the same effect, the o ld man consented to retu rn .

With a heavy heart he passed down the road by thelower pool Of the Gihon , words of sorrow and lamentation upon his l ip s strangely mingled with calls fo ires ignation .

Outs ide the Jaffa Gate there was an unusual numbexof camels col lected , crunching thei r ju iceless and dustyprovender of chopped straw, a scanty amount of barleymixed with it . As the drivers loaded some of themthe d iscontented animals grumbled and growledsp it, afte r thei r fash ion .

“ Why so many ; and whence come they ? 5

one asked .

“ They are lately arrived , and are intend ing tofor Jaffa ,

” was the answer. No one thought ofbe ing connected with the movement of the trthough continu ing to remark abou t them . Butsheik noti ced them not .When he came to the spot where the lepers

,

men and women , sat by the ways ide begging of allpassed by

,the miserable creatu res clamou red for

i n thei r croaking husky voices , and , to exc iteexhib ited the marks left upon them by the loathsod isease .

H owadj 1 , backsheesh ! H owadj 1 , backsheesh ! wup the distressful wail continuously.

I t was so horrifying , i t almost shut out anywith them— the dread of the abom


erpowering .It was l ike the open ing of the mouth

H ades , and letting out the fiends .lepers that are with them too— corruply mating with rottenness—they rai sed

eir shri l le r voices .“Woe , woe ! Unclean ! Unclean !

”

It was the yelping of the damned !Invis ible power of goodness , love , and graciousness ,11 these be women , these festeri ng masses of abject

cc of the foul and the grimlydeformed hideousness ? Oh ,

athsomene ss of i t !nspeakable ,

hel l-born suggestiveness of the thing !ow can there be a merc ifu l God , and permitexclaims the unaccustomed stranger, as he

h is breath in pass ing them , lest he i nhale thenating, pesti lential atmosphere.they come togethe r—these accursed and ab

men and women. With all that putrid repul

in the very face O f despai r, they find ant. They produce thei r kind . And the feetle chi ld- leper patter ove r the floor. And the

vo ice,that shal l never know joy-laughter

,already

wi th thickened impeded utterance fo r a respite itnever have ti l l the hand of death i s laid upon it.course , not one of them is al lowed to pass ins idealls of Jerusalem . H ospitals , far outs ide the c ity ,been bu i lt for these outcasts , where they are profor , or would be taken care of, and where they

ld be confined . But they prefer to come here andEven the humil iating contact with the world thati s , they cl ing to with the superhuman grip of the

sperate . And the Turk , to whom the word order ”

untranslatabl e , and regu lation an unknown quantity ,lax, loo se , and lenient i n deal i ng with these no isomegenerates . H ence the result . H ere and at St .

that leadeth down to the Garden of

on the spot where trad it ion says the firstrtyr saw H eaven opened , and was stonedthei r favourite haunts .had seldom or never gone by w i thout


bestowing some gift of food or money upon these unfortu nate wretches but now, with bowed head , he waspassing as though he heard them not.One of the most importunate Of the lepers

,a great

,

burly , middle-aged man , beardless and hairless fromthe d isease , rushed forward , determined not to lose theOpportunity - i ndeed , demanding alms as a right. H is

manner and words impl ied that the sheik in not responding with a gift was committing an unpardonable wroH is chest was bare , exh ibiting u nmistakable s ignsl eprosy, as d id h is inflamed and swollen face ; andheld up , more threaten ingly than beseech ingly,hideously deformed hands , from which all the fingexcept the stumps had dropped off.

H e came unp leasantly and perhaps dangerously near ;and his s ini ster manner was decidedly offensive . H is

thick , choking u tterance was s imply d isgusting. As healmost blocked the way , the she ik wasPoor and wretched as thou art , thou beho lde

sti l l poorer and more wretched ,” said the sad Old

i n such a tone and with so awfu l a mien, i t struck terrointo the leper.

“ Allah have mercy upon us , the diseased wretejacu lated , fall ing back sl ightly .

The s ilvery hair and beard Of the venerable sheik,they floated on the breeze , his strong , commandifeatures , and lofty bearing, gave him the characterone of the ancient patriarchs or p ropH e leaned upon h is long staff, muchand which he carri ed not more to support h isthan as his wand Of Offi ce . I t was the insignia o f

sheik’s rank from the days of Abraham , who was , hself, naught else than a sheik .

H e stooped and plucked the leaf of a mandrake plwhich had thru st i tself up through the red clay on

border of the road .

“ Th ey say a green leaf i s a beggar’s present,

said,hold ing it out to the leper . “ It i s al l I have

give thee .”

The leper reco i led , not u nderstand ing.

The she ik’s mind wanders ,” remarked Yusef,


i n Crete . It i s true Crete was general ly in a chronicstate of rebell ion ; but th is was a revolt Of extraord inaryproportions . Again , not a few declared the action wassimply due to the fact that the mil itary governor, wishing to reduce h is exp end itu res , had ordered the regiment out of the country as soon as possible ; and thatit was coole r and better for the men to travel at night.All o f these reasons may have entered i nto the causes

originating the order. At any rate , i n the p itch darkness of the night, the men, awakened ou t of the ir brie fslumber, were marched through the Jaffa Gate , out of

the sleep ing ci ty. Withou t bugle , fife, or drum , u nlessthe latter were o f the muffled sort, they went upon thei rwind ing and dusty tramp , accompanied by several companie s of regulars , and a band o f mounted zaptiehsthose ubiqu itou s h orsemen , who might be said to havetu rned every way— pervaded al l quarters to keep thenew men withi n bounds , and prevent desertions . Not

ti l l they were wel l u nder way , beyond the fi rst watchtower on the Jaffa road , d id the grotesque , melancholymusi c begin . Then the bugles , trumpets , d rums , andfife s made up for lost time , b laring out thei r notes intothe night, til l the h i ll s and the val leys reverberated .

The next morning , wearied and overcome as he hadbeen by the c ruel experiences of the preced ing day ,Abou Chalil arose with the sun , and began to makep reparations for again visi ting Jeru salem .

The men of B ettir, and especial ly Yusef, employed al lthe i r persuas ions to influence him to postpone h is vis i tti l l he had recovered from the effects of what he hadsuffered .

Thou art more l ikely to have a favou rable Opportunity of seei ng thy son and H assan by waiting a day or

two longer ,” argued Yusef.

But i n vain . The she ik had resolved to set out.I am fully persuaded to vi sit Jerusalem this day. I

must see my son . I must be near h im for the l ittle whi lehe i s here . It was wrong ofme to leave yesterday . Weshou ld have made arrangements to remain . Besides , Ihave been warned in a d ream , i n a vision of the night.


I t came to me in the m idn ight watch , when al l wasdark and stil l . Did I not hear the drums beat and thetrumpets blow ? Yea , the sounds came soft but d istinct,borne on the breeze over the hi ll s . And then methoughtI saw Chalil beckon ing to me ; and I heard him say,

‘Fathe r,come

,i f thou wou ldst se e me before I go .

’

The o ld man paused the sweat stood i n beads on h isforehead ; i n h is earnest anxiety he trembled .

“ I woke and found it was a dream ,

” he continued ;yet wilt thou bel ieve me ? I could stil l hear the sound

o f the drum and trumpets , faint, faint , and ve ry d istantand fine , l ike sp ir it musi c , from beyond the hi lls . Thoumayest know that I am determined to go to Jerusalem .

Even if it kil ls me, I shall obey the vo ice .

”

Seeing i t was useless to argue fu rther, they gave way .

H e had chosen Yusef to accompany him , and all alongthe road he kept referring to Chali l , and how, once more ,he shou ld embrace him . H e could speak and

'

th ink of

nothing else . H e recal led the days when h is son wasa l ittle ch ild , and he related many an anecdote of him ,

and told ofwhat a comfort he had ever been to him .

At las t they had passed the plain of Rephaim , andstood on the brow o f the h ill ove rlooking the GihonValley as i t cu rved into the Valley of H i nnom ,

sweepingthe southerly flanks of Mount Zion . Doubtless manya king and warrior , priest and p rophet, had paused herefor the view before making the descent . The H oly C itywas in s ight

,facing them , crowning the heights , the

towers of the c itadel ris ing on the left.When I think he i s with in those towers I scarce can

contai n mysel f, Yusef I feel as if I must fly to him, tobe with him .

”

I t was astonishing to see the she ik , as he uttered thewords , qu icken his pace , with renewed strength , i nsp i redby his feel ings.

“ I can scarce keep abreast with thee, said Yusef,flattering the o ld man . Thou art l ike a young roe uponthe mountai ns . But Spare thyself, O Sheik ! Thou hastplenty of t ime before thee .

Not when I am going to see my son . I care not tolose a minute . Would that I might stay the shadow


upon the d ial , or make it move backward , as they sayonce happened to the good King H ezekiah i n th is veryc ity even the same king who stopped the upper watercou rse of the Pool of Gihon , which i s named theMamillah , and brought the water straight down by theunderground condu it to the west s ide of the c ity OfDavid , and so i nto the pool which i s cal led H ezek iah’s

,

as my father told me, and as thou seest it remains untothis day in Jerusalem . Praise be to the All—Merci ful

,we

are not wi thout H is help . H e will make me strong tobear what I have to bear. My heart i s made glad thatI shall se e my son thi s day.

SO the noble o ld she ik held converse with his youngcompanion unti l they entered into the city .

H ardly had they proceeded a few paces within thewall s when one met them

,an acquaintance o f Yusef.

With the intu itive mind of the native,the man conj e c

tured the obj ect o f the i r vis i t.“ Thou art too late ,

” he said .

“ The regiment leftlast night for J affa.”

The words were l ike a blow to the fa ithfu l Yusef. ButAbou Chal i l heard them without a tremor . H e did notcomprehend them . H e was absorbed in the thought ofsee ing h is son .

Yusef drew the man aside to learn more of him ,cau

tioning him to speak low, so that the sheik should nothear.

H ow shall I break the b itter tid ings to him ? hesaid

,when he had learned all .

The sheik grew impatient at the delay.

Thou art wasting the prec iou s time , Yusef. Whylin

‘

g e rest thou here babbl ing, when I want to se e myson ? I would se e Chalil .”

The eager,i rritable words only fu rther d istressed and

unnerved Yusef.They were stand ing before the ru inous entrance of

the great publ ic oven on David Street. Broken stonesteps descended into the yawning arched mouth Of thedark den gloomy as the dwell ing of Erebus and Nox .

I n the rear was the baking place . It was a Rembrandt-l ikei nterior a few high l ights amid a thousand shadows .

358 H assan : a Fal lah

of God left i n him ? H e had been beaten oft, and usedworse than a dog . No wonder i f what h is fellow-manhad done to him had tu rned him into a brute .

I shal l ask him ; he will know for sure , and I shal llet that suffice .

”

SO spoke Yusef, and as he and the sold ier met, thedec isive question was put .I t was Sorrow interrogating M isery .

The stolid face of the so ldier relaxed . The coarsemouth parted to aid i n hi s comprehension of the case .

There was the sympathetic cl ick of the tongue andhopeless shake of the head . Then the answer came :Yea , i t i s even so . The whole regiment marched

for Jaffa last n ight , Chali l , H assan , all . There wasnot a man of them left behind.

Abou Chal i l sat on the stone bench at the entrance tothe bakery . H e grew restless and impatient, yearn ing tosee his son , and wondering at the detenti on ofYusef.

“ I am aweary waiti ng to se e Chal i l ,” he muttered .

Allah be good to us .”

The details and incidents connected with the ancienthouse of bread for a while drew his attention . H e

watched the people as they brought, on flat square boards ,borne on thei r heads , the dough moulded into cakes Ofbread , ready for baking. Others were seen carryingaway with them in a simi lar fashion or i n collapsable rushbaskets and coarse sackcloth bags the baked loaves.The baker was busy the enti re time keeping his ovenheated and attending to the bread . The pecul iar fuelemployed by him was , as u sual i n Jerusalem , the refuseof the Ol ive , which is p reserved for the purpose after thee x traction of the Oi l .The Old man watched him l ike a chi ld as he kept feed.

ing his fire , running i n batches of the cakes with the flatshovel or spatula , and , when they were baked to a turn ,draw i ng them out and pi l ing them on one side , i ngolden-brown heaps , which sent out an appetis ing Odour.Th ese flat round cakes what memories they hold !

Ever since the days when Sarah at Mamre made cakesupon the hearth forAbraham’s heavenly visitants theyhave been the unleavened bread of Palesti ne. This too


was the bread broken by the Redeemer i n symbol of hisbody at the Last Supper when he kept the Passover

,the

Feast ofUnleavened Bread . But such high significanceas i t might possess was all u nknown to the sheik of

B e ttir. For he knew not the Christ.H ungry from his journey , the sight and savour of the

fresh warm bread woke within Abou Chali l a naturalc ravi ng . Yet he thought not of sati sfying i t. H e

sat so si lent he might be supposed to be dumb .

The baker saw there was some pecul iar trouble i n thecase , and brought him a small cake Of the bread . H e alsolowered a porous bottle of water from where i t was su spended in the cu rrent of ai r and gave h im to drink

,tell

ing him i t was from the renowned Well o f Moses,from

the Temple Enclosure , the coolest , purest and best waterin Jerusalem , sold by the shereefs of the Mosque ofOmarat a high p rice .

The fevered Old man drank of the water gratefully,and

out of cou rtesy he broke Off smal l p ieces of the bread andtried to eat Of them . But he swallowed them with difficu lty . The fever was evidently stronger than h is hunger,and there was sti l l a stronger desi re than that o f the devouring fever , the hunger of the heart , which requ iredother food to satisfy i t .At last Yusef appeared . The sheik hastened to meethim .

Where hast thou been ? And why hast thou been solong absent ? Where i s my son ?

”

Father, how can I have the heart to tell thee ? Allour efforts are for nothing. Thy son and H assan andthe enti re regiment have departed for the coast . Theyleft last night .”

Tellest thou me this ? H ow canst thou speak sofalsely ? H ast thou no shame to deceive me as thouhast and to betray me ? I must see my son . The Officerwil l not refuse me .

"

Veri ly i t i s as I tell thee , Sheik .

Oh , what time hath been lost ! Yet, i f thou speakest truth , even now it i s not too late . Thou mayest yetredeem thyself. Saddle me the ass ; we shall assuredlyovertake them ,


Yusef perceived the sheik’s trouble had been too muchfor him , and had disturbed hi s mind .

“ Thou art not in B e ttir, he said .

“ And thy whitemule and ass, fi t for the sons of kings , as thou knowest,O Sheik , are dead Besides , thou art not able to undergo .

the fatigue of the journey.

”

“ Thou knowest not what I can endure . Wilt thou notObey my voice ? Get thee to a neighbou r, he wi ll lendme a beast . But , alas , I p erceive my strength and myauthority are gone , or thou wouldst not treat me thu s !Say not so , honoured She ik . H ave I not promised

to abide with thee ti l l the last. And though I cannotrestore thy son to thee , I would help thee bear the loss .

”

“ I crave thy pardon i f I have wronged thee , Yusef.Forgive me. I know not what I say ,

” repl ied the sheik,as he went up the shattered steps from the publ ic oven ,l eaning upon the lad . But help me to find him .

Once out upon the street, they caught s ight-of a bi nbashi

, or major o f the Turki sh army , who happened to goby. The O ld she ik , i n whose m ind l i ngered the hopethat there might be some mistake , that Chali l was sti l li n the c i ty— ran to the officer and , fal l ing at his feet,caught hi s hand and kissed i t .

“ I beseech thee , most noble Bin-Bashi , i n the nameof Allah let me se e my son . Salam ’

ale ikom, peacebe upon thee ; thou art too merciful to prevent a fatherspeaking to hi s son .

”

The heart- rend ing cry of Abou Chal i l was uninte lli

g ible to the b in-bashi ; but Yusef, hastening up , madeexplanation .

Ah , I perceive thy son i s the fri end of the younggiant from B ettir who gave us so much trouble . Then Ican only i nform thee he is by thi s time wel l advanced on

the road to Jaffa .

The words of the b in-bashi were a doom . The lasthope o f Chalil

’

s being i n Jerusalem was gone .

The sheik sank i n a heap upon the pavement. H is

tarboosh and turban had fal len from hi s head , bari nghi s s i lvery locks i n the sight of all who were near . H is

l ip s moved,but no sound that Yusef could d istingu ish

proceeded from them , though his arms were about the


was marched as a prisone r,'

d isg raced , bound , and u ndstri ct su rveill ance . H is captain had determinedbreak the proud sp iri t o f him

,and to make him an ex

ample , so as to strike te rror into others .Though a large number of friends and relatives so

j ourning around the c ity , had received hu rried noticeof the exodus , and fol lowed the regiment over the hi ll s,there was a gradual fall ing away ; so that by the timeKo lonieh was reached , where the fi rst hal t was made

,

comparatively few of those camp -fol lowers remained .

Even o f these , the greater part retu rned whence theyhad come , by way of the valley and Ain Kar im . Thevi llage of Ain Karim , the b i rthplace o f John the Baptist, i s i n fu l l s ight, nestl ing amid its te rraced Ol ivegroves and fig orchards

,i ts vineyards and gardens

,

d istinctly visible from Ko lonieh through an open ing inthe l ittle glen . I t i s o ne o f the most charming retreatsi n Palestine , and seemed to i nvite the stragglers tocome back that way . O f the few women who d id not

now take thei r departu re and retu rn to their homes,

there were bu t two who were not the wives of soldi ers .One Of the t wo was Kadra , the other was H ilwe .

After H assan’s captu re , with the exception of twobrief interviews , H ilwe had failed i n her attempts to seeh im. She had learned of the sudden removal to Jerusalem barely in time to reach the c ity late that day .

Kadra and other women had accompanied her ; and asthey had failed in thei r obj ect of see ing the soldiers , whowere by that time i n barracks , they determined to re

main, at l east, ti l l the morrow. Thus they were at

hand when,i n the dead of night, the regiment marched

out. Sleepless i n the ir sorrow, they heard the trampo f the many feet, and were among the fi rst to perce ivewhat it meant .On reaching Ko lonieh , Kadra , knowing the desper

ate ne ss o f the undertaking , had counsel led H ilwe to gono farther, and advi sed that they j oin the women whowere retu rn ing to their homes . But thi s H ilwe refusedto do ; and , seeing her determ ination in the matter ,Kadra had remained with her, th ink ing that whenthey had come to Bab-e l-wad , where a longer halt


ld be made,she would change her mind , and

1 her efforts to communicatewith or se e H as san ,had been defeated. This i t was which so

moved her .H ad he been thy husband , remonstrated Kadra,might have been different thou mightest havee colou r fo r th is ; but now art thou without excuse ,wilt become a reproach in the eyes of al l men .

But Kadra’s argument fel l on ears that would not hear.Either my body shal l reach my beloved, or my soul

leave my body to go to h im , the hapless H ilwe hadanswered

,i n the impassioned language of the East.

Truly he serves out water with a sieve who argueswith one whose mind is . already made up . Yet wil l Icontinue with thee a while longer,— though thoushou ldst be taught i f thou dost not know the danger towhich thou art exposed .

”

“ Could I but see h im to speak a word to him , Iwou ld be satisfied .

”

Thou canst do naught to help h im ; and al l h isefforts are worse than naught . They have left h im in asorrie r pl ight than in the beginning. The caravan proceeds i n sp ite of the barking of the dog. It i s as wellto admit it. All thy tears are of no avail . What is theuse of asking p ity from him who has no pity. To hissuperio r the Turk i s a cringing hound ; to his i nferiorhe is a raven ing l ion . Dost thou expect to find grassin the market at the end of the year ? Thou shalt findit sooner than thou shal t find p i ty i n the breast of theTurks we have to deal with .

”

So spoke the wise and cynical woman from Malha.

Thou hast been kind and compassionate with me ,these many days , Kadra . What benefits can such as Iam render to thee for al l thy goodness ? H ave patiencewith me yet a l i ttle longer. Leave me not. Else therei s none to have feel ing for me .”

H ilwe’

s eyes were full of so rrow and anxiety, andKadra made a show o f relenting.

Fear not ,” she sa id , taking H ilwe

’

s hand , and leading her down the descent, I shal l abide with thee


yet a while . Who k nows ? mayhap til l the l ast.Though thou must remember I have warned thee ; andthe blame of what shall happen must be upon thineown head .

”

The night was clear, and the stars shone with unusualbr i l l iancy. H ow those p lanets gl istened , and thosestars

,wh ich are suns , bu rned and blazed , sc intil lated and

glowed on high , bejewel l ing the firmame nt with theirp rice less sp lendour ! — though there were those amongthe company who , as they halted at Ko lonieh

,cal led at

tention to the fact that the constel lation Pisces,which

was held to be closely connected with the destin ies ofJudaea , was su rrounded with and partly obscu red by awatery haze . The numerous small

,d iamond-l ike stars

that formed the gl i ttering scales of the celebratedF ishes were mostly blotted out. It was taken as anunprop itiou s omen, and much comment was calledforth by it.There was now but l i ttle water in the stream that ran

through the bottom of the deeply- scoured valley, butin the sti ll ness Of the night i t cou ld be heard chafing ini ts rocky bed and mingl ing its murmurs with the rustl ing of the trees in the gardens su rrounding the ways idekhan near the bridge where the halt was made . Themulti tude Of stones and pebbles , la id bare in the widechannel

,gave evidence that at certain times and seasons

a formidabl e stream must‘

course through the banks .Not far from here i s the p lace where David chose thefive smooth stones out of the brook , wi th one of which ,when sl ipped from his shepherd’s bag into h is sl ing , heslew Goli ath of Gath .

The halt was b rief, scarcely sufl'

i cient for a rest ; andsoon agai n the regiment and followers were i n motion .

Up the he ights , by the steep z igzag ‘ roads , there wasmany a weary cl imb for poor d isconsolate H ilwe andthe other women . At last they reached the summit ofthe hi lls

,from which , i n the dayt ime , the Plain of Sharon

and the Mediterranean can be seen , and from whichproud eminence i s a general descent, with occasionalinterruptions

,for the remainde r of the way, ti l l the

great plain is wel l entered on .


no t one o f the most p icturesque spots on the enti reroute .

The small hours of the morning were al ready advanc

i ng, though sti l l i t was night , and darkness reignedsupreme in the depths of the rock-cu rtained valley .

The pale gray l ight of the dawn was steal ing over theheavens

,from the eastern horizon ; and by the time the

regiment reached B ab-e l-wad the first cold gleams ofdaylight began to make Obj ects visible , bringing toeverything

,as in the creative beginning , i ts own partic

u lar blush of co lou r , o f which the night had robbed it .Bab-e l-wad— the Gate of the Val ley—has been

appropriately named . I t is , i ndeed, the gateway toJerusalem

,through which , for ages , all warriors and

p ilgrims and travel lers by way of Jaffa, whether of highor o f low degree , have p ressed forward in order to reachthe H oly City . Nature has marked significantly theimportant pos it ion . Imposing upheavals of rock, eidoIons i n stone , ri se i n defiant guard ian crags on bothsides o f the entrance to the defi l e through which theroad from the Maritime Plain breaks and ascends.I t is , without doubt, a veritable gateway .

What history su rrounds thi s grand portal ! H ere theCrusade r hosts , with kings and princes, and representatives from al l c ivil i sed nations , fought thei r way againstthe Mohammedan power. H ere Richard ofEnglandthe Lion-hearted— met Salad in i n battle . And backin the days when the chi ldren of Israel first possessedthe land , they and the natives races and peoples , andespecial ly the Phil ist ines , had Often encountered eachother i n deadly combat at this poi nt, at adjacent Ajalon ,and along these bristl i ng ramparts . Through this noblegate were hau led the cedar beams for Solomon’sTemple

,the verd—antique and other p rec ious marbles

and material s b rought by H erod for the thi rd and , lastgreat Temple

,and the timbers of Engl ish oak which

King Edward IV. p iously sent, so many centu ries ago ,to replace the roof (o riginal ly of cedar of Lebanon)of the Basi l ica of H elena, the mother Of Constantinethe Chu rch of the Nativity at Bethlehem , and whichoaken rafters sti l l remain there, sound and perfect, to


th is day. The Roman legions came and went over th isvia of vias , as the Greeks had before them . I t has everbeen the pathway for the del ive ry o f al l sacred gifts andall merchandise fo r Jeru salem landed at Jaffa. The mindgrows weary in recall ing the honou r and the power andthe glory, the cohorts , the armies and the cavalcades ofal l kinds that, from remote periods to the presentgeneration , have swept through this strait and narrowway between these flanking pi l lars ofrock , ofNatu re

'serecting, which, l ike immortal gods, have looked downupon i t all , u nmoved .

H ow smal l yet how vas t a th ing i s l i fe ! H ow

mysteriou s ! H ow i ncomprehensible ! These rocks ,begotten beneath the anted iluvian waters , have enduredthrough it al l with a pers i stency which appals the humanbe ing . H e envies them fo r thei r very obduracy . Yetwithin the man is the eternal , the d ivine , the universalsoul God ! Fretful man , he walks upon the earth , forhis l i ttle day in the body, without knowi ng h imsel f, or thebirthright which he has desp ised and forgotten . H e

den ies a sou l to the everlasti ng hi lls , and even to thel ivi ng creatu res which he considers beneath him . O ftenhe denies i t to himself. H e i s God ; and yet you cannot persuade h im that hi s l i fe does not depend upon ameal of victuals . But , for all that, he has a goodopin ion of himsel f ; he feels his oats ,

” and with theaid of h is heart, or his l iver , or what not, he i s able tolove i ntensely and is so conceited as to imagine that hisparticu lar love-affair i s the all-important question of theuniverse . Thus , i t comes to p ass , he is a l i fe-giver ,almost withou t intend ing it.The new regiment , with i ts attendant guards , afterleaving the wely, made no pause as it marched throughthe sub l ime gateway, but , presenting a p icturesque enoughspectacle with its outflying zaptiehs, i t poured throughinto the open , as i f its offi cers and watchful convoyhad gladly shaken o ff the incubus of the ravines anddangerou s passes and at leng th found a breath ingspace . H ere , on the last subsid i ng slopes of the Juda anrange of hills , i s another lonely khan , at which thetraveller from Jerusalem stops to rest and partake of

H assan aFellah

h is luncheon which he has brought with h im from h ishotel , whi le the horses are watered and fed ; for thepo int, being o ne of the regular stopp ing-places fromtime immemorial , i t would be impossible for a nat ive toneglect the custom .

The halt of the regiment was made immed iately belowthe khan , upon the gentl e slope , where only a few rockspu shed thei r snouts through the soil . A short way beyond , a spu r ofthe Shephalah , a lower range o fhills , fronting the loftier ramparts , runs at nearly right angles acrossthe road , the l ast h igh land before entering o n theplain ; and between this and where the regiment haltedi s a shallow depress ion , with a stream , now reduced toa tri ckl ing rivu let , or almost d ry , at the bottom of it .Camp fi res were l ighted

,and the p reparation of food

for the hungry men was at once begun . For thatmatter, the Moslem peasant is always hungry— alwaysready to eat. Wake him up o ut of sleep in the dead ofn ight, and the fi rst th ing he expects to do is to eat .The great fas t O f the Ramadan is , doubtless , accountabl e for some of th is . The man, abstain ing from foodall day, i s aroused by cannon i n the n ight, that he maygorge himself.So the smoke cu rled upward to heaven and presently

the fumes of food permeated the atmosphere , — thatsweet- smell i ng savour

,

”so acceptab le to the nostri ls of

savage man that he fanc ies it must be equal ly acceptableto the deity

,and so makes the burnt sacrifice a part

of his rel igion .

The laggards were brought i n by the zaptiehs ,who made it the occasion for a d isp lay of thei r superbhorsemanship , which is only inferio r to that of theBedawin .

Last of all, at a safe d istance , came the .vi llagers ,among them the poor dej ected women , dragging themselves along with weary step . At fi rst they d id notventu re near. But, after a while , they gathered at anoverhanging crag, i n the rear of the camp , where someo f the soldie rs were so friendly as to share thei r breadwith them .

And now they learned about their relatives and


the asphodels and anemones ; and the nacre was no t

unski lfully cut. She had watched him make eve ry pointof i t .Couldst thou not take him one l i ttle word ? pleaded

H ilwe insi nuatingly .

H e i s c losely guarded , was the soldi er’s reply . I

see not how it might be done .

”

But the man was evidently yield ing to her influence .

H ilwe held out to him the carving o f the star-l ikeasphodel .Perchance , i n passing him , thou mightest drop th i s

i nto hi s hand , and say that she who sent i t was near by ,and saluted him , sympathising with him , and bidd inghim take cou rage .

”

What depths Of love were i n her translucent glance !H e r sou l floated i n i t .The man , i n hi s concei t , thinking the love was meant

for him , was greatly moved,as he took the simple carving.

H is eyes were fixed on her with more than ord inaryadmiratio n .

“ I f i t be poss ible , I wil l do even as thou hast said .

For thy sake , and out of regard for thee , will I riskdoing it.H e would have spoken further , reveal i ng his passi on ;

but j ust then,l ifting up hi s eyes , he beheld what caused

hi s sudden departu re .

“ I see the zaptiehs coming thi s way , he said . Ican no longer stay . But thou canst rely I shall do as Ihave promised

,even i f I d i e for it .”

“ Allah bless thee for i t, and reward thee , she said,as he d isappeared .

I shal l say his sister sent i t,” were his last words .

She was greatly del ighted at what she had done .

H e wil l know his own work, sh e kept repeating,and when told that I am near, he will be comforted .

Yea , he wil l come to me .

”

She felt she had accompl ished somethi ng by her message , and a load seemed li fted o ff her mind and heart .When he gets i t, if he can , he wi l l come to me .

DO I not know he will .Doubtless the sold ier meant to do as he had promised .


Twi ce wi th warm heart , but clumsy action , he went to perform the duty he had undertaken , and each time fai led tofind the opportunity , H assan was so closely guarded .

“ I shall put i t off ti l l to-morrow, he said , with theprocrasti nation which i s such a favouri te exped i ent oftheOriental . They will be less watch ful then . Yes .Boukra to-morrow.

”

That evening, i n gambl ing with a fel low-sold ier,he

had found himself at the end Of his resources .Allah is against me , O Murad ! he said .

H a, ha !The mocki ng, tri umphant laugh of the v ictor

,Murad

,

rankled i n the unfortunate man ’s breast. What wouldhe not give , at that moment, for the most paltry coin ?It might retri eve hi s luck .

“ Try ; thou surely must have something left, u rgedhi s adversary.

The words were tauntingly said , and galled the fle e cedman , who , under that scorching smile o f Murad , madethe semblance of fumbling and feel i ng for what he knewhe had not.H e searched vai nly i n several places in hi s cl othing for

a single co i n of the Tu rki sh or any other realm . Theflush of shame deepened on hi s brow.

At last, thrusting his hand down deep into the pocketof his trousers , he fel t there the ornament o f mother-o fpearl which H ilwe had given him for H assan . H e drewit out. There was no hesitation . With it was a shabby ,battered metalik .

The passion Of the gamester, i nveterate in his race , wasupon him . H e hardly gave a second glance at the starryasphodel

, so carefully and ski lful ly carved with lovingthought i n the shell — the memento of those bl issfuldays o f H assan’s and H ilwe ’

s devotion , when it was l ikeheaven on earth . H e staked it with the metalik, and helost .Allah i s against me , O Murad he repeated , with a

stupefied expression of countenance .

“ And he i s with me ,” said Murad , as he swept the

stakes into .his pocket .


Thus i t was decreed that H assan never should rece ivethe message from H ilwe . It was a long story made short.And the pearly tal i sman , carved by the hand of love,and so prec ious to H ilwe , lay i n the bottom of the pocketOf a strange man .

Oh , the irony of fate !That sel fsame evening , as H ilwe was l ingering near theoutski rts of the camp , hoping to catch a gl impse of theone man who fi ll ed her heart and her l ife , and with avague idea of rece iving some resu lt from her messagethere suddenly passed before her a tall sold ier boundwith ropes , driven by two guards who had used upon himthe butts Of thei r muskets .H ow wan and dust-begrimed was the poor wretch !That tal l man O Allah ! She could not be mis

taken . There was but one l ike that .H e tu rned as he went by , and looked upon her , i n h is

humil i ation . Thei r eyes met . It was he ! H assan !Oh , woe of woes sorrow of sorrows ! H as i t come

to this ?H assan !H ilwe

The next instant he was lost from her sight i n a densebody of troops which Opened to let h im pass , then closedbehi nd him .

I t was l ike a flash of l ightning in the night-time , whichsuddenly reveals some horrible sight, and then drops i tback i nto the impenetrable darkness .

CH APTER XXXIII

H E lengthened halt near Bab-e l-wad had been unexpected by the sold iers , and was a surprise to

them and to every one but the commanding offi cers , whowere in the secret and who had contemplated it fromthe beginning . But the following day the reason forthe detention was made manifest to all , when a body of

prisoner conscripts , captu red since the regiment left


wonder i f thei r hearts were heavy as they beheld theirbeloved h il ls - the place of the i r bi rth and of the ir l i fe—metamorphosed before thei r gaze , changed til l theybecome as an enchanted island , and finally melt awayi nto nothingness , never again to be seen by them

, as

the ir supersti t iou s fancy conj u red .

Then , as they approached Ramleh , to certain of themen it seemed as i f i t were a city starting by magic outof the ground— i ts minarets , mosques , convents , palms ,gardens and fountains , al l the work of necromancy .

H ere another halt was made.The reputed home of Joseph of Arimathea

,Ramleh

,

now wizened and decayed , must have been , i n formerages , a place of some importance . In many of the l ittleworkshops— which are wretched stalls , may be ‘ seenthe beautifu l ly carved cap ital s of the marble columnswhi ch must have belonged to more than one mag nificent bu ild ing long gone to ru in , and ploughed under .Some of these cap itals are of large s ize , and o f theCorinth ian o rde r . To -day they are u sed as horse-blocks

,

and also are employed as stands orwork- tables by shoemakers and other art isans , a single specimen fi l l ing thecentre of one of those box—l ike l ittl e rooms , where sucha glorious antique i s assu redly enti rely out of proportion and place .

Amid thei r squal id su rround ings , these ancientmarbles from some shattered temple , dug out for thisdegraded use from thei r nec ropol is , where they haveremained entombed and mouldering for centuries , area homily on man and h is ambition . Crumbl ing arches ,rubbish heaps and ru ined walls abound ; and the bestained dyer

,the busiest craftsman in town , may be seen

p lyi ng h is cal l ing— ch iefly i ndulging i n the dark bluecolou r

, so favoured by the fel laheen for the i r garmentsabove these quarries of antiqu i ti es , these sepu lchres offine carved work .

Thus histo ry is made and buried ; and mari walksover the si lent graves withou t a blush , o r a touch o f

shame at h is p etty deeds and trifl ing thoughts , or thepoor trans ient vexations which rend him with thei rundue importance .


During the hal t at Ramleh , H ilwe had redoubled herefforts to se e H assan and to communicate with h im

,

but without success . Ever s ince she had sent him thepearl tal isman with the simple but touching message ,she had dwelt w ith renewed hOpe upon the probabi l i tyOf h is find ing some opportun ity for the ir meeting. Shehad great confidence in the resou rces which he ever hadbeen so ferti le in develop ing .

“ H e has g ot my message and will come to me, she

said .

Even after the sight of him in his pain and subjecti onwh ich had so affl icted her and fi ll ed her wi th angu ish ,she d id not despai r . To be near him meant so much .

She could not explain it to herself, but the feel ing wasthere .

She hoped , too , fail ing to meet H assan , that at least,through Chal i l , they might communicate . She d id notknow that the offi cers , fearing col lus ion and co -operationon the part of the friends , had adopted the precaution ofseparating them , and that for some time they had beenkept well apart .As for H assan , the sight of H ilwe had so worked

upon h is feel ings, he was well-nigh beside himself. Aspecies of frenzy took possessi on of him . H e lostpatience and control of himself i n the p resence of sucha temptation . As h is mind dwelt on the dangers andindignities to which she was exposed i n being broughtin contact with such rude unl icensed sold iery

,i t tended

to i nfuriate him .

Chali l had acqu iesced and submitted after h is captu re ,and so had escaped the more severe and crue l punishments administered to the recalc itrant and obdu rate .

“ You may break me , but you cannot bend me ,”H as

san had said .

From the first he had refused to promise he wouldmake no fu rther attempt to escape ; and to th is position,though so unsuccessful i n al l h is efforts , he had adheredto the last.Thou wou ldst do well to submit thyself, H assan,

Chali l had advi sed him , when fi rst brought in from afuti le dash fo r l iberty .

“Why not promise what they


ask of thee ? They wi ll not then so cruelly affl i ct andtorture thee .

But this , H assan scorned to do .

I promise them nothing ,” he sa id .

“ Why shouldI ? It i s ever in my m ind to free myself from themto escape o ut of their hands. The dream of the gardennever leaves the heart o f the nightingale .

”

Alas,they have thee i n the ir power . Thy fate doth

worsen. They wi ll r ive the sou l out of thee . And thenwhat canst thou do ? ”

Were I dead it were anothe r thing. But while thel i fe i s in me how can I cease to make effort ? Were Ias thou art

,Chali l , mayhap I should have done as thou

hast. But how can I leave H ilwe to her fate ? MyGod , i t sets me on fire — it maddens me when I th inko f i t. It i s true I have fai led ; but how do I know thatI shall not be successful the next time ? Although amountain be high , i t has a road to the top of i t. Ye s ,I have fai led . One door i s shut, but a thousand doorsare open .

”

Now that he was deprived of the gentle ministry andadvice of Chali l, i t fared worse with H assan . H e grewmore restive and reckless . When they halted belowBab- e l-wad , i n the region of the Shephalah , h is eyeshad scrutin ised every featu re of the ground , searchingout caves and hid ing-places to wh ich he might fl ee , andwhere he might be concealed . H e saw with but onei ntent the brushwood and scrub , the pu rple thyme andstunted tereb inth which screened in dense masses thehollows and crevices in the l imestone cl iffs. The d eeptortuou s ravines were pleasant in his s ight . Theyseemed kith and kin l ike brothers to h im

,beckon ing

with fri endly interest. If he lost th is Oppo rtunity, i tm ight be h is last. H e was leaving the kindly h ill s behind . Then would come the naked plain where all wasdi sclosed , l ike an open hand . There would not be ashelter for miles around .

The hum of the honey- laden bees murmured in hisears ; the song of the crested lark came to him lu sti ly,cheeri ly out of the sky ; the smell of the wild herbs wassweeter than incense i n his nostri ls . They were the


On , on he went . H e knew not whither . NO one noticed him , though he walked through the midst of them .

The consciousness Of freedom was upon him . H e was

outs ide the li nes . There was no one to hinder him . H e

thought he was free . H e bel ieved he was free . H e

knew he was free . H e walked'

untrammelled on thehi ll side. Where were his fetters ? NO shackles boundhim . H is fai th had del ivered him .

Perhaps , i n some degree , i t was a real isation , howeverimperfect, of the d ivine pri nc iple which i s all i n all ,that withi n him was Allah , through whom he l ived andmoved and had hi s being ; that hi s sou l was the l ife of

Allah , was AllahYes , he was free . Who could separate him from the

love ofAllah ?The vo ice of voices had come to him , echoing downthe sp i ritual heights that know no time or space , but yetthrough centuries almost two millenniums of humansound , as men count : Fear not them who kil l the body

,

but are not able to ki l l the soul !I t seemed to him as i f he had heard the words long

ago ,— as i f they told him someth ing he already hadknown or ought to have known , as i f they were a sacredremin iscence of an earl ier existence . The sense of freedom fi lled him as never before . H e walked as a newman , al l i ed to al l the heavenly powers , and i n the exultation of his freedom he was glad .

0 Liberty , divine angel from heaven , woe be to theman who attempts to clip thy glorious wings and b indthee i n the dust ! H appy i s the peop le upon whomthousmile st, and blessed the nation wi th whom thou dwellest.Daughter of God , no wonder that men , recognising i nthee the l ikeness and image of the Most H igh , fallprostrate and worship .

I t was but a sho rt time before an alarm was raised .

The guards tu rned out. H assan was soon surroundedand brought back . I n the brief interval he had searchedi n vain for H ilwe . H e had not even caught a glimpseof her . Nor had she seen him .

On thi s occasion the guards were incensed against him,

and i n thei r exasperation used him unmerc i ful ly . They


struck him,they mocked him , they swore at him ,

setti nghim at naught

,and in other ways abused him .

Allah ylaano ,— God d -n you ,

” cried the soldierwho had been left i n charge of him , with a profani tyqu ite equal to that Of the Occ idental , —for i t i s altogether i ncorrect to suppose there are no oaths or swearing i n the Arabic or among the Orientals . Didstthou think to escape me ? Why give me thi s trouble ?Wouldst thou sp i t towards heaven ? ”

They bound him more securely , which meant morepainfully, than before , and drove him in before them asthey would have driven a donkey or other beast.

Istaag e l H urry up ,” they cried , as he stumbled and

Id-roub-hou , beat him .

H e i s lazy.

”

Give him a touch of the kourbaj .”

They did not hesitate to lay upon h im thei r heavywhips , such as the zaptiehs carry.

Art thou not a fool to thi nk thou couldst outwit usand get away ? ” they yelled .

H e endeavou rs to extract O i l from sand , anothermockingly added .

To most of this abuse H assan repl ied nothing. H e

seemed stup id , overwhelmed at hi s repeated failu res .Yet was there a strange , enrapt expressio n about himwhich puzzled them . They could no t understand hisimmense power o f endurance . I t angered them .

“What aileth thee that thou attempte st the impo ssible ? ” they asked . We shall hang thee by the wriststi ll thy nails drop Off.

Once he repl ied in a dazed way to thei r taunts : Inthe time of necessity , when there i s no chance of escape ,the hand wil l lay hold of even a sharp sword by theblade .

”

Thi s was received with shouts of deri sion .

“ There , you se e what he i s .H e understands not hi s own good , said one .

H e i s i nsane,” quoth another.

What doth an ass know of the value of saffron ?contemptuously remarked the first guard .


Yea , assented a stou t l i ttle sold ier , the very antipode of H assan, and therefore calculated to apprec iateinimically his excessive proportions . “What can youexpect from such as he is ? That only leaks from avessel which i t contai ns .”

I t was l ike the ass kicking hi s heel s i n the face Of theexp iring l ion .

Bound and bent and exhausted from thei r abuse,the

noble frame of the young giant O f B ettir lay prostrate atthei r feet.‘ They had fastened hi s arms behind hi s back.

H is legs were fette red . H e was at the mercy of his to rmentors . They had dragged him far i nside the li nes

,

where there was no hope of his escapi ng .

“ Let him alone now,

” said one of the offi cers on

coming up and seeing hi s state ; “ he has to march toRamleh . H e has had enough for the present. Whenwe get there , we shall have another halt, and we cangive him thorough punishment then , or when we reachJafla.

After th is, they took extraord i nary precau ti ons i nguard ing H assan ; and so it was that al l H ilwe

’

s hopesof seeing h im at Ramleh were d isappo inted , and all herattempts to commun icate wi th h im were frustrated .

Not only at the variou s halting-places , but al l alongthe route the offi cers had continued to dri l l the men , andput them through the ord inary evolutions ; so that bythe time Jafl

'

a was reached they had acqu ired a proficiency i n th is di rection which , cons idering the ci rcumstances , was highly cred itabl e .

More weary than ever,perhaps largely becau se less

hopefu l , were the two women from Malha, who followed far behind , foot-sore and heart-sore , dri fted hitherand thither by every changing ci rcumstance ,—yet, i nthei r greater trouble , heedless of the i r lesser m isfortunes .Kadra, seeing the p it i fu lness of H ilwe

’

s cond ition , refrained from noticing it to her . She spoke as cheerfu llyas her own unhappy state would permit.

“ Truly ’

t i s a weary way , H ilwe ,”sh e said ;

“ yetevery step we take brings u s nearer to Jaffa .

”

And then the sad end ,” retu rned H ilwe .

“ But i f Ise e him to speak to h im once more


upon thee . Thou sayest we women have no prayers ashave the men . It i s true . The Khate eb doth not teachu s as the Kas e es doth the Nazarene women . Yet , thoughwe have not been taught the prayers of our Prophet inthe Koran— praised be h is name ! —I am persuadedthere is that within u s which Allah doth not desp ise . I she not the Most Merc i fu l ? I s not h is p ity over allthi ngs ? H e knows that we poor women have no helpbut from him . H e knows we have not been taught. Ou rprayer i s l ike the cry of the wild th ings on the h ills .Therefore the speechless vo ice of the heart reaches himsooner than the loudest prayers . Dost thou bel ieveme ? ”

I wil l try to bel ieve thee, Kadra ; I must , I must !Then come hither . Let me break with thee this

morsel of bread . And see , I have fi l led my water-bottlewith pure cool water, freshly brought up , by the wheelyonder, out of the ground .

Kadra drew H ilwe as ide under the shelte r of a widespread ing o l ive-tree , o n the border of an extensiveorange-grove , the prop rietor ofwhich had allowed herto help hersel f to the clear sparkl ing water raised i n suchglorious abundance by the sakieh o r na’u ra . Thismach ine

,known i n the Spanish as 72 077 21 , and in many

respects s imilar to that of Spain and to the ancient Pers ian water-wheel , i s a wooden wheel with swinging , revers ible earthen vessels attached , which , as it revo lves ,empties the ir contents into a great stone tank , fromwhich the water is di stributed , i n branching cementl ined condu its , to al l p arts of the grove and gardens .This is the method of i rr igation employed in the celebrated orange-groves and gardens at Jaffa , where wateri s found i n su rp ri sing quantity only a few feet beneaththe sandy soil .Kadra , with kindly tact, had called H ilwe

’

s attentionto thei r remarkable su rroundings , hoping to rel ieve thepoor girl’s mind from the severe strai n and heavy burden which oppressed it. From where they sat, theycould hear the creaking of the wheel and splashing Ofthe water , and , through the branches of the orangetrees, caught gl impses of the ox and ass—the simple


tive power— as they went thei r monotonous round,

unconscious origin of the force .

calm , ben ignant a i r was satu rated with trop icalaflording that fu lness of satisfaction andof peace and qu iet which is i ndescribable .

aroma of orange , c itron , l ime and lemon , andf thou sands of cu ltivated blossoms of theled with the sweet breath Of the yellowa , sometimes known as the opoponax , and

the prickly pear cactusimpenetrable hedges on

the narrow lanes and roads, protecting ase wide plantations of the golden fru it asanted d ragon the fabulous gardens of the

expanse of orange groves su rrounded thethe two women sat. Amid the lustrou sleaves and the si lvery bridal blooms shoneth of the golden globes , each an au riferousiature . At frequent intervals groups of thel i fted the i r stately tapering trunks , crownedfeathery leaves , high in a ir, with saintlyThese great branchy leaves were the trophiesr given to h im that overcometh and they

seemed conscious of the ir anc ient honou r. Beneaththeir gently swaying curves tenderly outl i ned againstthe cloudless blue of the sky, to which they are akin ,sumptuous clu sters of the date-fru it, some crimson , somehoney-yellow , hung in generous profusion . That finefar-off deeper blue is the Mediterranean itsel f, thegreat sea, across whose sapphi re background may bedetected the sunny gleam of fl i tting sai ls , while , seatedon her mount of rock and sand , crouching at the water

’sbrink

,with many a dome and pinnacl e and suggestive

minaret, Jaffa , the quaint o ld town , which trad it ion sayswas founded before the Deluge , looks down with j ealouspride upon the whole entranc ing scene . NO wonderthat Kadra, catching sight of the breezy , cri spy blue ofthe sea , under the unwonted spell , was carried away withthe rare splendour of it .

“0 Jaffa—Yafa the beautiful ,

’

as we l l thou art

Hassan : a Fellah

named , thou art even as the Eden that Allah planted forthe first man and woman .

She tried thus to rally H ilwe , and coax her out of

her grief into admiration of the place , but i n vain .

I know it i s fai r and excellent ,”she repl ied ; “ but

sh e shook her head sadly “ i t cu ts me to the heart,Kadra

,when I think of H assan .

She hid her face against Kadra’

s bosom , weep ingb itterly .

Kadra herself broke down , and mingled her tears withthose Of the sorrowing girl .Would to God we saw i t with a happy heart, sighed

the ~

pitying woman , folding H ilwe i n her arms .Ah , would i t were so !Yea , H ilwe ; thou art right ; the beauty Of the garden

i s enjoyed by him whose mind i s at ease .

I se e not the roses for the pai n of the thorns . I cangive myself no rest, nor take any peace ti l l I have foundhim .

”

Alas,i n a world l ike this , one must be under Obl iga

tion to a hundred thorns for the sake ofone rose,mused

Kadra .

Afterwards both the women , for heaviness Of heart ,were si lent for a long time . Then H ilwe roused hersel fArt thou rested , Kadra , she asked i n a soft voice .

Yea , as much as I shal l be,” returned the brave

woman .

“ Then let u s be going.

Ah , I knew where thy mind was Truly I am ready .

I t cannot be but that this time we shal l find him .

”

That night, as they were slowly and sadly returning,weary and dispi ri ted , from another fru i tless effort to reachH assan , they wandered out of thei r road , and becameutterly bewildered in thei r attempts to find the way.

The darkness that had quenched the scarlet of the pomegranate blossom fi l l ed the whole breadth ofthe firmament

with blaz ing, palp i tating , starry suns that chanted wi thunceasing voice thei r u nheeded prophecy to man .

“ More worlds ! more l ight ! more li fe ! ” they cri ed ,as they had done for centuries Ofmillenniums , even before


to thei r affrighted vi sion,had a preternatural aspect an

almost gigantic proportions .In her del icate , feeble , and weary cond ition , H i

perhaps less courageous than Kadra , had hardly trusherself to cast more than a momentary side glance atfearfu l object. I t was enough . H er imaginati on d idrest .The horror of the supersti tious in the presence ofwthey suppose to be the spectral or supernatu ral ,easi ly measu red . Even steadfast minds , as well aswho deny the existence of sp i rSupreme Being

,have been

of some u nwonted ordeal,to

With thei r pecu liar bel i ef asgnomes , and all thewith the unseen or

Palesti ne are exposed in an unusual d eg rceptibilitie s thereby engendered . Those impcreatu res of the ai r are to them very real existenceseveryday conversation . They are feared , are the su

j e ct of prayer, and are guarded against by numerowel l-known precautions, and the employment of variodevices in the shape of spells , tal i smans , and amuletsi nnumerable . That other world , not far from any of us ,is very near these simple people . But i t is the mal ignside of i t that has the strongest hold on them . Theyfeel the wings of those u nfriendly phantoms brush themin thei r unholy fl ight, hear their passing vo ices , sometimes se e thei r fearfu l shapes , and regard them unq ues

tionably as agents of Ible e s , the Evil One .The two women remained spell-bound , trembl ing with

fear, not daring to move from where they stood .

“ It i s a ghoul who has assumed thi s shape i n o rder tol u re us to destructi on , whispered Kadra . Be careful ,H ilwe . Do not sti r or make any noi se , lest we attracth is attention .

”

As sh e spoke she drew through her fingers the bluebead su spended from her neck , regarded as a potentfetich to ward off di saster especi al ly the evi l eyeand repeated i naudibly some pagan form of i ncantation .

H ilwe bowed her head , but uttered not a word . An


pressible , unaccountable awe thrilled her. H erheartfast with an undefined mingling ofecstasy and pain .

knew not what i t meant . The sti llness and them , and the pervading odours from the orange groveshedges of opoponax were more o ppressive than ever.very ai r and the darkness weighed upon her as a

urden . But the life leaped strong within her, i n symathetic recognition .

Again came that agoniz ing groan of weari ness andistress . H ow strangely i t moved her !Then she heard a vo ice a man’s vo ice and words :0 Allah , Allah ! H ast thou forgotten me ? Wilt

e me to perish ?The c ry went to her heart. Itwas as the vo ice of herfe l A cry out Of the infinite ! Soul call i ng unto soul !She sprang forward , rai sing her eyes without fear o re sitation to the figure so cruelly bound upon the tree .

She knew i t ! Ah ! d id she not? She knew, for sheof that tortured body . H e had savedwaters . She had lain in his bosom .

e had given her l ife . H e was her al l .Merc i ful God , i t i s H assan sh e cried .

The next moment she was beside him .

She bent herself beneath his feet , to rel ieve the tensionn his strained and outstretched arms .My H assan ! My H assan !he embraced and fondled the sacred knees . Shethe prec ious feet. Oh , the p ity and the love

i s head had fallen forward on his chest . Sorrow andhad drunk the l ight out o f his glorious eyes , nowu id and sunken ; yet sti l l they looked i nto her eyesthe love that i s immortal that i s the lord and giver

seemed a last effort.Both head and feet were bare . H is ghastly face wasstained with the blood which flowed from a wound on

his brow. The hai r of his head and face were mattedwith i t. H is torn and scanty garments , far from suffi c ientto cover him , and hal f stripped from him , the result ofmany a desperate struggle , were splashed with the samered stream . The great thews and si news of the man ,his muscular force , his i nveterate power the majestic


beauty of h i s enti re body, broke through the rentsthe scraps and patches o f the miserable raimentcould not conceal or degrade him , and mani festthemselves desp ite the so i led and ragged fragmentsthe poor and shabby uniform into which hi s guards hthrust him .

All the exalted p ity of the woman’s nature arosedesperate rebell ion at the sight .Alas , my H assan , that I should have sought thee to

find thee thu s !But though she spoke to him so tenderly

, so softly ,withi n her was gathering the concentrated rage o f a fu ry .

She seized the ropes that bound him , and tried to loosenor break them . She tugged at the knots wi th her teeth

,

to u ndo the shamefu l bonds and release him .

When Kadra came up , she eagerly ass isted i n thework .

But knots fastened in this country , and especially withsuch a purpose , are not easily unloosened ; and thewomen made but l i ttle p rogress .The knots are accu rsed , and so be those who made

them , voc iferated Kadra , i n her wrath .

They searched i n vain for something to sever themw i th .

Thou wilt have to leave me to my fate , H ilwe . Theguards wil l soon return , and find thee ; and then AsH assan feebly spoke the words , the damp as o f deathwas o n his brow .

“ I would rather d ie— I would ratherse e thee dead than se e thee in their hands .”

Called away by some sudden alarm , the soldiers i ncharge of him , having bound him with unusual care ,suspend ing him by the wrists , had confidently left himalone , i n tendi ng shortly to return . They had evidentlybeen detai ned longer than they expected . Thus H ilweand Kadra had found him .

Keep cou rage , H assan ; we shall do our best torel ieve thee ,

” repl ied H ilwe , redoubl ing her exertions .“ Yea , we shall not cease ti l l we release thee , added

Kadra .

“ Surely the knife has reached the bone, he sa id i nhis agony. Then , i n a paroxysm :

“What am I thinking


her feel i ng for him was one of love . Nor was this of aday’s growth , though only of late had she recognised i t.The tears fi l led her eyes as she bathed his woundedhead , his lacerated back, and the

" welts that scored hi slo ins .

NO wonder that there i s not left even a sigh in h i sheart,

” she said .

The pecul iari ties of the marriage relation u nder Mo

hammedanism are such as permit on the part of theman of a divisi on of the heart to an extent unknown to ,or at least not Openly acknowledged i n Christiancountri es. Kadra

’

s love for H assan would have beenludic rous had i t not been pathetic . At any rate , as itwas total ly unreciprocated , i t was not such as to makeH ilwe j ealous , or the least uncomfortable .

I t i s strange . H e does not think of me that way,Kadra would say musingly .

Yes , H assan’s indifference towards her was among the

unaccountable things to Kadra—as , no doubt, he was a“ true bel i ever , she reasoned

,and natural ly qu ite as

capable of deali ng with the subject as was any other sonof I slam . Besides , she considered he had shown somep reference for her . She recal led his present to her ofthe sheep , and other more del icate i f less tangible attenti ons i n the shape of expressed admiration and goodwi ll , and innumerable compliments . They had notbrought the desi red resu lt , i t i s true . Yet stil l theyremained facts . And facts are stubborn things .I n this she had not the least intenti on of encroaching

on H ilwe’

s rights and prerogatives ; and , as we haveseen , both the women remained the best of fri ends .The law allows the man four wives and many concu

bines , Kadra would say ruminatively , and wi th anaggrieved spiri t.But i t d id not enter H assan ’s head that the “ wise

woman , of grotesquely grim aspect, had any seriou sintentions towards him matrimonially . Neither d id suchan idea enter H ilwe ’

s brain . H ow could i t ? Nor d idthe fact of her love in any sense detract from the kindlysp iri t and ministrations of the elder woman , assigningthem to a selfish motive , I f herheart had betrayed her ,


and carried her fu rther than she i ntended , she was notto blame . She could not help i t. H er secret was herown . There was no s in i n i t.Kadra

’

s heal ing touch was i n this case the touch of

love. Therefore i t should have carried twice the potency .

It seemed effi caciou s with H assan . Life , while sometimesas transient as a vapour, has , again , a tenac i ty thatexceeds expectation ; and the vi tal i ty lodged i n thestalwart young shepherd was of no doubtfu l or evanescent sort, though the body had been put to such anextreme test, i t had scarce power to reta i n i t.The passionate nature of the man was not without itsi nfluence .

“ Art thou better ? asked H ilwe anxiously .

Yea, he repl ied . Then , as i f i n contempt of h isweakness , he added : “When the heart has becomefaint it ought to be removed from the breast .”

“ Say not so , H assan ,”

she said , shaking her headsadly .

When a man’s streng th is gone , H ilwe , of what u seis he ? H e is not fit to l ive .

”

Ah , my H assan , i f only I had thee with me , I wouldsoon nurse thy strength back to thee ! But but theywil l take thee from me .H ilwe burst i nto tears and was unable to proceed .

H assan too was silent. Then , with a choking sob,

he said :Alas , my H ilwe , what a number of desi res have

come to naught ! Little did we think , that happy day ,i n the parad i se on the hil ls ide, that thi s should be theend . I , who should have been thy comfort and stay ,am helpless , and unable to defend thee . H ow can Ileave th ee to thy fate ? It was the thought of thatmade me desperate . I broke away from them , againand again . But the very stars i n the heavens wereagainst me . Did I not se e our stars—the Palesti necluster the gl itteri ng F i shes Of the East blotted outwi th watery haze ? I might have known . They wereturned from me . I was unfortunate from the be

ginning .

”

“ I t is I who have brought al l th is trouble upon thee .


H ad i t not been for me thou wouldst have submittedpeaceably .

Rather it i s I who have brought trouble upon thee,

H ilwe . Yet what is the use of lamenting that which isdone , and cannot be recalled ? And now,

Allah helpthee and me , I must b id thee farewell , and beseech of

thee to leave me . The guards may return at anymoment .

O H assan , I cannot I cannot go !H ark ! What i s that sound ? Methought I heard

approaching steps . Perhaps i t i s the p ickets . Wemust speak softly not to attract attention . I t even i swith u s as with the jackal , his cry when in trouble i sh is greatest misfortune , for i t d i scovers him to hi senemies . We cannot give vo ice to our grief, H ilwe.

We must bear i t without lamentation .

”

“ There i s no vo ice l eft i n us , said Kadra .

“ Wehave poured out our souls wi th weep ing . We promisewe shall make no no i se of lamentation . And suffer u snow to remain wi th thee to the end , or , at least, ti l l theguard comes . We would not be ignorant o f what happens to thee .

Thus adding her impo rtuniti es to those of H ilwe ,H assan could no longer contend with them , but of nece ssity and incl i nation gave way , though much againsth is judgment.And thou wi lt stay , H ilwe ? he said .

Yea,I wil l stay . They may take thee from me ,

but I shall not leave thee .

H ilwe threw herself i nto hi s arms , and wept upon h i sbreast as a sorrowing chi ld weeps upon the mother’sbosom .

“Wilt thou break my heart, H ilwe ? Alas , alas !H ow shal l I conso le thee ? Bismillah , let me kiss theeonce more

,my beloved . H is voice fal tered . H e

cou ld scarce proceed .

“ This i s ou r farewell . Allahbe kind to thee this dark night and for evermore ; andmay he watch between thee and me—when we areparted .

”

Kadra,whose soul was torn withi n her , had with

drawn some time previously, out of sight and hearing,


Before she could make reply , they heard the trampof approaching feet . Thi s was followed by the flash of

a lantern through the branches of the nearer trees .“ They are coming ! They are even here ! ” cried

Kadra,ru shing out of her place of retreat, and taking

her stand beside H ilwe .

“ Fly, H ilwe ! F ly , while there i s yet time ! Save

her , Kadra ! exclaimed H assan . Take care of her,

and be good to her .”

The next i nstant the lantern was tu rned full onthem , and they were qu ickly surrounded by the guard .

H ah ! Another attempt to escape , said the officeri n command .

“ Nay , thou art mistaken , exclaimed Kadra .

“Wefound him dying almost dead ; and we loosed h im tosave his l ife .

”

That sounds well . Verily that may be so , was themocking retort . H e looks very much al ive now

,at

any rate . But how comest thou here ?It was a moment of terror . The horror they had

been antic ipati ng had fallen upon them .

“Wilt thou not have mercy ? pleaded H ilwe .

deed it i s we who are to blame .

She wrung her hands in despai r as she spoke thewords , which were unheeded , and hardly knowing whatshe said .

“ Do you r duty , men ! Take him !” rang out the

order . “We have no time to lose . We can ri sk nomore i n a case l ike this. Bring him along ! ”

The women were promptly thrust as ide by the so ldiers, whi le they seized H assan .

They closed around him , and d ragged him off withthem , though he was scarcely able to move .Thi s was the last H ilwe saw of him .

The guards with H assan passed through a larg er bodyof troops , with the action of a machine .

The darkness and the unknown had swallowed himup .

All was so i nexorably sharp and swi ft , i t was l ike aheart—thrust from a rapier— the cleaving of souls i nsunden


Only a few minutes afterwards , a penc i l o f l ightpierced the gloom , and returning footsteps were heard .

It was the oflflcer with o ne of h is men , carrying alantern .

Where are those women ? exc itedly asked theformer of the latter . Was i t not here we left them ? ”

Yes , i t was here , was the reply .

Then , where .are they ?God knows .”

They spent some time carefully but unsuccessfu llysearching over the ground .

“ I cannot find them .

”

The sold ier spoke wi th provokingly stol id manner.No , thou canst not . The more the p ity.

”

Then , the ofli cer givi ng vent to his d isappointment i nmore than one malediction , they departed whence theycame .

H ilwe and Kadra , at the first gl immer of the returni ng lantern

,had taken warning and , hand in hand , fled

under the friendly shadow of the palms and orangetrees , spending the remainder of the n ight in safety beneath an Opoponax hedge.

CH AP TER XXXV

ASSAN had indeed fal len upon evi l days . Thel ight had faded from hi s eyes . Those great

luminous eyes were l ike ecl ipsed planets whose l ighti s tu rned to shadow.

H is fears for H ilwe ’s safety were maddening . H e

tried to steady his mind and think,but he could not.

What was that hammering, that throbbing ? Was i ti n his heart o r i n hi s brai n ? It kept sayi ng, “Where i sshe ? Where i s she ? Where i s she ? Thou coward ,why dost thou not save her ? ”

The narrow room , or rather cel l , i n which H assan wasplaced that night could scarcely be considered invi ting .

From its appearance i t would be difficult to say whether


i t belonged to a monastery , or a jai l , a barrack , hosp i tal ,or fort. I t was scarcely eight feet square , and i ts enti refurnishi ng consi sted of a few handfuls of straw and a mat,the substi tutes for a bed , which lay i n a dark corner uponthe stone floor . The walls were of the extraord i narythickness of ten feet.The cell , whose small ness d id not prevent its being

lonely , evidently overhu ng the sea ; for , through the loophole at one end , the damp , sal ine breath of the Mediterra

nean blew i n wi th i ncessant S ighing and a coolness whichwas not unrefreshing to H assan i n hi s fevered del iri ou sstate . H e could hear , i n the obscuri ty of the night, thesurf raving and complai ni ng in its unknown tongue , whichi t had learned befo re ever there was human voice , or thesp iri t ofGod had moved upon the face of the void . H ow

i t swells and breaks against the rocks beneath and sendsup dashes of sp ray, smiting the foundati on and lowerparts of the bu i ld ing with an angry hissi ng threat !I shall rive the soul out Of me, or I shal l have thee ,

i t seemed to say.

Perhaps i t was the reincarnation of the dread seamonster slai n by Perseus , fiercely vindictive , sti ll venti ng its spite , gnawing at the rocks and the work ofman’serecti on in i ts attempts to devour the land , which i t manages to n ibble Off, b i t by bit.And to-night was there not i n H ilwe another Androm

eda ? Where was the Perseus to save her ?Then , too , thundered i n hi s ears , to him that unwonted ,boundless , untamabl e sound , the trampl ing of the seaupon the outer reef,— those myriad voices , the noiseofmany waters . I t was the proclamation o f the dominancy of the great deep . H uman voices were stil l . H e

was alone wi th those mighty powers , — the darknessand the sea. H e was alone with hi s thoughts

,—and

even they were treacherous .While H assan had hung in to rture upon the accu rsed

tree , overwhelmed , degraded , stripped of love , friendsand all , what thoughts fi lled his breast, who couldtell ? who could know ?H ow can a man preserve hi s i ntegrity under such

pressure ?


punished ; then he was a lad , a muleteer, exposed tohardships and privations and dangers ; afterwards camethat mixed experience at school . At length he was ayoung man , fi l led wi th the pride , the passion and instincts of his sex , almost before he knew it. H ilwe

came upon the scene . What joy ! What volume of

l ife ! What love ! H ow the temptations , peri ls , andresponsib il iti es multip l ied ! H ow many hairbreadth e s

capes he had had ! What confl i cts and sec ret deal i ngswi th himself ! What strife with others ! H e recalled hi sfight with the leopard and the onslaught of the people ofMalha .

H ow real i n feel ing , form , and colour they all appeared . Many of them were grievou s and hard to beborne at the time ,— yet now they seemed as nothing.

H is present troubles were the momentous overwhelmingweight .But these , too , perhaps would pass . All things had

an end . Life i tself was but a transient dream , and , l ikea vi si on of the night , would vanish and become as thoughit had not been .

This he tri ed to tel l himself. But h i s thoughts wereblu rred and incoherent . H is sufferings were not to beignored . The wrench his body and mind had received ,were receiving

,was but too present wi th him to be

eluded .

Then came a drowsy aberrant i nterrogation of himself :Dost thou fear to g o to sleep ?No .

”

Then why shou ldst thou fear to d ie ? I t i s no morethan fall ing asl eep .

It was as if some one else spoke the words, and he wasan unconcerned l i stener .H e now was past thinking . And sti l l he hung upon

the tree .

Again the compell i ng angu i sh drove h im to the utmoststress

,—to the point when he felt his l i fe must depart .

I t was better so . The world reeled before h im and wento ut l ike a candle . H e must go with i t . All was dark.

There was nothing left the senses to grapp le wi th . H is


heart beat slowly, more slowly stil l . Now the sensesthemselves were gone . H is eyes closed . H e drew afew feeble breaths in gasps . H e knew no more .

The mystery attaching to unconsc iousness , sleep , death ,i s one of the impenetrab le th ings with which we have todeal . I t has always puzzled the few who have thoughtabout i t. I t is a horror to the many . Not one of theexplanations i s sati sfacto ry . I t has ever been inexpl icable , and bids fair to remain unsolved for man .

God wills i t so. It is best .The suspended animation in H assan’s case was of butshort duration . The passionate force of the man wasi nveterate i n him . I t awoke him . It came to the rescueand conquered . But how sad was his state . Withoutimmediate succou r i t was apparently the last effort ofwhich he was capable . Weak and helpless , and tornwith agony , he hung suspended , when that faint despairi ng cry to Allah burst from his parched l ips .Allah ! God ! Jehovah ! Where art thou ?But even then the angels of de l iverance were near

,

and came in the shape of H ilwe and Kadra,bringing

him sweet if only temporary comfort.

H is cond ition had certainly not been improved by hisbe ing dragged through the dusty lanes and over theheights to hi s cell in J affa . The hakim i n attendancehad placed him on the sick l ist , and had given a prescr iption ; but that was all the benefi t that H assan derived from it. The med ic ine never reached h im . Inthe confus ion i t was fo rgotten . Perhaps i t was as well .I n the early dawn of the following day he though t he

heard a vo ice— some o ne wanting h im , call ing him.

H e awoke from such fitful slumber as he was able toget through the n ight , and , though racked with pai n fromhead to foot , arose from his bed , and , looking throughthe loop-hole which served as a window , he saw withrenewed wonder the wide expanse of the Great Sea .

“ Taie eb !” he exclaimed .

“ I t i s long si nce I haveseen thee .

”

H ow mi racu lously blu e and beau ti fu l it was ! L iquidlapis lazu l i .


Under the shelter of the rocky reef which ran al lalong in front , l i e toss ing and roll ing a number o f thesmaller shipp ing ; but there i s no regular harbour orbreakwater— not any more than when King H i ram , of

Tyre , landed here, three thousand years ago , his cedarfor Solomon’s Temple . I t wou ld not take a greatstretch o f the imagination to see the Tyrian sailo rsheaving and hauling , through those narrow channels , thehuge cedar-beams from Mount Lebanon . Those darki solated masses of rock ris ing at intervals o ut o f theseeth ing waters , i n long , cu rving l i ne , are asserted bytrad it i on to be the remains O f the vertebrae of the mythical monste r which would have devoured Andromeda ,had i t not been sla in by Perseus . It i s class ic grou nd .

Greek myth mingles with Bible story, both of themjostl ing modern history ; and there are those who bel i eve wi th Pl iny that Jaffa was i n existence before theDeluge , and witnessed the commencement of that greatspectacle when the waters of the flood were upon theearth , when all the fountains of the great deep werebroken up and the windows of heaven were Opened .

H assan gazed long and eagerly,watching the large

heavi ly—lumbering barges pass to and fro through a narrow passage in the rocks . The transports lay ou ts ide ,in deep water

,far from shore . A lu ll in the wind had

been taken advantage o f to resume the embarkation of

the troops , whi ch wou ld early be completed . The outgoing boats were fi l led wi th soldiers ; and he kn ew histime soon wou ld come .

“ I must l ive,whether I am happy or not, he said

with a sigh .

H e hi therto had seen l ittle of his keepers , but nowthey brought him some coarse food , which he ategreedi ly and with a rel ish

,as he was famishing from his

long fast.The food put new strength in him . H e felt better.There was much noise and commotion in the vicin ity

of hi s cel l . The Officer of the day,i n making h is rounds ,

was push ing matters , annoyed with the slow movements ,and the constant u rging and personal attent ion necessaryto get anything done properly and with d ispatch .

40 2 H assan : a Fe’

llah

Though the bin-bash i may not have put it to himselfi n exactly th is shape , not to say i n so many words, thesensation was there something deeper than speech orthoughtH e was an easy-going man , of some education and

much knowledge of the world , sol idly bu i lt, and with apleasant face and gen ia l express ion . But, though fullyu p to the standard height, and wel l se t Ofl by his re

sp lendent regimentals and mil itary bearing , bes ide H as

san he seemed comparatively of moderate proporti ons .H is critical eye had taken in the subj ect at a stroke .

Whence art thou ?H e questioned H assan in a low vo ice and i n a friendly

tone .From B ettir, O Bin-Bash i !They seem to know how to bu i ld men of a goodly

statu re there .”“ Ay. From of old , Bin—Bash i, responded H assan ,

with so sober and earnest an ai r i t brought a smil e tothe major’s l ip s .

“ I f only thou hadst p roper dress , and carried thysel f more obed iently , thou wou ldst be a pride to theregiment .”

I t was the fi rst kind treatment H assan had rece ivedfrom Offi cers o r men . H e looked down , si lent andshamefaced , at the rents which discovered his nakedness . H is large dark eyes then tu rned to the binbash i so wistfu lly , seeking his consideratio n h is

approval , i t made h im fee l i t should be d iffi cu lt to becruel to the big handsome fellow. Thei r soft patheticappeal —that unconsciously langu ishi ng glance

,largely

the resu lt of his suffering, more fascinating, and enthral ling

,and compell i ng than that of any woman

,staggered

the wil l , and swayed the rather susceptible major in hi sfavou r, desp ite the d isparaging remarks which theyounger Officer continued to make

,as ide

,though audi

bly, and his p rej ud iced and exaggerated account of

H assan’s escapades .“ I cou ld take him to my heart

,thought the major.

I would put my heel on his neck,” muttered the

l i eutenant.

H as san a Fe l lah 403

H ow tru e are the words , which , though he had somewhat of thei r sp iri t, probably th e bin-bashi had neverheard

Ifman to man be all he can ,

A very g od is man to man.

”

Th ere are times when , under severe stress of trouble,a man becomes mystified—stup id ,

” the majo r finallyanswered . H e drives headlong , without calcu lationwithout rudde r wi thout compass . One idea has takenpossess ion of h im . I t dominates h im. H e cannotdel iver h imself from it. At length he knows not whathe d oes .”

And thinkest thou i t i s the cas e with this man ?It seems to me so . There is some trouble weighing

on the man’s mi nd , o r he would no t act in such a way asthou hast said . The treatment he has rece ived has madehim worse . These fellaheen have more i n them thanthou thi nkest. H ast thou never noticed the fine -mettledhorse ? Whipping sets him beside himself. This mani s of too fine a mettle to be chasti sed as he has been .

Under proper treatment he wil l make a good sold ier .”

Mayhap . But he wi l l have to improve hi s ways .Is he married ? I t may be the man is leaving a wife .

Nay , Bin-Bashi , was the answer. H e i s notmarried .

”

By this time the uni forms had been brought ; and one

having been found , not without some d iffi cu lty , to fi tH assan , he d ivested himself of his rent and ragged su it,and transferred his lordly bulk to the more agreeablehab il iments . The major , greatly amused , stood by theenti re time , to see they did right by the young conscript,who bore the trying ordeal with admirable d ignity .

H e was immediately ordered out to j o in the companyto which he belonged ; and they were marched , withoutfu rther delay , to the landing, where they were rap idlyembarked .

All was done so qu ickly , and they were kept so constantly occup ied , H assan had scarcely time to think of

h is personal g riefs .


The boatmen who conveyed the sold iers to the transports managed thei r heavy , unwieldy-looking barges withconsummate ski l l . They were noted for thei r tact andab i l ity i n contend ing with the treacherous Mediterranean ;and some of them were said to have thei r pecul iar giftsby inheri tance , and to be the descendants of the ancientPhoenic ians who ages ago had pl i ed thei r seafaringbusiness at this place and along these shores . Thesewater-dogs were true sons of Neptune

, or o f Dagon,i f

you wil l have i t so , and were more at home on the wavethan on the land . There were no boatmen l ike to them .

They were o f remarkable strength , and full of the manlynature that God loves . They swam like fishes . Andmany a shipwrecked vessel received timely aid throughthei r noble , unselfish , and courageous mini stry . H umanlife had been saved by them repeatedly , at the risk of

thei r own l ives . H ow gloriou s i s a brave man ! Anyone might be proud to call them brothers .They stood up to their huge oars, and strode to andfro as they wielded them . They reminded one o f therowers in the anc ient galleys ofhistoric Greece and Italy .

I t was nice work , shooting through the narrow openingi n the rocks

,as if between Scylla and Charybdis , where

the oars cou ld not be u sed , and with the heavy swellsfrom outs ide rushing and breaking , and the sp ray drenchi ng everything .

Inside,many feluccas , with thei r long yardarms and

lateen sai ls,are sti ll ro ll ing and p i tch ing i n thei r p oor

shelter off the shore thi s morning .

What a fearful wonder it was to H assan to find himsel fupon the palp i tating flood , l ifted h igh heavenward onemoment

,plunged downward the next, carried ofl upon

i t he knew no t whither !They had reached the transport before he noticed i t .

The enormous d imensions of i t were appall ing. It seemedto have suddenly ri sen out o f the deep by the stroke ofthe magi c ian’s wand a phantom ship . I t added to themystery and his perplexi ty . It was al ready moving,belching out its black breath , and triumphantly snorting,e ager to carry him away to a land he knew no t of.

H orror and griefwere contend ing within him . Between


admi ttance . The gates were closed in their faces . Forthem there was no incoming . They were shut out withtheir misery .

In the madness of the ir d i sappoi ntment, they and themen with them became desperate .

Let u s break the gates down ,” they screamed . Why

should they keep u s from our husbands and ourkith andkin ? They are leaving us . Our loved ones are takenfrom us . We shall never agai n behold them .

There was a wi ld , i ncoherent struggle .

But the guard , stati oned there wi th fixed bayone ts ,kept the way . I t was u seless to attempt to force anentrance .

One of the women , who made an impetuous onslaught,trying to reach the gateway , was acc identally woundedby a bayonet.The guard wi l l fire upon us , some one shouted .

O thers of the women repeated the words .There was at once a panic .

They fell back, i n complete d isorder, trampl ing eacho ther . Thei r bi tter cri es sta ined and poi soned the air .Thei r words were broken with thei r weeping .

“Wo e , woe be to the day on which all thi s mise ry andsorrow and unspeakable calamity hath befallen u s !Where i s our help ? There is none to p ity u s .Yea , there i s none to p ity us ,

” came back in an echoing chorus or refrain .

They beat thei r breasts and rent thei r garments , tearing thei r hai r as they cried aloud .

Then one suggested a move that was eagerly acceptedLet u s go around , and on by the beach .

Ah ! why did we not think of i t ?Suddenly they were all hu rrying in that d irection , as

though possessed by some superhuman agency .

They came out at a place near to where , trad ition says ,the great fish cast forth Jonah . The spot where thed iscontented prophet was so unceremoniously landed i simmediately north of Jaffa . There is an unoccupiedsandy space , with occasional tufts ofcoarse sea-grass , anda sl ightly incu rving shore, to the northward of which isa short, blunt point.


The aspect in some degree i s desolate . Yet pecul iarthese barrens , o ne of Nature’s compensations , a del icreamy-white l i ly , euchari s-l ike , i s found i n its1 1 , toward the close of the flower-year , beauti fyinglace . There are other flowers there , flowers thatcall weeds ; but those l i l i es ! -how they grow !

H ow vi rginal they are ! Ah ! H ow shal l such as I tel l ?They are beauti ful enough for the dear Christ, theano inted , to have been born among them , bornamong the l i l ies , as some say he was . But no ,

he wasborn i n a herdsman’s cave , among the cattle of the field .

H e , the Good Shepherd , began his shepherd’s work

early . H e was born at Bethlehem , the H ouse OfBread . And i s he not the Bread o f Life which camedown from heaven , of which i f a man eat he shalll ive forever ?As the wind blew over the l i l i es they seemed to wh is

per th is . I t was a holy mystery .

But that anxiou s band of men and women regardednone Of these things . H ow should they , the troubledsouls ? They crossed with hurrying feet the low windtossed dunes of yellow sand , and , reach ing the shelvi ngbeach , ran along i t to where it fronted the upper end of

the town and grew narrow , scant, and at last was wanti ng altogether ; the lofty wall Of rock , crowned with flatroofed houses , gradually sweeping out i nto the sea, andultimately cutti ng Off further advance. They could not

reach the land ing-place with i ts great stone steps , lashedby the wave , and green and sl ippery with confervoidgrowths ; they could not even see it , though so near .Yet they were near , as near as they could get . That

was something . Also they could see the barges, loadedwith sold iers , shortly after leaving the landing.

One of the boats had already passed through the narrow opening in the reef. Soon another came in viewfrom behind the rocky scarp . The word was passedthat this was the last load . One of the transports wasal ready under way . It was that on which H assan hadbeen placed , though H ilwe did not know it . The othertranspo rt was preparing to weig h anchor on the arrivalof the approaching boats

,


Yea, i t i s the last boat, the shifting group of peasants moaned , in despairing confirmation of the fact.As the barge , loaded down almost to the gunwales , shotforward , there arose from the women , who had flungthemselves upon the ground , a great and exceed ing bitter c ry ,— lamentation , and weep ing, and mourning thatwould not be comforted .

They are bound for Crete, remarked one of the men .

It seems so . They head that way,

” returned an

other .“ There is an i nsurrection there ; and , mark you , not

many of these Syrians will come back . They wil l putthem in the battle front .”

The women took up the c ry . It was the o ld story ,o ld when the bloody David ordered the noble H i tti te ,Uriah , “ set i n the forefront of the hottest battle ” thathe might be slain . Was i t ever to be thei r fate ?They wil l not return . They wi l l be slai n

,

” was thei rrepeated lament.To them , besides , Crete was a term z

'

zzcog m'

ta,—a

place ofmysterious dread , thus addi ng to thei r horror .Those poor dejected d isconsolate ones found , i n the

very simpl i c i ty as well as the gravi ty of thei r affl icti on ,thei r incapac ity to deal with it. It presented no opportunity o f attack . I t was one great ine rt mass o f incomprehensible wretchedness which i t was out of thei r powerto handle or contend with . They flung themselves uponthe ground and cast dust upon their heads . The j oy hadgone out of their l ives .Yet the shadow on the awful d ial of time moved for

ward , unheed i ng . All things went thei r accustomed wayas though nothing espec ial had happened . H ow hard i ti s for those bowed with sorrow to find that Nature has nosympathy with them !The sea lay d impli ng and sparkl ing Off Jaffa as its anci ent gray and white houses , with an occasi onal domeand minaret

,enshrined amid orange and lemon groves

and stately palms , l i fted themselves high above i t i n thecalm

,d ignified beauty of repose so pecul iarly O riental .

The sunl ight flashed with unequalled power and splendou r as if i t tri ed to p ierce into every p lace , i nto every


every sea, carrying c ivil isation before them , they are ,i ndeed , the symbol , the manifestati on of the pride

,

strength , honou r, and justi ce of the greatest power uponearth , the Mother of Empires , whose protection of theweak and helpless i s her glory and boast. H ow thosesombre stately masses of potential wrath could flameout, at the word , l oud-mouthed wi th defiant p rotest.But what could be said or done , felt or known in such

a case as this ? What pretence was there for appe al toarms or for d iplomatic or any other i nterference ?Because a poor peasant o f Palesti ne is violently

wrenched by his lord and master, the Sultan of Turkey,o ut of his qu iet, s imple Judman l i fe, that he might render to the State the mi li tary service which he owes i t

,

must the heavens fal l ? must the dogs of war be loosed ?and must the peace ofEurope be menaced ?Alas , what was o f such cru el and fearful import to

poor H as san , —the rend ing and breaking up Of hi s l ifeprospects , -perhaps the ru in or the death of H ilwe ,was scarcely of more moment to the great world thanthe ripple—mark left by the wave upon the beach

, or thefall of a leaf into an autumn brook, ruddy as claret withits crimson trophies o f the forest !H ow rap idly the transports d i sappeared ! They be

came as specks on the horizon . Then nothing was seeno f them but a hazy patch of smoke , l ike pu rpl ish vapour,as i f they and all upon them had been di ssolved i n theOpal ine atmosphere and final ly had evaporated and beenutterly di sseminated throughout the universe .

The women gradually left i n groups of twos andthrees . Only H ilwe and Kadra remained , they knewnot why . In vai n had Kadra sought to comfort H ilweand lead her away .

Take i t not so much to heart, H ilwe , the elderlywoman had said . Wherever there i s a rose , there is athorn . Every sunbeam casts a shadow . Wilt thou ki llthyself H assan wi l l come again .

”

H ow can he come ? ” said H ilwe .

Even i n l ike manner as he went wil l he retu rn . Willnot the ships bri ng him ? Why shouldst thou break thyheart ?

Hassan : a Fellah 4 1 1

H ilwe answered not. She only shook her head andkept gazing i n the d i rec tion which the transports hadtaken

,a hopeless vacancy draining the l ight from her

e es .y“ Alas

,I perceive my words avai l not to give thee

solace ! ” said Kadra “ I have no power to help thee .

What I say to thee i s as naught . It i s li ke one pomegranate and a hundred sick .

”

She withdrew a space , and seated herself beneath aweather-beaten bush , on a sandbank .

“ I t i s best to leave her alone awhile , she said .

“ Isee i t torments her to be spoken to . There i s not a tearin her eye . H er heart i s turn ing to stone . Allah pityher and me . Mayhap she wil l weep and recover herselfif left alone . I t i s but one heavy heart trying to l ightenanother .”

H ilwe walked l istlessly along the beach , to the farthestpo int where the high scarp of rock jutted out, cuttingoff advance. Fac ing the hard black insurmountableObstruction , mechanically she looked upward . Themassive stone houses of ancient bu i ld were a pro long ation of the cl iff or prec ip ice , carrying it Skyward , i none sweep , at the sea front— upon its very verge . Shehappened to stand beneath the bu ild i ng, her eyesresti ng upon i t, where H assan had been confined thenight before , though she knew i t not.

Early that morning, while yet the darkness contendedwith the grey dawn long before the ris i ng of the sunfrom behind the mist-shrouded Judaean hi lls she hadarisen and stolen down , all alone ; and , as she wanderedwith the wild passionate hope of seeing H assan , someoccult i nfluence had guided her feet to this sel fsamespot ; and , as now, she had l ifted her eyes to the samebuild ing with a vague i ncomprehensible desi re , undefinedand nameless , seemingly more all ied to the unreasoninginstinct of the animal , than to the promptings of theeducated soul .

“ I f only I could se e him , she kept saying .

H assan had heard her vo ice,and started from his sleep .

H e was within that storm-scou rged eyri e then , thoughno cognizance of the complete fact had reached her


j arred and troubled mind . Even when he lookedthrough the narrow loophole o f his cel l, nei ther of themcould see the other . Yet some fragmentary inchoatesuggestion of h is presence affected and moved her . I thad detained her there ti l l she saw the preparati ons forthe resuming o f the embarkation ; and it was she whohad been the means of conveying the information to theother women and the rest of the party .

Again,when they had fai led to gai n admittance to the

land ing , i t was H ilwe who had proposed to go around ,and on by the beach— the only opportuni ty left them of

obtaining a last look of thei r departing loved ones .Now her mind seemed to have become dulled and

numbed from all she had suffered . Though she saw

su rround ing objects , i t was wi thout appreciation of the

fact ; as when the eye scans an enti re page of a book ,and the preoccup ied i ntell igence takes no note of thesubject treated Of.

The long ol ive-brown streamers of the fri l led andfluted sea- tangles , twined and massed with green andcrimson ribbons , and feathery fringes of maroon , puceand erubescent alga , and silvery coral-l ike fronds theflowers of the deep lay heaped i n windrows at her feet :she saw , and yet she saw them not. Nor d id she noticethe murex , whose pall id shel l for ages held the sumptuous secret of the Tyrian purple— the voluptuous dyethat flamed and revelled wi th unholy pomp in the imperial robe , to gorge the aesthetic lu st of emperors andkings . And yet, had she but noticed , she might haveseen that strange ensangu ined lachrymation pecul iar toi t, and thought that the l i ttle creature withi n that pearlytenement wept i n sympathy with her , shedding as i twere , tel ltale tears o f blood , l ike to the sacred ichorthat ethereal flu id which , they i nform us , flowed i n thevei ns of the gods .Thus H ilwe stood , l ingering on the sands u nder therocky cl iffs of the stol id macrob iotic town . H er eyeswere now turned from its mouldering walls , and werefixed on the spot where the last trace of the smoke of

the transports had left its fast-vani shing b lur upon thesky.

4 1 4 Hassan a Fe l lah

her, Kadra .

’ And I wil l save thee wi th the help ofAllah .

”

Ah , how good and brave he was , Kadra ! Even inhi s extremity he thought not Of himself, but of others .”

Do I not know it ?The tears were coursing each other fast down the

tanned weather-beaten vi sage of Kadra as she leantaside and murmured to herself something which wasi narticulate to H ilwe .

Allah bless thee , Kadra ; thou art ki nd to me pastal l ki ndness ; and may the All-Merci fu l reward thee asI cannot .”

Why should I not remember H assan’s last words ?said Kadra . Shall I not do as he said ? Then sheadded , aside , Ah , she l i ttl e knows how I loveh imThe salty breeze from off that immaculate u ltramarine

and vi ridescent water blew the loose dampened wispsof her dark hair i n her eyes , partially vei ling the grim ,

gaunt face that, at times , was apt to look rather repulsive .

She did not bru sh the Medusa-l ike locks aside . They hidher tears . That high-arched nose , of aqu il i ne contour,which gave her an ari stocratic mien , those p ierc ing blackeyes that were capable of striki ng fear o f the “ evi linfluence into the hearts of her enemies , and the thi nl ipped sarcastic mouth of sardonic cu rve— the l ips liketwin snakes —what holy change had come upon them ?The sweet, motherly expressi on i n her face made heralmost beautiful , as , clasp ing H ilwe to her breast, shemurmured , i n tones l ike the cooi ng ofthe dove , consol ingl ittle words and gentle assu rances such as the Arabictongue and the native thought abound with

“ Little lamb , we have wandered far from the fold .

We are as lost sheep . We have strayed many days fromour pasture . Let u s retu rn .

”

She led H ilwe across the b illowy sands , through thel i l ies which no man had planted or cared for whichwere the planting of the Lord . And as she went shesighed and said :I have seen enough of Jaffa and its orange-groves

and palms,i ts pomegranates and melons , and the Great


Sea in its garment of sapphi re . Give me the hill-countrygive me Malha . It i s my home . I want no other .”

At the mention of the hil l-country and Malha a greatfear fi l led H ilwe ’

s heart .H ow shall I show my face there ? was what she said

secretly .

She trembled at the thought.

That day the sun went down o ff Jaffa l ike a chariot offire wi th horses and horsemen o f flame . H e sank i nthe sea , j ust at the spot where the transports had disappeared . The glory of the Lord shone round about ; andthe sea , and the land , and the heavens above were exultant because of i t.But the poor peasant women returned to the hi l l

country o f Judaea whence they came,sorrowful , weep

ing, broken , thei r l ives darkened , and thei r heartsheavy with thei r trouble .

CH APTER XXXVII

ONG had the time elapsed which had been mentioned 1 n the agreement between Abd e l-nou r and

Ismail , H ilwe’

s uncle . Month after month had passedaway since the dou ra and al l the other crops enumeratedi n the marriage contract had been gathered in , andAbd—e l-nou r , the formerly expectant and eager bridegroom-elect , remained si lent, dark , and glum ,

- thoughsurely he had saved more than the port ion he had promised for H ilwe .

Tru e , thi s was but the latter phase o f the affai r. Unti llately he had been exacting and importunate i n thematter ; and , i n u rging his su i t, had caused H ilwe nol ittle trouble , dread , and annoyance , through her uncleand Fatima .

Kadra had spoken her mind freely on the subjectIt i s better for a young woman to have an arrow in

her heart than the man she hates by her side ,”she said .

But her words were unheeded .


H assan and Chalil'

s appearance upon the scene inMalha had at the time only strengthened Abd—e l-nour’scase ; though , doubtless , certain susp i c i ons were arousedwhich were not easi ly laid . But the ep isode of the greatstorm and flood , and the detention of H ilwe i n the cavernwith H assan had given rise to unpleasant doubts whichrankled i n Abd-e l-mour’s breast , and not wi thout reason .

I t had been her u ncle’s poli cy to make l ight ofit, l est ,otherwi se , Abd -cl-nour m ight raise obj ecti ons and casther off.

It i s an unfortunate acc ident which might befall anyone , he said .

“ Yea— perhaps , the other had repl ied , i n a noncommittal sp i ri t .The addi tional amount promised by Abd-e l-nour had

i ncreased the uncle ’s cup id ity , and intensified hi s angerat any danger of d i sappointment. But hi s p rudence kepthis wrath within bounds .So the months passed by . The harvest was over

,the

summer was ended , the autumn gone, and the winterwas far advanced .

H e claims her not, quoth the uncle,anxiously .

H e i s deceitful .”

Various po i nted hints d ropped by Ismai l had failed tobe noticed by Abd-e l-nour . Provoked at his stud iedi nd ifference , Ismail openly broached the matte r , cal l i ngattention to the origi nal contract and the sum i n excesspromised , i n the exci tement of the moment, at the timeof H assan ’s vi si t to Malha .

Abd-e l-nour was equal to the emergency , and repl iedi n language more pronounced than del icate , consideringthe subject .A bitter answer wi ll only sti r up strife , thought

H ilwe’

s uncle , and , after some moll ifying exp ress ion ,added , Su rely thou wil t keep thy promise .

”

Where i s her lover from B ettir? H ath he desertedher ? ”

Thewords were spoken by Abd-e l-nou r with a si ni steraccent that was unmi stakable .

Further p ressu re appl ied by Ismail only drew morespleneti c and offensive retorts .


Ismail was beside himselfwi th rage . Yet what couldhe do ? H ow could he help himself?What i s the u se of argu ing with a l iar , or with him

who breaketh hi s covenant ? he said , as he turned away .

I t is but waste of breath . The voice of the c row andthe kite and the song of the nightingale are all al ike tosuch as he i s .It may wel l be supposed that, under these c ircum

stances, H ilwe

’

s l i fe i n her home , hitherto suffi c i entlydreary , now became almost unbearable . She seldomhad peace . H er uncle looked upon her as the cause o fhi s losing the handsome marriage portion promised byAbd-e l-nour . I t was not to be forgotten or forgiven .

She had been the cause of the breaking of the contractmade wi th Abd-e l-nour , which , whether wri tten or verbal ,among these simple people as with most Moslems , i s al lthe ceremony requ i red to constitute a marr iage .

than this , she would be a shame and a reproachfamily and to her people a d isgrace anding not to be contemplated .

H ilwe’

s only rel ief was , when Opportuni ty was affordher , to escape to the outdoor l i fe and labour , i n compawith Kadra : the hard work was to her a blessing .

The usual long d ry season of s ix months , i n whicha drop of rain falls i n Palestine , had been succeedtoward the close of autumn , by what, to this day , arecalled , from olden time , the “ former rains , which felli n sufli cient abundance to permit early ploughing .

The consequent general activi ty was a temporary re s

pite for the unfortunate young woman , though at notime was she enti rely exempt from the cruel stra in herpecul iar conditio n and ci rcumstances brought upon her .Yet a few bright days were vouchsafed to her , when

the natural cheerfulness of her d isposi tion partial lyumphed over her heavi ness and trouble .

When she jo ined the women in gathering i n theof the ol ives , b eating the boughs and col lecti ngwhich they called milking the trees ,

”somewh

former sp iri t revived i n her , anries Of other years , and underfeeli ngs and customs of Olden


i ndulged in by most of the wives and daughters ofha

,glad for the occasion to break away from thei rThey sang thei r s imple songs , and repeated thesayings and proverbs ; and they told of formerand unexampled inc idents , passing bel i ef, as theyinto thei r labours .

had pretty , double meanings , ande l ike parables relating to the trees .Till thou shake st the tree the ol ives wi ll not fall

,

would chant .Though the oak be strong, he gives u s but acorns ,

ng out the rec itative .

“ The trees that bear fru it bear a burden as well , an

her would reply .

The cypress from its uprightness was made free ; i talways green ,

” Kadra sang with a triumphant ai r, forr own name was i n i t, Kadra mean ing green .

As they stripped the ol ives from the l imbs , Kadraminded them Of the o ld habit, no t to glean them thecond time :“When thou beatest thine O l ive tree , thou shalt not

boughs again : Spare the fru i t on the topi t shall be for the stranger , for the father

for the widow. Spare i t, l est the tree bear not

words had been made into a rude chant, l ike aNone of them could tell how o ld i t was . And

invariably left, at leas t, a few ol ives among the topbranches .t i s accord ing to the custom of our forefathers ,said . It i s best to adhere to i t .”

due time followed the making of the o il . an important work , i n which the women largely partic ipated , theO l ives being crushed and ground i n the o ld-fashionedstone o il-presses of the country , used from time immemorial . In all the processes , to the running off the O i li nto the roughly-hewn stone trough , and thence emptying it into jars or skins, ready for sale or home use , theancient customs and ceremonies were kept up , and therewas much rejoic ing, the people clapp ing thei r hands ,and shouting for joy.


But H ilwe took pleasure i n none of these things .most , she regarded them as an escape or refuge frwhat long had ceased to be , i f ever it had been , hher .When no other outdoor occupation Offeredalways remained the fetching the water from the ain

,

fountain . Of all H ilwe ’

s tasks thi s was the one whiappealed most to her . In travers ing the ground , 5

passed over the way endeared to her by memoriesH assan— places closely assoc iated with him andlove ; and , as much as possible , she l ived over ag aifeel ings and i ncidents connected with him , so deembedded in her l ife , and which had revolution isedcharacter . H er ve ry sadness and grief i n thi s wespec ies Of happ iness . It was a holy grief, a sacred 5

row ; and though the tear often overflowed , i t was al ief, and the indulgence of feel ings which could findother sati sfaction .

Nor was she so engrossed wi th her own troublessorrows that her mind did not revert to Amne , whoso often been the companion of her rambles, dwe llinthe mystery of her d isappearance .

Poor Amne ! What can have become of her ? 5

would ask .

Kadra and the other women latterly had ceasedspeak on the subject . It no longer was a nowonder . They frowned at mention of thename .

Once , i n reply to a question of H ilwe’

s , the grof the wise woman assumed the grimmest aspect :As for Amne , sh e i s lo st , she said .

“ Shebe found . And i t i s best for her that the pe opMalha cannot find her . Allah be merc iful to u s .j udge from what some say, she would fare i ll athands , should sh e fall i nto thei r power .”

The words had an ominous and terrible meaning forH ilwe . H e r face tu rned deathly pale .

Dost thou think they would harm her ? she asked .

I am certai n they would .

They would not ki l l her, su rely ?Kadra looked cautiously around before replying.


And , from out the nearer d istances , resound anew thewords : “ The dayspring from on high hath visi ted us , togive l ight to them that sit i n darkness and in the shadowof death , and to gu ide our feet i nto the way of peace .

”

Peace — peace . It i s al l peace where such are .

Mary !— Could she ever forget the vo ice of the angel ?H e shal l save h is people from their s ins. She hidthose subl ime mysteries i n her heart , pondering ,—thatloving heart over which already hung the sword that wasyet to p ierce it.What sweet converse those holy women must havehad in walking together these vi l lage paths , vi s iti ng thefountain , drinking from it, as we d ri nk from it to-day ;looking forward i nto the wonderful fu ture that wasOpen ing before them ! For Mary abode here with hercousin for three months , before retu rn ing to her ownhouse i n Nazareth .

Previous to the b irth of The Forerunner, El izabethhad hid hersel f for five months , as told to u s by St.Luke . The narrative i s u nadorned and terse , yet suflic ient for its purpose .

Such action , aris ing probably from her womanlymodesty , may not have been remarkable u nder the c ircumstance s , nor uncommon i n the country . But i t isposs ible the vi sit ofMary may have been connected withth i s incident , that, with her noble unhesitating obedienceto the d ivine wil l , and her heavenly-mindedness she

might strengthen the fai th of the older and p i ou s butless exalted and less devoted woman .

And now , i n these latter days , under desperate c i rcumstance s , sorely pressed , and fearing for her l ife,H ilwe , having fled from Malha , hid herself, i n this sameplace , knowing naught of the sai ntly women who , so

long ago, had thei r abode here .

H er gentle heart , shadowed by that which was comi ng upon her , might wel l have failed her, for at such atime Death walks hand in hand with Life , and her casewas one of special trial . Yet she kept her cou ragewi th the fai th that God in such a cri s is special ly endowsal l his c reatu res with even the wild goats of the rockwhen they bow themse lves, and cast out thei r sorrows .

H assan a Fe l lah 4 2 3

She was alone wi th the supernal vo ices , and multitu

d inous cries ofNature the unwritten language o fGod .

They were the sounds born of these very hi lls and dales ,rocky mounta in-cl iff, seamed scau r and smooth plateau ;and were harmoniou sly return ing and sinking back intothe matrix where they had been conceived and nourished . They were the modulated rejoic i ngs and ululations of the untamed l ivi ng creatu res which the Creator ,i n his pleni tude of love , had made free and grac ious andbeauti ful upon the open hi l ls . They were the songs of thewind , out on some tumultuous abandonment the sobbing of the west wind , drenched with tears , lost i nsome desolate gorge of the valley .

Poor H ilwe ! The pangs ofmaterni ty were upon her .The great and glorious Angel of Light and Li fe stoodby

,with hi s flaming sword o f pain turning every way to

keep the way to his invaluable treasu re— the Tree ofLife . That other angel al so was there—Azrael thedreaded , with veiled face , too beauti ful for man to lookupon and l ive . More than once , i n her angu ish , d idH ilwe stretch out her hands to him ; more than oncewere h is loving arms extended to receive her ; and herstraining eyes seemed to penetrate the vei l which con

cealed the heavenly l ineaments of him whom men cal lDeath . For her heart fainted wi thi n her, and herstrength ran low, and the dreaded one became pleasantto the eye , and to be desi red .

But the Angel of Life trumphed , and , with the shoutof the victor , l i fted on high his trophy :A man chi ld is born into the world !I t was the echo of the creative vo ice when , at the

b irth of the universe , the morning stars sang together,and all the sons of God shouted for joy.

Now was she glorified i n her pain . Now was she

succou red and saved . The aureola o f motherhoodshone round about her , and sanctified her . Now was shemore than ever akin to Natu re and to God . She hadgiven pledges of her d ivi ne bi rthright ; and her ti tle towomanhood had received Love’s highest sanction .

Allah hath had mercy on me , she said . H e i s nolong er angry with me . H e i s reconc i led .


O Redeeming Love , Sp irit Of regeneration , blessedthou , forever and forever !The first longing wish of H ilwe

’

s heart , on claspin

her babe to her breast , was for H assan .

Oh , that H assan was here to se e him !And as she thought how far Off H as san was , and

impossible i t was for her to have her wish , greatfi lled her eyes .No , he cannot se e him , she said . I

l ight-headed ; i t was wrong for me to ask for that wh iI cannot have . I must be sati sfied . I n good timemay come to pass that he shall se e him .

”

So she comforted herself.In the neighbourhood of the vi llage i s a glen whe

there are many caves and ru ins . I t was a favolocal i ty to hide in , i solated , and l ittl e resorshe was not molested by the peoplehad sel ected . This was a small cave ,d ismantled remains of what i n formerreligious bu ild ing, but thenow bore l i ttle resemblance to .su ch a structu re .

H ere her chi ld was born : and here Kadra , whoi n possess ion of her secret , visi ted her repeatedly , bri ng her suppli es , and using great precauti on lestshould be d i scovered .

I t was plai n from her actions that Kadra knew morethan sh e d isclosed to H ilwe ; and that her fears for thelatter’s safety were only too wel l founded .

“ I now always feel as i f they were tracking me , she

said to H ilwe .

“ I t enrages me to think of i t. I thatcame and went freely

,with no one to say me nay , to feel

that I am watched,and to be obliged to use decei t i n or

der to ci rcumvent them .

”

They were seated i n the open air as she spoke, i n aspot to where H ilwe had formed the habi t Of taking herchi ld , that he might have the benefit of the fresh breezeand sunshine . With the i ncl ination to goss ip and intrigue inherent in the natives , Kadra had great enjoyment i n those secret meetings , notwi thstand ing the riskc onnected with them ; yea , perhaps , to a large extent,rather because Of that r isk or danger . She enjoyed re


de l icate one wi th H ilwe , and she fel t shamefaced abouti t “ Yet why shou ld I ? ” she thought .Nay

,thou hast not told me,

” repl i ed Kadra .

H ilwe kept her eyes fixed upon the ground,and

rema ined s i l ent .“ Thou hast not to ld me, re i terated Kadra . But

doubt l ess thou w i l t cal l h im H assan,afte r the name Of

h i s father.H i lwe sudden ly ra i sed her eyes, and looked ful l at

Kadra,at the same t ime reach i ng her hand s out for the

boy, and press ing h im to her.H is name i s Ta lmai ,

”she sa id .

Ta lma i,sayest thou ?

Even so .

”

There is none of h is k indred'

that is cal l ed by th i sname i s there ? ”

H as san sa id that if ever he had a son he shou ld ca l lh i s name Talma i ; and so i t i s h is name.Doubt l es s to H i lwe there cou ld be but one H assan ;

sh e d id not w i sh to share the name even w ith h i sson .

Kadra,expres s i ng her aston i shment

, and repeat ingher quest ion , H i lwe added ,

“H assan to ld me i t was h is father ’s name

,and the

name of h is father ’s father.Whereupon Kadra confessed he r sat i sfact ion . Cus

tom had not been v i olated .

“ Thou w i l t, then , cal l h im Talma i ibn H assanTalma i son Of H assan ,

”she sa id .

To th i s H ilwe tac i t ly acqu i esced . SO the boy wasnamed accord i ngly.

Wh i l e they were yet speak i ng, and fondl i ng thech i ld

,they heard a no i se of footsteps and vo i ces ,

m ingl ed w i th other sounds,i n the road below. A

drove of came l s went by w ith the i r awkward ly maj est icsta lk, t inkl i ng bel l s, and gr im ly-gaunt faces, woe

begone to com i cal i ty, the i r labour-marked bod iespadded by nature, as i f for man ’s conven i ence

, on

wh ich pr i n c ipl e i ndeed the i r whol e structure seemscarr i ed out. Was ever such a m ixture of the grandand the grotesque ?

H assan : a Fe llah 4 2 7

See there,cr i ed H i lwe po i nt i ng to them in

alarm,and c lasp i ng her ch i ld c loser to her.

Let us keep very qu i et t i l l they g o by, sa id Kadra.They may not not ice us .

She drew H ilwe down bes ide her.I have always thought, she added, that the came l

,

the J ew,and the Ol ive-tree are of one breed . They a l l

have in the i r natures the same stubbornnes s . I t wear i esone . I t i s the unbounded obduracy of them, worsethan obst i nacy. I know not how to ca l l i t . ”

I t wou ld be imposs ib l e to render i n coo l Eng l i sh thewarm

,h igh-coloured tone of her Arab i c, as she d i lated

on the subj ect .DO we not speak of the enm i ty of the camel

, she

cont i nued ,“ when we want to descr ibe i nveterate

hatred ? I t never forgets i t s revenge, should a manhappen to hurt or d i spl ease i t . If i t l ived for one hu nd red years

,it wou ld st i l l watch its opportun i ty to k ick

back, or sp it at h im ,

or, Al lah preserve us, take off thetop of h is sku l l , at one b it e . See how the humpbacked

,—the crooked-necked ones

, the v i nd i ct ive, howthey seem to sn iff us out as they g o by. What d isda i nfu l eyes they tu rn on us

,as though they wanted to

attract att ent ion to u s ! And as for the O l ive-tree,

what hard ihood and endurance i t has ! If beaten,i t

bears al l the better ; i f n egl ected or cut down , i t st i l lputs forth l eaves and new growths . Give i t the l eastchance

,i t is flour i sh ing as wel l as ever. Shou ld st

thou burn i t,or grub out the stump

,the ungrafted

roots wou ld send up w i ld sapl i ngs, a s if i n defiance andcontempt of thee and as though i t sa id

,Thou hast

pun i shed thyse lf. But when I come to the Yahoodi—the Jew ! — (Oh, what a vol ume of d i sgust was i nher utterance of the word !)

“When I come to theYahood i —Ugh ! what shal l I say? H e i s beyond al l

,

for those qual i t i es . They cal l themse lves the peopl e ofGod . Some

,l ike the Turks

,cal l them the peopl e of

Moses . TO my m ind , they are the ch i ldren of Shai tan .

”

“ Yet there i s some good i n a l l th ree, — the ol i ve,the camel and the Jew

,

” i n te rposed H ilwe ; espec i a l lyi n the O l ive -t re e.


I speak not so much aga i n st the camel,— it is an

exampl e of God ’s w i sdom ; nor do I say aught aga i n stthe ol ive-tree,

” repl i ed Kadra .

“ Doubt l es s th ere i sgood i n i t

,— it g iveth u s O i l that maketh man Of a

cheerfu l countenance, —perhaps because i t cannot he lpit . I t is the best of the three ; though , as I sa id, al lare a l ike hard . But those Yahood

,i n J erusal em !

(Aga in what b i tter scorn was i n her tone When Ith i nk of them

,I on ly can desp i s e and loathe them .

They are l ike wa lk i ng dungh i l l s . H ow they b i ckeredand chaffered over what I had to se l l

,t i l l they wore

me out and d i stracted me ! and , to get r id of them,

scarce ly know ing what I d id,I l et them have i t at far

l ess than i t was worth,—and al l my many hard days ’

work i n the burn i ng sun went for noth i ng.

“T oo bad, too bad for thee,

” murmured H ilwe ,sympathet i ca l ly, w ith that i ndescr ibabl e shake of thehead, and c l i ck of the tongue, and movement of thehands

,wh i ch mean t so much .

“ There ! As I l ive,sa id Kadra, there i s one of

them . See that J ew . I t i s he owns the merchand i sewh i ch the caravan i s conveyi ng. So we have al l threethe Yahood i

,the camel

,and the o l ive-tree before

u s . The J ew smel l s money as you wou ld smel l thefumes of roast meat . I have seen th i s man more thanonce. H e has much r i ches . Those J ews are crowdi ng i nto the country

,and fi l l i ng i t . They say they

w i l l aga i n pos sess the land . They wou ld depr ive u sof our inher itance , c la im ing they own i t

,through an

old covenant w i th Chali l—Abraham . Al lah havemercy upon us ! The Turk i s bad enough . But i f theYahoodi governed, i t wou ld be past hearing . Therewou ld be no peace for any one .

H i lwe had hardly g iven fu l l attent ion to Kadra’

s

remarks,hav i ng Often heard her expat iate on the

J ewi sh quest i on,and al so be i ng neces sar i ly more or

l ess occup i ed wi th the care of the i nfant Talma i .There was a fu rther reason : sh e had observed that oneof the camel dr ivers, who proved to be a man from thene ighbourhood of Malha, had ev ident ly caught s ight Ofthem

,and

,recogn i s i ng them

,had d ropped out, and,


ether of the we lk i n , l ike powdered turquo i se, seemednearer than i n other places, —as if H eaven i tse lf drewn igh . The women

,impre ssed w i th the qu i et of the

place and hour,hung the i r heads in pen s ive thought

,

as if loath to break the st i l l ness . I t soothed,and

gradual ly drew the i r fears from them . I t was so

peacefu l,hushed and calm

,they cou ld hear the fa i nt

rust l e of th e tremu lous grasses at the i r feet ; and thefar-Off str idu l at i on of a locust , mak ing nupt i a l mus i cfor h i s mate

,as he c l ung to the overwe ighted scar l et

b lossom of a pomegranate, i n on e of the v i l l age gardens ,came i n a fine c l ear note Of prolonged, attenuated tone,— the very ghost of sound, but st i l l d i st i nct ly aud ibl e.Sudden ly they heard a vo i ce out of th i s purpl e and

go lden l u l l . I t seemed as if a l l the sweet and gent l esounds i n nature had been gathered together to formthe notes and the words :

“Al lah ya-kareem ! Al lah ya-kareem ! (O God thegenerousKadra and H ilwe turned inst inct ively in the direc

t ion whence the tones proceeded . I t was one of ther i ngdoves of Palest ine

,wh ich had its nest i n the adja

cent ru i n s .These b i rds a re regarded as espec i a l ly sacred . In

coo i ng,they bow

,as if i n worsh ip

,say ing what to the

nat ive ear resembl es ,“Al lah ya-kareem ! - wh i ch

,on

the present occas ion,was almost perfect ly art i cu lated .

On accoun t of th i s pecu l iar i ty,the Mos l ems and

nat ives general ly have so much affect ion for thes egent l e creatures that they cons ider i t a great s in to

k i l l one of them . Of cou rse Chr i st ians,too , have a

deep sympathy on the subj ect , bel i ev ing i t was i n theform of a dove that the H oly Sp i r i t descended uponChr i st at h i s bapt i sm .

“ Li sten,l i sten

,Kadra ! H ear how pla in ly i t says

Al lah ya-kareem !’ excla imed H ilwe .

I hear i t . Except the Ange l I srafi l h imself,the

sweetest-vo i ced Of al l God ’s creatures,whose t rumpet

shal l ca l l to l ife the dead out of the i r graves, I doubti f any other be i ng cou ld s i ng so sweet ly.

”

I s i t not a good omen ? ”


Yea ; that i t is . Let us take comfort from it .As Kadra sa luted H ilwe and the ch i ld in b idd ing

them farewel l,she wh i spered :

“ I shal l watch everyth i ng c lose ly, when I return toMalha. And shou ld there be any danger to thee

,I

shal l return qu i ckly and br i ng thee word .

CH APTER XXXIX

INCE H assan had arr ived w ith the troops in Cret e,

there had been l i tt l e or no news of h im . The

hab i t of wr it i ng l etters i s one se ldom i ndu lged inamong the fel laheen , to whom cal igraphy is general lya myster iou s accompl i shment ; and the not send i ng or

rece iv i ng such m i ss ives wou ld exc i te no extraord inaryfeel ing or comment . Not Often can they read , st i l ll es s Often can they wr ite, and the amanuens i s i s a rarecommod i ty. Yet H assan had wr itten , once, tw ice, andeven a th i rd t ime, at l engthy interva l s . But he hadrece ived no reply. H is l ette rs had never reachedH ilwe .

As the t ime passed by, the fact that he had not heardworr i ed h im not a l i tt l e . With her, who had neverrece ived a l etter i n he r l ife

,why shou ld she gr ieve

or take i t to heart that no ep i st l e from H assan wasrece ived by her ? That

,however, does not mean that

sh e d id not hunger and th i rst for a word from h im .

Report s enough of a certa i n k i nd re lat ive to thesold i ers reached Pal est i n e .

It cou ld not be sa id that they were favourabl e or

reflected cred i t on them . Rather otherw i se. Theserumou rs conta i ned compla i nt s of the i rregu lar do i ngsOf the t roops

,the i r l awl essne ss and v i ol ence , accus i ng

them Of murders,of as sau lt i ng women

,and se iz i ng and

appropr i at ing bread‘ and other food and suppl i es whetever they cou ld lay hands on them .

Var ious art i c l es to th i s effect had found the i r wayfrom month to month

,not on ly into the London


Times,but

, so far as Pal est i ne news was concerned,what was of more importan ce , into the

“ Egypt ianGazette

,

” the latter paper,publ i shed i n A lexandr ia

,

reach i ng J eru sal em much more frequent ly than d id thegreat “ Thunderer. ”

Though poss ibly not wi thout a s l ight foundat ion of

truth,the more horr i b l e and b lood-curdl i ng of these

reports were,i n a l l probab i l i ty, h igh ly colou red, i f not

great ly exaggerated,to the d i sadvantage and d i sparage

ment of the Turk i sh troops , who , had they been asgent l e as l ambs, cou ld not have proved acceptabl e tothe Cretan s

, or have escaped calumny.

That the sold i ers,both Syr i an and Turk i sh, were

qu i te bad enough w i thout hav i ng comm i t ted some of

th e more ext raord i nary offences of wh i ch they wereaccu sed

,may eas i ly be adm itted . But the su rround

i ngs i n wh i ch they were placed presented i nv i t i ngOpportun i t i e s as we l l as extenuat i ng c i rcumstances,wh i ch

,though not condon i ng the except iona l and more

flagrant cr imes,at l east m i t igated the grossnes s of the

too frequent but l e ss ser ious del i nquenc i es .As to part icu lar or ind iv idual i nformat ion next to

none was rece ived by the fam i l i es of the men 1 n Pal est i ne. Nor

,as has been int imated, was th i s cons idered

a gr i evance,or unusual .

Up i n the mounta i nou s part s , H assan found muchto rem i nd h im Of the h i l l country of Pal est i ne

,w i th a

d ifference. H ere he aga i n , i n some degree, drank i nthe freedom of th e h i l l s . H ere he found h i s l ost self,though not h i s l ost H ilwe . H ow he rejo i ced andglor i ed i n these purpl e h e ights ! H ow grand

, reminiscent, and i n sp i r i ng they were ! — Mount Ida,

“manyfounta i ned Ida,

” i n a lmost the cent re of the i s land ,dom inat i ng al l the anc i en t summ i ts w i th imper ia lsupremacy.

I n the h igh lands dwel t the Sphak iots,— those hardy

and brave mounta i neers , now i n open i n su rrect ion,

who, from the i solated and i naccess ib l e character of

the p lace of the i r abode, have a lways been abl e tomai nta i n at l east a part ial i ndependence. They are of

the same race as the i nhab i tant s of the pla i n s,but


In the ted ium Of the barrack and of camp-l ife, the

sold i er s had recourse, as usual , to var ious games Ofchance ; and gambl i ng , that ban e of the O r iental

,

grew more and more prevalent among them .

One day, i n the course of some heated play w ith abrother-so ld i er

,an agreeab l e off-hand fe l low to whom

H assan had been drawn of l ate , among some moneythrown down by the former in mak ing a payment

,was a

smal l d i sc of mother-Of-pear l . H assan had not i ced i tat a glance, someth ing i n its appearance attracted h im ,

and h is hand went out i nvol untar i ly to se i ze it .Ah , that is my tal i sman, the prec ious pl edge of

l ove ! ” cr i ed h i s compan ion , who was g iven to boast ofh i s amours, pluck ing i t out from among the co i n s . Iwou ld not l ose i t for the wor ld.

”

There was that about the l i tt l e carved amu l et wh ichstrangely affect ed H assan . It was l ike one he

knew.

“ Nay,he sa id ; but l et me l ook upon i t for a

moment,Murad .

”

But Murad,affect ing a mystery, and that it was

connect ed wi th a c landest i n e love—affa i r, would not

del iver the tr i nket i n to H assan ’s extended palm .

“ Ah ! do I not see the eyes, so dark, so l u strou s, ofthe damse l who

,ere ever I l eft the shores Of Pal est i ne

,

gave me th i s love-token ? ” exc l a imed Murad,as he

pressed to h is l ip s the gl i sten i ng nacre. “Was shenot fa i r as the noonday ?

_

Was sh e not i ndeed mylove ? Do I not now behold her fingers, p i nk as thedawn

,and t ipped golden w i th henna ? Do I not fee l

her arms about my neck, as her l ips , red as a c l eft i na pomegranat e

,gave themselves freely to me that I

m ight pastu re on them ? A man is naught w i thoutlove. H is h i story shou ld be wr i t i n love. H e shou ldbe l ike a gal l ant fr igate or cost ly argosy laden wi thr i chest fre ightage , with wel l-t r immed sheets and cordage

,bear ing brave ly onward , forward , and w i th fa i th

fu l prow,obed i ent to the helm

,c l eav i ng the pu rp le

sea of l ove i nto s i lvery spray.

”

H as san ’s face grew darker, and h i s brow contractedas he l i stened to Murad

’

s flowery paean . The forced


sm i l e faded gradual ly from h is l ips. H is m ind wentback to the amu let.

H ow l ike i t is to that wh ich I carved for H ilwe ,he thought . “ Yet i t may not be— it cannot be thesame .

”

“ Thou needest not look so severe and cold,H assan .

A man bu i l t as thou art ! Tel l me, indeed ! H a,ha !

Thou requ i rest no trumpeter to g o before thee to

dec lare it . Thou can st not h ide i t . I warrant thouart not w ithout th ine own exper i ences .The attempted gr in upon H assan ’s mouth

,expected

in response to th i s sal ly, was of the sardon i c order,and

found no hab i tat i on there, but fled as soon as i t came.But where is the ab id i ng-place of th i s i ncomparab le

damsel— th i s l eman of th ine ?“ Mus t I te l l thee ? I trow not. That be far from

me .

Murad thus repl i ed, be ing confused at the c losequest i on ing.

“Thou hast sa id i t was in the h i l l count ry,pers i sted

H assan . Was i t between J erusa l em and H ebron, n igh

to—to Beth l ehem ?H assan cou ld not bear to speak the word wh ich was

upon h is l ips , and avo ided ment ion i ng Malha .

“ Thou sayest . I t was even so . S ince thou hastl ighted upon i t , I may as wel l adm i t i t.The most lov i ng heart is not warranted free from thecanker of doubt . The heart of an angel may be warpedwi th j ealousy. SO H as san , as he heard the easy, l ikelyMurad make h is complacent , und i sgu i sed boast of h isamou r, fe l t h is heart trembl e and grow fa i nt. H e thathad cou rage to face th e batt l e-charge and confront anyman

,was weak and he lpl ess i n the presence of such a

d i saster,—the sh ipwreck of h is l ove .

Yet he stead i ed h i s vo i ce to speak and quest ion theman,

— he was very cruel to h imself that he m ight besure

, and so be st i l l more crue l . A gray pal lor hadsett l ed i n h i s face, wh i ch was d rawn and torn w ith h isemot ions.H e fel l into the mood Of the man who held the

secret of his m i sery, in order to reach that secret, and


quest i oned h im as to the woman,—her vo i ce

,her

appearance , her manner, wi th an agon i s i ng exactness .Thou art certa i n ? ”

Yea, i t is as thou sayest i n every respect . I cannot vary an i nch— or as much as a gra i n of mustardseed . Ought I not to know ? ” added Murad

,wi th

madden i ng s ign ificance .

“And her ha i r ? Thou d idst not ment i on as to herha i r . ”

“Ver i ly a s thou hast sa id . Dark as n ight,and l ike

a ve i l or mant le about her. ”

The ve i n s were swol l en to burst i ng at H assan ’stempl es and i n h is throat . H e fe l t as if he wou ld t earthe secret out Of h im . H e was suffocat i ng.

D idst thou know her, H assanKnow her ? ” thundered the reply, i n s uch an um

natural,ho l low voi ce

,i t start l ed Murad “ Know her ?

By Al lah ! I never knew her t i l l now.

”

I thought,from thy quest ion i ng, that perhaps thou

m ightest have known her. ”“H a, ha !

”

There was someth i ng horr ib l e, man iacal in thatlaugh

,as if i t held a groan and a curse . Murad cou ld

not j o i n i n i t . H e began to feel that al l was not r ightw i th H assan

,that someth i ng was un lucky

,unfr i endly

,

and remai ned s i l ent .And so thou d idst imag i ne I knew her ! Thou wel l

m ightest ! But , nay, nay. H ow shou ld I know her ?Murad fel t H assan ’s eyes burn i nto h im . H ow

l arge and penetrat i ng they were ! H e moved i n h i sseat uneas i ly. H is del ightfu l ly sensua l mood andattitu e were d i sturbed . H e had answered many of

the quest ions as if unde r a spel l,—as if he cou ld not

help but reply. Yet he had enjoyed the amorousboasts . H is happy se lf-confidence and exuberantan imal i sm were now ooz ing away. What d id i t a l lmean ?

“Wi lt thou not l et me se e thy tal i sman thy lovepledge ? once more requested H assan .

H e spoke smoothly, care l ess ly, as i f i t d id not muchmatter.


floor,the d i st i nct ion of the man was notab le . Broad

in the chest,square i n the shou lders , gracefu l ly th i n

in the flank,so l idly joi nted throughout, large and

s trong and grand ly formed i n al l h is members, hismart i a l a i r and bearing permeated the whol e, and h isnobl e head and fine

,i nte l l ectua l face crowned the

magn ificent structu re worth i ly. H e was handsomerthan ever. H is var ied mental and sou l exper i ences hadgenerated in h im a weal th Of express ion of surpass i ngforce

,as the dr i l l and m i l i tary t ra i n i ng had deve loped

i nto a new beauty the sal i ent features of h is phys ique .

H e was a man to be worsh ipped, a dem i-g od .

“ But the damnably i nsu l t i ng words ! H ow cou ldany man endu re them ? ” as Mu rad sa id .

H e , the impetuou s Murad, was instant ly upon h i sfeet

,though he cou ld scarce u nderstand the mean ing

of the quarrel , wh i ch seemed to h im so unprovoked .

Without the l east he s itat ion,he flung h imself upon

H assan ; nor was the gay, stocky sold ier, of warmimaginat ion , a combatant to be sneered at, or l ight lyto be con s idered .

They c losed as i n a tou rnament shock .

Locked in each other ’s embrace,they wrest l ed and

struggl ed, wr i thed and tw i sted , wi th an amaz ing d i splay of strength and ag i l i ty. Many a r i ng i ng blowwas g iven and rece ived . L imb to l imb

,s i n ew to

s inew, musc l e to muscl e, man to man , — every po intwas cal l ed forth, employed and thorough ly test ed i nthe encounter.They had seen the Greeks on the i s l and in the i r

wrest l i ng-matches , wh i ch had somewhat of the flavourof the anc i ent O lymp i c games

,and had l earned and

knew how to put to use some of the i r tact i cs .But soon th e more regu lar orde r of the confl i ct deve l

Oped i nto a dec ided heat , and at l ength broke i ntowhat m ight be des ignated a frenz i ed rage. They handledeach other s evere ly, and w ithout cons iderat i on of

propr i ety. The scanty fu rn i tu re of the room was

hurl ed to and fro, as they swung from s ide to s ide ,reg ard l ess of what m ight happe n to the i r abused and

bat tered bod ies .


Then came a more dead ly tu ss l e. They c l enchedw ith desperate gr ip, and tr i ed to throw each other byt r ipp i ng. H ow c lose ly they were c lasped together !But how far i t was from be ing a loving embrace ! Asif one man , —arms grappl ing, l egs entw ined , stra in i ngto the utmost , - they fe l l w i th m ighty concuss ion

,

rol l i ng over and over upon the floor.Somet imes H as san was on top, somet imes Murad.

They st ruck out r ight and l eft . They pommel led andhurt each other as best they cou ld. At last H assang ot Murad wel l under, hold ing h im down wi th h iswe ight

,wh i ch was no l ight one . Al l the efforts of the

latter to throw h im Off and re l ease h imse lf were i nva i n . As Murad was fu r ious , and obst i nate ly wou ldnot confess to be i ng conquered, but st i l l struggledvigorous ly, H assan kept his p lace we l l on top,

a lmostsqueez i ng the breath out Of the heav ing

,pant i ng body

beneath h im,wh i l e ins i st ing that the tal i sman shou ld

be de l ivered to h im forthw ith.

Th i s demand Murad refu sed to comply w ith,though

complete ly jn H assan’s power.

W i l t thou y ie ld ?Nay.

Then take th i s,sa id H assan , plant i ng a jud i c ious

blow .

To has ten matters , he took Murad by the col lar,almost chok ing h im , wh i l e he placed h is knee upon h isprostrate bu lk, repeat ing h is demand .

Th i s brought Murad to terms .Wi lt thou k i l l me ? he muttered.

Ay, I shal l k i l l thee.H old. I t i s enough

,cr i ed Mu rad. I d id not

take thee to be so bloody a man .

H is cr imsoned face was growi ng purpl e ; and hecomprom i sed by say ing that wh i l e he never shou ld g iveH assan the amulet

,the latter m ight take i t off h is

Murad’

s—person . Th i s seemed to sat i sfy the emptyconce i t of the overwhe lmed man

,who qu i et ly, wi thout

the l east h i nd rance,subm itted to H as san ’s p lung i ng

h i slfiand i nto h i s pocket, and drawing forth the un lucky

tr in et.


There was not poss ib l e a s i ngl e doubt as to the ' iden

t i ty of the ornament. H assan held i t before h im,and

exam ined i t over and over aga i n wi th unnecessaryscrut i ny. Ye s

,he knew h i s own work

,h e cou ld not

be m i staken,i t was the starry asphodel he had carved

for H i lwe .

Every man knows h i s own work, he repeated, wi tha heart-rend i ng s igh .

There, too , was the place where sh e had i nterrupted

h im,and when , i n consequence, he had care l ess ly l et

h is too l s l i p , and s l ight ly marred the carv i ng. H ow

wel l he remembered i t . Then , tu rn i ng the reverse, hesaw where he had l ight ly scratched upon i t H i lwe ’

s

name. I t was now a lmost obl i terated,through abra

s ion,and , together w i th a l i tt l e pr ivate mark he had

made , was not eas i ly percept ib l e to the eye of theord i nary observer. But i t was on ly too palpabl e toh im who knew it too pos i t ive t est imony

,too damag

i ng ev idence for th e unfortunate H assan ’s peace of

m ind .

“0 Al lah ! Al lah ! ” he sobbed .

SO absorbed was he, he d id not not ice Murad as,wi th

a su lky crestfa l l en a i r, he arose, shook h imself l ike adog

,brushed the du st from h i s u n iform

,and com

menced to con s ider h i s bru i ses. H ow su rpr i sed wasthe latter to see H assan , after h i s long and earnests tudy of the prec iou s amu l et , wh ich had been the cau seof so much t roubl e, sudden ly, w i th a v iol ent gestu reand loud imprecat ion , dash i t on the floor

,ev ident ly

i ntend ing to crush i t i nto p i eces beneath the hee l ofh i s boot .There seemed to be a fata l i ty abou t i t

, for whenH assan proceeded, i n h is hopel ess gri ef and i nd ignat ion

, to carry out h is i ntent i on of trampl i ng i t i ntofragments

,i t was not to be seen . I t had rebounded

and d i sappeared ; and, though he d i l igent ly searchedfor i t, he cou ld not find i t .

“Where can i t be ? I t must'

be somewhere here,he

sa id , provoked .

“ I t i s bewitched , sa id Murad . O r i t does not

i ntend thee to have i t, he added, wi th a sarcast i c sm i l e.


CH APTER XL

NE woe t reads upon the heel s of another woe .

H ath i t not passed i nto a proverb that misfortune cometh not a loneSO spake H as san in the b itternes s of h i s sou l .The crue l l est th i ng that can befal l man had happened

to h im . H e had lost a be l i ev i ng heart . I n a l l that hehad gone through

,i n a l l the t roubl es he had suffered

h i therto,th i s had been l eft h im to su sta i n and support

h im . But now— now he was i ndeed a lone .Al l the rest Of that fatefu l day he was i n a t u rmo i l of

d i st res s . H e performed h i s dut ies perfunctor i ly, as

i f in a dream . H e d id not know,half the t ime , what

he was do ing. H is comrades not iced h is abstract ion,

but they sa id noth i ng. They had long l earned to

respect his strength , if noth ing more ; and wi th someof them there was a k i ndl i er feel ing— they had begunto l ik e and love h im .

At last the n ight fel l w ith its moon l ess darkness andits s l e epy st i l l nes s born Of exhaust ion . But i t broughth im no re l i ef. I t was for h im a cont inual n ightmare— a rhapsody Of horror w i th pers istent var i at ions onthe same crue l theme.What efl orts he made to free h imself from the ser

pent co i l that was strangl i ng h im ! At i nterval s hetold h imself he m ight be m i staken—that there wasst i l l hOpe . H e a lmost be l i eved i t, he longed so thati t m ight be t rue . Then he cu rsed h imse lf for dup i ngh imse lf. I t was hop ing aga i nst hope. I t was tampering w ith the great L ibra, whose balance-beam ,

standi ng immutab ly leve l i n the h ighest heaven , i s foreverthe measure of Supreme just i ce. The terr ibl e stra i ntowards the c lose when , from the he ight of the gladcerta i nty he had clasped at the beg i nn ing

,he was

dashed down into the black vortex of despai r,when it

at last appeared that a l l must be g iven up,seemed too

much for mortal flesh to endure.H ow long he had hoped . Yet in the m idst of h is


phantom hopes he had tr i ed to be prepared for theworst, and , i n sp i te of appearances

,had Often told

h imse lf he must not be too sure. But he dece ivedh imself. The unbe l i evabl e had happened . H ow

cou ld he or any other man be prepared,i n such a case ?

I t was imposs ibl e for h im to school h imse lf so thoroughly as to be ready to res ign

,utter ly and i n a

moment , that wh ich he had so earnest ly str iven for,wh ich he held w i th i n h is grasp

,and wh ich permeated

every fibre of h i s be ing. Poor flesh and b lood,must

you be l ifted up i nto the form of man to have “ thequest ion put w ith i nqu i s itor ial tortu re ? Must

, too ,

the sou l as wel l as the body be racked and r iven ?The dread revu l s ion came. I t was as i f some one

had sm itten h im on the face wh i l e he was too weak tora i se h is hand to protect h im se lf. Then the s i cken ingfa i nt ing Of the heart , when al l must be acknowledged—the s i nk i ng

,gone sensat ion . H e knew not where he

was , or what to do. H e was bew i ldered lost .Where was h is rel igion Is lam ,

Res ignat ion ?Like many another, he did not tu rn to i t t i l l he had

reached the lowest pas s. Then he bethought h im of

the words he had Often sa id to h imse lf i n t ime of

troubl e : “ Despa i r i s i nfidel i ty. A voi ce w i th i n h imseemed to speak to h im,

seemed to cal l from out h is

sou l and say: There is neve r a road as l ong as that—never a road nor a p lace where the man cannot tu rnto God

,and recogn i se and ca l l upon H im as h is Father

,

h i s Begetter , h is Creator, the one a l together re spon

s ib l e for h i s be ing—H e who lai d h is foundat ion sfrom the begi nn ing

,and who knows al l h i s parts , h is

st rengths and his weaknesses , as none other can knowthem . Love is the fi rst and fear the last th i ng toth i nk Of in su ch a re lat ion .

”

When the morn i ng came, as it i nev i tably must andd id come

,i t found H assan

,to outward appearance,

much as other men are . H e heard the drum -taps,the

bugl e sounded ; h e yawned, and tu rned , and stretchedh is great l imbs (how strong and whol esome hehe sprang out of bed and

,one of a number, began to

dress . The wa sh ing of h imself,and the putt i ng on

444 H as san a Fe l lah

the res t of h is c loth i ng and un iform were promptlyand qu i ckly done . H e was at last i n shape

,topped Off

w ith red fe z . H e tu rned out on t ime w i th the othersfor i n spect i on and parade, and was at once under dutyand orders . Al l was rout in e once more . Noth i ng uncommon was observabl e about h im . H e was aga in amach i ne

,and went through al l the mot ions and evo

l u t ion s as usual w i th sat i sfact i on . The poor bu rdened body carr i ed the ach i ng heart wel l , and helpedto keep h i s secret . H e was only a l i tt l e pal e .

What of that , was the carel ess j est Many astout man i s pal e after a n ight ’s debauch .

As the current of the day flowed on he floated w i thi t . H e was w i th the others, h i s comrades , and d idas they d id . H e heard the i r coarse , and Often broadand unseemly ta lk. They i l l u st rated i t w i th many aptinstances. H e pondered .

“ I t was the Old story, one sa id . They were talk i ngabout women . Was i t not so from the begi nn i ng ?The man was not so much to blame . The womantempted h im . Poor begu i l ed fel low

,what cou ld he

do ? Ah,Eva

,Eva !

H assan,h i therto, on such occas ion s, had general ly

been s i l ent,or had taken the Oppos i te s ide . I n te l l i ng

the i r prur i ent stor i es th ey had rece ived no ass i stancefrom h im . And now he rema i ned grave

,and sa id bu t

l i tt l e,t i l l they gradual ly drew h im out, and compel l ed

h im to break h i s ret i cence .

“ Yes,i t i s t rue

,he sa id . They are al l daughters

Of Eva and De l i l ah . Dece i tfu l beyond imagi nat i on,

who cou ld know them ? Not the w i sest man . D idthey not l ead ast ray and pervert Su l eyman the Wi seand Samson the strong ? A man is he lp l ess as a ch i ldbefore them .

The cyn i cal word spoken,a flood of v ituperat ion fo l

l owed . I t was l ike the l ett i ng-out of water long pentup

,and flowed apace. I n h i s wrath he sa id more than

he i ntended or be l i eved : had he not heard those whoknew say thu s and so ? Yea, had he not known ,

of h i sown exper i ence ?Then

,natural ly, h is m ind reve rted to h is recent

446 Hassan : a Fe l lah

of H assan 's ons laught upon h im,v iewed th i s sudden

approach of h is powerfu l comrade w i th grave susp i c i on .

I t cou ld su re ly bode h im no good,he thought ; and h is

hand i nvoluntar i ly sought h is weapon .

“ Does he come to fin ish'

me ? he muttered .

But H assan ’s fr i end ly sal u tat ion soon d i sabusedMurad

’

s m ind .

Though unprepared for th i s tu rn of affa irs,th rough

force of hab i t Murad mechan ica l ly returned thesal utat ion .

Ah, thou art hurt, Murad ! I am sorry, and ashamedof myself. I d id not th i nk it was so ser i ou s. I actedl ike a brute. I have hu rt thee bad ly.

”

“ Nay, i t is noth i ng, repl i ed Mu rad,in a rather

gruff vo i ce ; for, mental ly and phys ical ly, he yet fe l tsore at the resu l t of the ir encounter

,though he wou ld

not acknowledge i t.I t was c lose work

,and ca l l ed out my utmost

strength,sa id H assan .

“ I gave thee more than Iotherwi se wou ld have done. A weak er man wou ldhave escaped . Thou art a fierce fighter. ”

Thou d idst attack me wi thout any cause,sa id

Murad. I spake to thee as one fr i end to another ;and sudden ly

,w i thout reason, or the l east provoca

t ion,thou ca l l edst me by such v i l e names as no man

cou ld bear—as if I were a dog , or the d i rt beneath thyfeet .H as san hung h i s head. H is face coloured . H e

cou ld not expla i n .

“ I have done wrong ; I come to apo l og ise,he

answered , after a short i nterval . Forg ive me. I amsorry. I knew not what I d id . Let u s say no moreabou t i t . H ave I not told thee I repent of i t ? ”

“ Yea,yea. D id I hurt thee much ? ”

Thou gavest me al l I cou ld do. But I escapedwe l l . ”

Murad took H assan ’s proffered hand,and together

they walked to the rough quarters .“ Thou seest I am s l ight ly lame , now remarkedMurad confident ia l ly, ready and w i l l i ng to be reconc i l ed to h is form idab l e fr i end .


The stout fe l low st rutted along, trying to h id e theefect wi th h i s swagger, in wh ich he was not verycce ssful .“ I t i s unfortunate. I am much to blame.Oh i t is but a tr ifle ! I shal l be al l r ight in a daytwo.

”

Thou hast been my best fr iend , Murad. Thou hastened my eyes . Why shou ld I refuse to acknowledgeI have acted l ike a foo l .urad d id not understand these words . Bu t as heconsc iou s of hav i ng dece ived H assan , though not

evi l i n tent, he remai ned s i l ent, anxiou s to smoothers . Qu i te ignorant of the m i sch i ef he had

he saw no reason why he shou ld confess as toi ca l character of the love-affa ir he had pa i ntedglow ing colou rs. And sure ly he wou ld not

ay i t was al l a fa l sehood . H is pr ide forbade.th i s t ime i t was rumoured among the soldiers

ad a most ung ovemable temper when exut any spec i a l provocat i on he wou ldi t,and woe be to the man who then

or offended h im . O thers sa id he

nature .

man he was a wh i l e ag o, was

im so wel l , not iced th e change,t the caus e. H assan ma inta inedon the sub j ect , wh ich Chali l

some of themd ev i l s wh ich have the hab i t of attack ingoften to be made the subj ect Of remark.

l i l had sorrows of h i s own . Men havetroubl es wh i ch they gene ra l ly have self-re spectto keep to themselves .1 1 Chal i l met H assan , the latte r now neve r men

H ilwe’

s name , wh ich was rather a re l i ef to ther. H as san was a brave man ; but, as we haveon th i s subject he was sens i t ive and t im id tod ice .ast thou heard from our country ? ” Chalfl onceh im .


Nay,H assan repl i ed . I have wr i tten thri

but have not heard . I now do not expect to hear. ”

They are not accu stomed to wr i t i ng.

Thi s was sa id apologet i ca l ly by Chali l , who h imwas no scr ibe

,and who began to th i nk H ass

ness was connected w i th h is not hear i ng fromYea ; they are not accustomed to wr i t i ng, m

ca l ly repeated H assan w i th a s igh .

Up in the mounta i n s he fel t happ ier. H e

to have l eft h i s sad thoughts beh i nd, on theAway alon e or comparat ive ly a lon e i tn ext th ing to freedom . Those “

everlast

had taught h im many a l esson . They, to

m inded h im of many a p i eceon the h i l l s ides i n Pal est i n e,i n h i s b i tteres t moment s . The inupland pla i n s and h igh lands req u ired

'

muchendu rance

,and often long watch i ng and pat i en t

i ng . But H assan 's shepherd l ife had inured h ith i s .The w i ld an imal s and b irds were a joy to h im .

made the acqua i ntance of many a flower and hpl easant to the eye, or of k i nd ly u se. Amonglatter was that much -esteemed vu ln erary of anc ifame

,the d i ttany, wh i ch grows so abundant ly

Mount Ida and Mount D i cte,and w i th wh ich

c lass ic heroes heal ed the i r wounds,i n

heroes fol lowed the i r exampl e. Th i s i s thwh i ch

,as V i rg i l t el l s us , the w i ld goats eat

are shot w i th dart s , - apparent ly in st ructedH assan , too, was wounded— sm i tt en to

but,alas ! h is was a wound no d it tany that

cou ld heal . Yet he cou ld wel l bel i eve thestor i es to ld Of the renowned plant

,its valu

t i es and h igh v i rtues ; and he was certace ived the sprays of l eaves and large wh i tcoloured b lossoms exhal e a fragrant volat ii nflammabl e that i t flashed l ike a beam of l idarkness .

“ Th i s is to gu ide the wounded creatu rethe n ight

,

”H assan had sa id, i n h is s impl i c i ty.


with eyes Of heaven ly bl ue,moved across the scene .

I t was no more, or but l i tt l e more, than that .H assan perhaps sm i l ed upon her— went w i th her.

I s i t any wonder ? She made herse lf as a devour i ngflame of beauty for h im .

I s he not as othe r men ? she sa id . I shal l haveh im .

”

But notwi th stand i ng h i s supposed wrong at H ilwe ’

s

hands,he thought of her, h i s fi rs t and on ly love, and

i n h i s heart he was true,and gave h imse lf not away.

Murad went w i ld over the state ly Greek , and ravedabout the ta l l go lden-ha i red woman , and r id i cu l edH assan for h is constancy toward an absent ideal . Buti t was of no u se. H assan was at heart unmoved Aman cannot expla in

,even to h imse l f, some of the s im

plest act s of h i s own natu re— that dom i nant one , whowi l l have her own way i n sp i te Of everyth ing.

Murad was comparat ive ly as naught to the beaut ifu lGreek when sh e looked on H assan . She wou ld haveg iven her sou l to ga i n the handsome g iant .

“IS he not formed l i ke one Of our anc ient O lympi c

gods ? ” she sa id. I cou ld d i e for such a man !Without h im she fel t i ncomplete

,negl ected, and

mocked at by her own beauty that had fa i l ed to enthralh im

,b i nd i ng h im

,help l ess

,heart and sou l

,as she

wanted h im , i n fetters at her feet .

CH APTER XLI

H EN n ext Kadra v i s i ted H ilwe in her h id ingplace i n the Val l ey of Ain Kar im ,

wh i ch wasbut a few days after her l ast v i s i t , there was that i n theface and manner of the “ wi se woman ” wh i ch at oncereveal ed that al l was not wel l . She scarce cou ld conta i n herse lf as she went through the cu stomary longsa lutat i on s .

“Woe i s me ! sh e sa id , how shal l I te l l thee ?or how shal l my l ips speak i t ? Better had I been borndumb, so that thou shou ldst not have heard i t. ”


I beseech thee, Kadra, for the sake of the loveetwe en us , to te l l me . I perce ive thy m ind is

w i th someth ing. H ide noth ing from me. Ii t.

AS H ilwe spoke, Kadra had fal l en upon her neckand was weep i ng b i tter ly.

Yea, H ilwe , thou needs must know. Nor can Iw ithhold i t from thee. Amne is dead ! ”

“Is dead ? ”

Alas, i t i s true ! They have s la i n her. The c rue land wicked men Of Malha have done he r to death .

They have destroyed her and her l i tt l e one . And theythat are nearest to her of her peopl e we re the leaders

,

and were foremost i n the work .

”

H ilwe had la id her l i tt l e Talma i as ide ; but nowthat she heard these te rr ibl e words , she took h im inher arms

,and folded h im to her breast .

“ Oh ! how cou ld they do i t ? ” she sa id . I ' canscarce be l ieve i t .

“ Thou mayest wel l say that, H ilwe . Even now Iask myself, Can i t a l l be t rue ? But i t a l l is t ru etoo t ru e .

”

H ow d id they find her ? And how d id they captureher ? ”

Both the women, c lasped i n each other’s arm s , were

trembl i ng and weep ing as Kadra an swered,resum ing

her we i rd re lat i on .

I t seems the stranger G iaour who had taken Amneto be w ith h im ,

and who was k i nd and good to her, forshe wanted for noth i ng, was a young man of h igh b i rth ,a nobl eman

,and had much r i ches . I say not th i s to

excuse her,nor to j u st i fy that i n her wh ich was wrong .

The man went on a long journey, i ntend i ng to begone many days ; and th i s was the t ime taken by themen of Malha for the capture of Amne .

“ They had tracked her out l ong before, and morerthan once had tr i ed to abduct her w ithout succeed ing.

But th i s t ime,under pretence that some one of her

folk at Malha was s ick unto death and cal l i ng for her ,they persuaded her to go with them . Thi s they d idw i th great secrecy and cunn i ng. Tak ing her ch i ld,


she went , w ithou t su spect ing the i r purpose, and expecting to return immed iately.

”

Ah,how cru e l l— how w icked ! ” exc la imed H i lwe .

Yea ; bu t what cou ldst thou look for from them ?They never took her to Malha. That i s certa i n . Theyprobably h id her i n one of the ir caves . Who knows ?The rest was told by Nigme , — the desp i s ed N igme ,Abd—e l -nour’s w ife . As thou knowest

,her m ind of

l ate has never been c l ear, and s i nce th i s i t is worsethan ever. ”

I t seemed , from Kadra’

s nar rat ion,that Nigme ,

wander ing Off i n search of brush for fue l,had gone out

of her way, and found herself w i th i n the borders Of theBlack Wady.

Th i s spot, a deso lat e hol low among barren rocks, hasa most forb idd i ng aspect . Trad it ion assoc iates i t w i thindesc r i babl e horrors and m i sfortunes

,and peopl es i t

w ith mal evo l ent spr i tes, the j i n n s and ghoul s ; so thati t is general ly avo ided by the superst i t ious fe l laheen ,who

,i n com i ng and go ing, are apt to g ive i t a w ide

berth,espec i a l ly at n ight .

Before apprehend i ng where sh e was,Nigme perce ived

she was c lose to a group of men, who had wi th them ayoung woman and a ch i ld . The woman was ev ident lyin great d i stress

,and p l eaded p i teous ly from t ime to

t ime wi th the men , who t reated her wi th unre lent i ngharshness .Terr ifi ed at the pos i t ion in wh i ch she found herself,

and i dent ify i ng the young woman as Amne, and theother members of the group as men of Malha

,N igme

h id herse lf beh i nd a mass of rock,from where

,w ithout

be i ng seen , she cou ld watch the i r proceed i ngs . Shecl ung to the rocks

,overwhe lmed w ith fear, real i s i ng

the unholy act ion of these men and that , shou ld theyd i scover her spyi ng on them , they wou ld su rely s layher rather than that she shou ld escape w i th the i rs ecret . H er strength l eft her, so that she cou ldS carce ly move .

They had been d igg i ng a p i t-l ike hol e, i n wh i ch taskthey had spe l l ed each other, and now were rap id lycomplet i ng the work. The ent i re scene had an om in

454 H assan a Fellah

and the cost ly ra iment—the robe Of her shame, as

they cal l ed it— in wh i ch they had captured her, and

had put upon her Other and desp i cabl e appare l . Shewore the Shabby garments of the poorest peasant .She had been hum i l iat ed repeated ly, in numerousways .The ho l e they had dug for her was deep and narrow.

I t gaped dark ly before her. She sh ivered as She sawi t. She

,who had been so fu l l Of warm

,bound ing l ife

and love,

how cou ld sh e reconc i l e herse lf to i t ?I t d id not l essen the horror, that she knew her fatesaw i t prepared for her .A certa i n preconcerted s ignal was g iven. They

tore he r ch i ld from her cl i ng i ng arms . I n an instantthey had se ized her and pl unged he r i nto the earth .

H er strugg les were as noth ing i n the i r powerfu l grasp .

They fi l l ed in the so i l about her de l iberate ly. The i rstern

,implacabl e att i tude was appal l i ng ; i t was as

para lys ing as i t was dev i l i sh .

She was bur ied up to her neck in the dark andnarrow p i t .They d id not conten t themse lves w ith th i s . They

as sa i l ed her w i th gr im mockery :“Thou d i d st th i nk to g o de l i cate ly al l thy l ife,

wh i l e thy reproach lay upon us to d i sgrace us . Ah ,by Al lah , that may not be ! It d id not sat i sfy thee tog ive thyse lf up to ord i nary wantonness . Thou mustmake thyse lf notor iou s ly abom inabl e . Thou must suffer a dog of a G iaour to humbl e thee . The d i shonourmust be blotted out. There i s but one way

,as thou

wel l knowest . And th i s base-born th i ng th e ch i ld ofshamefu lness

,the spawn of the G iaour—shal l per i sh

with thee .

”

They took the l i tt l e one , str ipp ing the s imple c lothesfrom h im t i l l he was naked .

H e was a beaut ifu l boy, such as wou ld gladdenany mother ’s heart . Poor Amne had worsh ippedand petted h im . Though he was natu ral ly pat i entand qu iet, the i r rough treatment made h im fret andwh imper. The love that i s greater than a l l love butone

,stirred in her bl eeding heart, and out of the


midst of her wretchedness she ca l l ed h im by a petname and tr i ed to comfort h im . H e st retched eagerlyh i s t iny hands to her, h is fa i thfu l p rotector—no

longer abl e to protect .She had shed her last t ears . H er bu rn i ng eyes were

dry as a potsherd, and star ing w i ld ly w i th horror.Every moment she expected to have the l ife cru shedout of her. But when she saw her ch i ld i n such per i l

,

al l her motherly i nst i nct cr i ed a loud . She wrenchedher impr i soned arms loose, w ith a power that i n he rstat e seemed superhuman—w ith the last fa i nt i ngenerg ies Of her be ing She reached out to her ch i ld

,

implor i ngly, those bru i sed and torn l imbs that so oftenhad fondl ed h im .

Do as thou w i l t w ith me ! ” she cr i ed k i l l me !but spare the ch i ld ! H e wi l l grow up with the flocksand herds. H e w i l l be no more to thee than a k id of

the pasture . Spare h im,

. for the love of Al lah !Al l was i n va i n. H e who was drawn by lot to do

the accursed deed,ruth l ess ly se i zed the ch i ld , and,

before the eyes Of the hap les s mother, dashed out its

bra i ns aga i n st the rocks.Then

,from that forlorn mother went out such a cry

as those h i l l s and va l leys had never heard s i nce theChr i st in h is awfu l redempt ive pass i on had y i elded upthe ghost .There were no other word s—the re cou ld be none .

H er l ife and her sou l had gone out i nto her ch i l d to

suffer w i th h im . She was al ready as one that is al lbut dead .

The self-appo i n ted execut ioners , stand i ng around ,armed w ith fragments of rock , prepared to stone her todeath

,commenc i ng w i th the ch i ef accu ser, hurl ed them

i n success ion upon her. H er‘feeb l e hand went up

i nvo luntar i ly,i t was but Nature ’s protest . She knew

not what sh e d id . There was one w i ld shr i ek, and al lwas over.An almost s imu ltaneous cry went up from the d i s

traug ht N igme , who cou ld no l onger res tra in i t . Themen

,hear i ng thi s , were alarmed, and looked around

on al l s ides suspic ious ly,


Some one an swers her cry, sa id a Malhaite .

Nay, i t is but the echo,” sa id another.

Rather i t i s the j i nn wa it i ng for her,Sa id a

th i rd.There was not an express ion Of regret . None sa id

,

Alas,my s i ster ! "

The merc i l e s s deed was done . The head that hadbeen carr i ed so dai nt i ly had al l i t s beauty— al l semblance of human i ty crushed out of i t.Light of l i ght

, God of grace, can such th ings beperm i tted of thee ? Canst thou look down and l etthem be perpetrated ? And can human be i ngs be so

cruel ? Can human nature be wi thout compass ion ,t ears

,or fee l i ng ? H ow cou ld i t heap such m i sery on

a poor,fra i l creature , its own flesh and b lood , that,

wi thout ru th or p i ty or re l ent i ng touch Of mercy, i twou ld r ive the sou l out of the he lpl es s, t rembl i ng body,power les s to res i st , i n the outer darknes s Of hopel essness

,and not even spare the i nfant at the breast ?

One of another race and creed, once look i ng downupon the forb idd i ng

,savage desolat i on of the spot

,

i nten s ified by the deed Of blood, the h ideous secretwh i ch i t held i n its gloomy bosom ,

- it seemed to h imthe exponent of the anc i en t d i refu l thought i tnot wri tten ? ” he sa id) H appy shal l he be thattaketh and dasheth thy l i tt l e ones aga i n st the stones .I s i t not wri tten i n the sacred book ? he asked

,and

to h imse lf made answer : Yea, and more the p i ty. I tnever was i n God 's heart . The Old H ebrew had i nh im an immense capac i ty for hatred and cruel ty. Thatis al l i t shows. H e made h i s God to su i t h im

,a God

of j ealou sy, revenge, dece i t and bloody murder. NO

decent,c iv i l i sed man wou ld have such a God .

”

Unfortunate Amne, stray b i rd of summer, short-l ivedwas thy happine ss l—short , ah , how Short the pleasureof thy darkened ex i st ence , and the end , a barbarou sdeath at th e hands of th i ne own k i ndred !At the close of her fearfu l narrat ion

,of wh i ch th i s

i s bu t a feebl e summary, Kadra was much overcome.She had tol d the d i refu l story w i th a swe l l i ng heart ,and i n burn i ng word s, imposs ib le to render, aecom


CH APTER XLII

M I not i n the hands of Al lah ? ” H ilwe re

peated, l es s as a quest i on than a confidentassert i on, a s she stood watch i ng the ret reat ing figure ofKadra , who had j u st parted from her. The v i l lage ofAin Kar im

,i n i t s peacefu l va l l ey, lay beneath, enve l

oped in i t s profus ion of ol ive-groves,gard en s and

orchards . She cou ld st i l l d i st i ngu i sh the place of thefounta i n , the monastery of Span i sh monks

,and the

ru i n s by the cave, bes ides many another wel l-knownspot . I t had l eft w i th her a b i tter-sweet memory ; forthere she had become a mother. I t was to her l ikethe l i tt l e book i n the Apocalypse

,wh ich the angel

gave to St . J ohn the Be loved,—sweet as honey

,yet

b i tter. Now,a s sh e ha lted and looked down upon the

qu iet p lace,and though t of the days sh e had spent

there,contrast i ng them wi th the cares and u ncerta i n

t ies immed iate ly Open ing before her,the b i tter seemed

l es s and th e sweet more . Is i t not ever so wi th us,

sad p i lgr ims ? The atmosphere of memory i s a pl easi ng i l l us ion

,and a ids us to pa i nt Of a rosy hue that

wh i ch we yearn to cons ide r happ in ess i n the past .But sh e must not delay. With a las t fond look

, she

tu rned and took the pathway across the h i l l s . Sheremembered the adv ice of Kadra : “Were i t not thatin thy case i t i s d i fferent , I shou ld say to thee, t rave lthe h ighway

,though i t be round about. I t may prove

the shortest way, after a l l . Rather m ight I adv i seth ee , —g o not by the trave l l ed way, l est thou meetw i th the profan e . But thou must be gu ided by c i rcumstance s .

The load was heavy upon her, carry ing the ch i ldand the prov i s ions ; but the same cheerfu l nature as

ever was wi th i n her .“ Each day the load w i l l grow a l i tt l e l ighter

,She

sa id,and hastened on her way.

She looked upon the br ight s ide, and d id not appearto cons ider the fact that th i s g rowi ng a l i tt l e l ighter


meant the l essen i ng of her scanty store of food,and

be i ng thrown upon her own exert ions for the supply ofher da i ly want s .There was i n H ilwe a sub l ime subm i ss ion to her

fate,—an acqu i escence wh i ch is character i s t ic of the

peopl e of the land. I t may be descr ibed as an acceptance of a l l t roub l e or affl i ct i on , ascr i b i ng i t to theSupreme Power

,i n a sp i r i t of wh ich the O r i ental a lone

seems capabl e. In Palest i n e th i s is seen i n its h ighestdeve lopment i n the Mohammedan

,to whose re l ig iou s

fata l i sm probably may be att r ibuted some of h is feel i ngand be l i ef. But the land is pervaded, satu rated w i ththe sent iment . The acknowl edgment of God i n everyth ing reaches a he ight , and carr i es w i th i t a deferenceto the D iv i ne W i l l u nknown i n weste rn lands .Undoubted ly there are except ion s to th i s . Perhaps

,

too, i t may be sa id Of them as Of others , even of Chr i st ian s : “ Th i s peopl e honoureth me w i th the i r l ips ; butthe i r heart is far from me .

” Yet i t is doubtfu l i f theEurope an or Amer i can Chr i st ian Often

,i f ever

, prac

t ical ly reaches i n h is da i ly l ife su ch a thorough real isat i on Of God-with-man , as does the poorest and mostignorant peasant of Pal est i ne, savage and barbar i c i nmany ways as we may deem h im to be .

“ I t is Al lah .

”

Th i s i s sa id and fe l t when i n the most b i tte r gr iefand sorrow

,with fo lded hands and complete res igna

t ion to the decree of the Al l -Merc ifu l and Al l -Wiseru l er of the un iverse. I t recal l s the words Of Samue lof old I t is the Lord : l et h im do what seemeth h imgood .

So i t was wi th H ilwe . She sa id,not on ly w i th her

l ips but i n her heart,I t is the w i l l of Al lah, and

went upon her unknown and Often path l e ss way,

strengthened, refreshed and comforted .

These rocks and hol l ows had heard the vo ice of theForerunner of the Mess iah . H ere he had been bornand bred

,the i nfluences of the place and peopl e enter

ing i nto h im . H e knew every domed summ i t andevery d impled val e from h i s boyhood . H ere he hadbecome as the vo ice Of God, the vo ice of one c rying in


the w i lderness,The K ingdom Of heaven is at hand.

Prepare ye the way of the Lord .

” And a l l the peop l eOf th i s h i l l -count ry of Judaea, and they of J eru sal em

,

had flocked to hear h im,— for al l men cons i dered John

a prophet .But that day—and to them it was a grea t day

is past and gone . Nearly two thousand years l i e between i t and us . And st i l l the prayer ascends :

“ ThyK ingdom come . And the Chr i st has told u s

,The

K ingdom of H eaven is w ith i n you, if you wou ld bu tknow i t . ”

AS the w i nd swept through the rocky passes,the

grand volume of sound came to H i lwe as the hymn i ngOf a holy company, and the cool i ng touch, as of anangel ’s hand

,rested i n b l ess i ng on her heated brow.

The brave young mother,w i th her l i tt l e son,

hadmany a weary tramp through the th i st l es and br i ers

,

the thorny bru sh and rough,fl inty byways, and some

t imes her b l eed i ng feet l eft a t ra i l of pa i n to mark hersteps . Often the water was spent i n her bott l e

,and

sh e d id not a lways venture near the v i l lage wel l s, torepl en i sh i t

,not knowi ng what t roubl e i t m ight br i ng

upon her.She was Often obl iged to wa i t l ong on the outsk i rt s

Of v i l l ages and smal l towns, watch i ng an opportun i tyto v i s i t the we l l or founta i n of the place unobserved.More than once, when parched w ith th i rst , she hadentered the cemetery belong i ng to some v i l lage , and ,rest i ng i n the shade of the great t rees wh i ch adornedi t

,was glad to ava i l herself of the water wh i ch had

gathered i n the cup- l ike hol lows i n the tombstones,

made there accord ing to the beaut ifu l O r i enta l cu stom ,

so that when i t ra i n s the water may col l ect i n them forthe b i rds to dr i nk , wh i ch i t i s be l i eved br i ngs a bl essi ng to the dead. Moslems and Jews bel i eve i n pray ingfor the dead .

“We are stray b i rds , she wou ld say, as sh e mo istened the l ips Of her l i tt l e one , and stooped and drankfrom the receptacl es . “

H ave we not fal l en out of thenest

,and become lost ? Shal l we, too, not dr ink, and

b l ess the dead ? ”


wh ich those men are sa id to have no mathemat icalformu la

,they work i ng by the eye w i th exactn ess

,

though apparent ly wi th the c rudes t methods . I t issometh i ng very l ike gen iu s

,t ransm i tted from father to

son for generat i on s . They keep the roya l secret wel l ,whatever i t is ; and i t i s be l i eved no other masons cando such work . I t i s a s natura l and complete as the

b lossom ing of a flower.The l ight was a great comfort to H ilwe , as she pre

pared her scanty even i ng meal from her much d im in i shedstore

,and then arranged her s l eep i ng-place. She fe l l

as l eep,her boy i n her arms, watch ing the l ights and

shadows as they c lasped and unc lasped, mater i a l i sedand mel ted

,each ru nn i ng i nto the othe r, t i l l i t was

imposs i b l e to fol low them among the arches and curvedl i nes of that myster iou s ce i l i ng, and her t i red eyeshal ted i n the va i n pursu i t , and short ly her eyel idsdrooped and closed . The last broken thought wh ichpassed through her m i nd she remembered was the o ld

say i ng w i th its covert mean i ng : “ One cannot see thelamp except by the l ight of i t . ”

“H ow t rue i t i s,

”she thought and muttered

,with

on ly a vague impres s i on of the words,and a b lurred

image of the lamp before her. “ I t i s on ly by the l ightof h i s deed s that a man is seen and known .

Then her i nner consc i ou sness passed i nto the landof dreams . She was i n a garden of l i l i es, asphode l sand roses, and the pure

“ wh i te b looms swayed to andfro wi th a sacred rhythm . H as san was there ; hestooped and k i ssed her ; and, present ly, Talma i wasw i th them . Oh , what joy ! What spl endour Of love !What glory Of form and colour and perfume on everys ide ! She was rav i shed wi th i t al l . Then i t gradual lyfaded away, and van i shed al together. I t is alwaysso.

When she awoke i t was another day, but st i l l dark ,very dark wi th i n the mosqu e

,for the lamp had gone

out. I t took her some moments to recal l where she

was. Sleep i ng i n a d i fferent place each n ight wasconfus i ng. But the consc i ou snes s of the necess i ty Ofv ig i lance was at once w i th her. That was ever with


her now. Even in her s l eep some sense of i t rema ined.Awak i ng

,she was thorough ly awake as to that .

The brave,cheerfu l sou l , perce iv i ng the cause of the

darkness,cr i ed

,

“Ah, how qu i ck thou art to desertme ! ” and then, quoted the fam i l iar proverb,

“ Bu t noone 's lamp bu rn s t i l l morn i ng.

”

She immed iate ly arose,and, look ing out

,saw that

fa i nt gray pal lor i n the eastern sky that te l l s of the

approach ing dawn . Knowing what ear ly r i sers thefe l laheen are, that they g o to bed w ith the sun and r i sew ith the sun, she se ized he r water—bott l e, and, tak ingher l i tt l e son upon her back, for she da red not l eaveh im alone

,hasten ed to the founta in

,fi l led the vessel

,

and returned to the mosque w ithout meet ing any one .

She cons idered herse lf fortunate, wh i l e she preparedand ate a most s l ender breakfas t , and then nursed herch i l d i n the Open a i r, i n the l i tt l e court of the bu i lding,wh ich was neat ly paved, and scrupu lous ly clean .

The mosqu e was bu i l t on r i s i ng ground—the mostprom i nent and des i rabl e spot i n the v i l lage ; and i nthe centre of the l eve l cou rt , before i t , spread a finetereb i nth tree, l ike a green umbre l l a or sacred canopy,shad i ng every foot of space i n the att ract ive i nc losure .

S ituated as H ilwe was,i t was imposs ib l e but that

care and anxi ety at t imes shou ld be her unwel comecompan ions. As she bared the soft hem i sphere Of herargent breast to her boy, the sacred founta i n of h is

nutr imen t gave not forth as abundant ly as u sual , noras freely as he de s i red the sweet supply. H e was astrong lusty ch i ld, uncommon ly large for h is age , andthe constant outdoor l ife had a ided h is robust deve lopment. H is steady growth requ i red a steady i ncreaseof nour i shment ; and latter ly H i lwe st i nted herse lf toeke out the scanty res idue of her prov i s ion s, w i th theresu l t that Talma i had not al l he wanted. The l i tt l efe l low, taught by natu re, put up h is c l enched , babyfist

, br i ngi ng such pressure to bear as he cou ld employ ;just as the lambk ins i n the fie lds butt the udders ofthe mother-sheep to encou rage the flow of the m i lk.

The tears fi l l ed H ilwe ’

s eyes,as sh e bent over h im

lov ingly,and understood the t roubl e.


I have defrauded thee,

sh e sa id . Al lah forg iveme for not trust i ng h im more . Yet I d id i t for thebest . I have refra i ned from sat i sfyi ng my hunger

,

fear i ng to run out of food ; and now,beho ld

,I am

starv i ng thee,my son .

The boy looked up at the sound of her vo i ce,dropped

the rosy n ipp l e from between h is l ips,and sm i l ed i n

her face .

“ Ah , how good-natu red and pl easant thou art abouti t,

”sh e sa id, hugging and k i ss i ng h im.

“ Thou artH as san over aga i n . Thou art h is l iv i ng image. Wou ldthat he cou ld s e e thee !H i therto H i lwe had adhered

,as c losely as poss ib l e

,

to Kadra’

s adv i ce to lo i te r not by the way,and to avo id

dwe l l i ng-houses and i nd iv idual s t i l l we l l out of therange of country where she m igh t be apprehended

, or

su sp i c ion send back rumour of her. But the frequentlos i ng of her way had delayed her ; so had the tak ingof c i rcu i tou s routes to avo id person s and places . Th i shad resu l ted i n the exhaust i on of her l im i ted store offood before sh e had arr ived as far as had been i ntended .

She had added occas ional ly to her meagre fare byglean i ng gra i n or gather ing a few fru i ts and herbs ;and

,to appease her hunger, had resorted even to eat i ng

the embryon i c or immature l i tt l e figs,a not unusua l

pract i ce on the part of the peasant when suffer i ng forwant of food and noth ing better Offers ; thu s i l lustrati ng and expla i n i ng that d iffi cu l t and perpl exi ng passage i n conn ect i on w i th the barren fig—t ree— how that

,

though i t was not the s eason of fig s , the tree be ing ahealthy tree and fu l l of l eaves

,Chr i st m ight we l l have

expected to find upon i t th i s ear ly imperfect fru i t, suflic i en t to re l i eve h is wants .The laws Of hosp i ta l i ty i n th i s count ry are very

broad and generous . The hab i t s of ages have bu i l tup and sanct ified the i r unwr i tt en code— for to thesefe l l aheen i t i s unwr i tten . TO th i s day i t is regardedas noth i ng unu sual for the st ranger, the wayfarer, andt rave l l er

,when need i ng food , to pluck the ears of

wheat and eat them,rubb ing them i n the i r hands

,a

custom Old as the days Of Moses, and exerc i sed i n the

466 H as san : a Fellah

was a warn ing. Soon the cr imson streaks wou ldstream up

,ray-l ike

,where the sun was to r i se .

“ I have no t ime to lose, she sa id, and arose hurried ly.

“ I must be go i ng.

She wou ld have l iked to l i nger longer i n the pl easantp lace. But she wou ld not l et herse lf con s ider i t .She cou ld not. She dared not.

She took, as usual , a roundabout way, l eav ing the

v i l lage a good d i stance to the r ight, to avo id a l l r i sk,l e st a l ready some of the i nhab i tants shou ld be st i rr i ng.

But she must n eeds cros s the h ighway. H ardly hadshe reached the other s ide, when she came upon al eve l space of ground , where was halted a large numberof camel s. She was qu ite c lose to them,

so c lose that,

as she stood beh i nd a c l ump of bushes, she cou ld see

d i st i nct ly the pecu l iar patterns and marks c l ipped i nthe i r creamy-wh i te, fawn , drab, or dark gray coats bythe i r owners , and wh i ch dev i ces were part ly for ornament

,part ly as a mean s of ident ificat ion . Many of

these huge beasts of burden had the i r heads e l evatedh igh above the bushes

,and H i lwe had the impress ion

that they not i ced her,though she kept qu ite st i l l ,

h id i ng beh i nd the sh rubs .I t added to her alarm that sh e became conv inced that

th i s was the same caravan wh ich had passed throughA i n Kar im ,

to whi ch the camel -dr iver be longed whohad sp i ed on her and Kadra I t was now probablymak ing i t s return tr ip. Th i s made her the more caut iou s, as sh e perce ived some of the dr ivers were al readyast i r.She heard them warn i ng the young mu leteers to

keep away from the mal e camel s :“ Seest thou not the i r tongues lol l ing out ? H ear

them roar. They are fierce and dangerous at th i sseason . DO not approach them so near. ”

Stealth i ly sh e crept along,from bush to bush

,fear

i ng to make the l east no i s e wh ich m ight d i scover her.She watched the camel s eat, kneel i ng a s they had knel tfor hours through the n ight

,munch i ng the dry musty

m ixture of barley and chopped straw more st raw thanbar ley wh ich had been placed before them

,and wi th


that expres s ion ofm ingl ed d i scontent and mal ic i ou snesswh ich is hab i tua l to the uncouth but u sefu l an imal .Several of them were be ing reloaded by the dr ivers

,

and, under the Operat ion , were blubber ing and groaning and Sp itt ing, g iv i ng vent to an occas ional louderbleat or howl , as i f i n remonstrance at putt i ng anyextra we ight upon them . A camel knows how much i tcan conven i ent ly car ry, and Obj ect s strenuous ly to

be ing imposed upon . From necess i ty,i t a lways knee l s

for l oad ing, and i t is wel l understood the beast w i l lrefu se to r i se Shou ld i t cons ider the load too great .As H i lwe came to where some of the provender had

been sp i l l ed , she fa i n wou ld have stopped and p ickedout the gra in s of barl ey to supply her wants and re

pl en i sh her d im in i shed store . But she knew th i s wou ldbe imprudent , and hastened on her way.

“Alas,l i tt l e d id I th i nk i t shou ld come to th i s w ith

me,

she sa id , that I shou ld g rudge the camel h isfeed

,and hunger for that wh ich the beggar desp i seth .

”

CH APTER XLI I I

T length the day had come when there was no

more food i n H ilwe ’

s scr ip. The last morse l s,

though carefu l ly st i nt ed, had been devoured, and not acrumb was l eft .Of l ate sh e had been unsuccessfu l i n Obta i n i ng gra i n

or root s, as sh e had met no cu ltured fie lds . She now

had wandered out of her way and was lost . The waterwas spent i n her bott l e . Fa i nt w i th hunger, parchedw i th th i rst

,weary from her fru i t l es s wander ings , not

know ing where She was,bew i ldered and perpl exed

,

sh e seemed to herself as a mere noth i ng and of no

account,i n the w ide st retch of land and sky sur

round i ng her.She turned her eyes in every d i rect ion

,as though

search ing out some way to escape . But she cou ld findno favourabl e i nd icat ions. There was a blank dreari


nes s to the scene, wh i ch, i n her state , m ight wel lappa l her. She dragged herse lf to the n earest bou lder

,

and,exhausted, sank upon i t , as a t i red b i rd m ight

roost there.She t r i ed to co l l ect herse lf, and to reca l l the d irec

t ion s wh ich Kadra had so carefu l ly g iven her.H ow easy and s imple i t al l seemed to be, when she

talked to me about the jou rney, she sa id ;“ and now

— now I am lost . I know not where I am . I have so

Often wandered out of the way Ah ! have I not wandered out of the way ? ” she repeated, sorrowfu l ly shaki ng her head

,

“ that the track i s blotted ou t bothbefore me and beh i nd me ; I am become as one that isfool i sh ; and ther e i s non e to say to me : Th i s is theway ; walk thou i n i t .

’ Neither i s there one to entreatme Eat th i s morse l of bread

,my daughter

,and

dr i nk Of the water from my pi tcher . ’

H ow Often haveI g i ven food to the stranger, and now I am an hungeredand th i rsty

,and my l i tt l e one n igh per i sh ing Of want .

My eyes are darkened, so that I cannot see ; and myheart i s weak

,and my strength wasted w ith i n me.

Yet l et me Shut my mouth, and not murmur. Whoam I that I shou ld reproach the Creator ? Wi l l he notde l iver me i n due t ime, and su sta i n me for th i s dayal so ? ”

As , i n her helpl essness, she sat upon the rock, bur i edbeneath the thoughts that pressed w i th such overwhelmi ng we ight upon her, w ith that st range m ixed feel i ng,that oft en makes i tse lf apparent i n the most ser iousc i rcumstances , l i nk i ng the tr iv i al w i th the momentou s

, she gradual ly began not i c ing—at fi rst scarce lycon sc iou s of i t - the mosses , l i chen s and fern s wh i chgrew on the s ide s or i n the i n terst i ces of the bou lder.She passed her fingers over the fi lmy l i chen s

,c l i ng i ng

so c lose to the i r hard bed— some of a pal e metal l i cgreen

,s i lvery underneath

,others brown i sh

,or o l ive,

or gray above, and black beneath ; or those d i st i nctpatches of r i ch orange-colou r

,or of pal e su lphur

yel low,adheri ng so persever i ngly that they broke i n

p i eces rather than be separated from the i r footholdthe i r home.


winged seeds ; and now—now she was cast out, a st ranger i n a strange land , with none to g ive unto her or herch i ld.

The l itt l e Talma i woke and cr ied . I t was h is feeding t ime . H ilwe knew and dreaded i t ; for she fe l tthat Nature was w i thhold i ng her k ind supply

,and sh e

cou ld not sat i sfy the boy. The tears now overfl owed

and dropped on the face of the ch i ld as, wi th a deeps igh she bent over h im and gave h im the breast.

“There is noth i ng i n i t for thee , my lambk in , she

sa id.

“ Yet w i l l I not refuse the e the comfort of i t . ”

Then sh e t r i ed to put h im to s l eep,s i ng i ng i n a

gent l e vo i ce , very fa int and trembl i ng, a s implel u l laby :

Sle ep. my little nestling , s leep ;Not formyse lf, but for the e I weep .

Thoug h the waybe roug h and s teep,A llah my precious one shal l ke ep .

Sleep , my little darling , s leep.”

There was that S l ight l i l t ing of the vo i ce that is so

te l l i ng ; but how sad was her attempt at s i ng i ng ! i twas almost p i teous . Yet the mother ’s l ove was i n thesong

,and the soft s l umberous coo ing of the words

soothed the boy to s l eep.

She began to feel rested. The necess ity of car i ngfor and p i tyi ng another had rev ived and restored her.H er m ind was qu i ckened

,her energy inv igorated .

She perce ived that the flocks of b i rds, after feed i ng,a l l flew most ly in one d i rect ion .

There must be water and shel t er there,She sa id

,

e l se the b i rd s wou ld not flock th ither.She pondered awh i l e

,her head bent

,wh i l e her eyes

were fixed on the d i stant hor i zon . At the po i nt towhere the b i rds ’ fl ight was d i rected

,there s eemed to

be a low range of h i l l s.“ I wi l l g o forward, sh e sa id . H ath not Al lah

sent these w i nged messengers of h i s to po int me theway ? Let me be obed i ent

,and delay not to fo l low

them .

She was a l ready upon her feet and hasten ing w ith

H asSan : a Fe llah 47 1

the b irds that flew before her and were l ike gu ides toher. I t is t rue the i r t rack less way i n the a i r led herover a trackl e ss course on the ground , and throughmany rough and d iffi cu l t places ; but She fol l owedthe i r broken

,i nt e rm i tten t fl i tt i ng w ith unquest ion ing

fa i th . These apparent ly desu l tory fl ights al l tendedone way, as she al ready had not i ced .

H er strength seemed to have retu rned to her ; andshe pressed onward w i th an enthu s i asm that was bornOf he r hope . I t was one Of those recu rrent recuperat ive waves of force that come to the ind iv idua l a lmostw i th surpr i se .

“ I t is st range, She sa id,but when the t ime for

eat ing passes by,I am not so hungry. I do not m ind

the pangs of hunger so much .

”

Already she had advanced severa l m i le s . She hadbeen wonderfu l ly susta i ned , and Showed remarkabl eendurance

, no doubt i n large measure to be attr ibutedto the s imple outdoor l ife of to i l and exposure i n wh ichshe had been d i sc ip l i ned .

Reach ing the top of a r idge and look ing eagerlybeyond

,her eyes were at last su rpr i sed and g laddened

by the happy s ight of a cu l t ivated fie ld of gra i n . I twas bu t a smal l patch , tucked i n among the rocks , i na space between the h i l l s ; but a godsend to her, andwe lcome beyond measure , was the s ight of that greenand gold escutcheon royal ly verm i l ioned with hera ld i cb lazon ry of s l ender bars and barru l ets

,composed of

popp ies , ru nn i ng through i t . The flowers were l ikes ignal-flag s , cal l i ng her attent ion . Near by were a fewneglected fig -t rees ; and the p lace had the appearanceof hav i ng been cu l t ivated from olden t ime

,for there

were anc i ent landmarks wh i ch had neve r been moved .

But there was no hab i tat ion nor human be i ng i n s ight .She found a sma l l quant i ty of poor figs upon the

trees, wh i ch she greed i ly devoured ; and soon sh e was

i n the m idst of the gra i n,pluck ing the ears of wheat

,

and wi nnow i ng them i n her hands . When she hadsat i sfied her hunger, she cont i n ued her work t i l l sh ehad wel l suppl i ed her bag. The popp ies grew th i ckaround her, some w ith droop ing heads, as i f ashamed


— al l b l ush ing scarl et . Some looked up at her as ifwith speech l ess wonder, showing those great b lack andwh it e macu lat ions, set i n the petal s, l ike human eyesOf p i ty and sweet, tearfu l sympathy.

She had p laced the s l eep i ng Talma i under a greatc l ump of the popp i es, wh i ch , i n company w i th the long,taper i ng sprays of the purp l e g lad iolus

,kept salaam i ng

and bend i ng over h im , as if i n adm i rat ion of the beaut i fu l boy, who looked l ike a young sun-

g od, h is ha i r,at th i s ag e , be i ng Of a golden brown .

H e wi l l s l eep wel l under the popp i es, sh e sa id

,

repeat i ng an O ld say ing of the peopl e,attr ibut i ng

, not

unj ust ly, a

'

soporific i nfluence to the flower.H e s l ept wel l , confi rm i ng the proverb, and d id not

awake unt i l she was ready to proceed on her jou rney.

She now was more th i rsty than ever ; her search amongthe rocks for a spr i ng or pool of water had been fru i tl es s ; but her fa i th i n the fl ight of the b i rds was as impl icit as that Of any Roman augur. Those messengersof Al lah

,though now com ing from d ifferen t quart ers

,

s t i l l had one dest inat ion, she perce ived .

“ That is whe re there is wate r,”she sa id

,sure ly

,

sure ly.

”

On the fu rther s ide of the field she found, l ead i ngfrom i t

,a part ly obl it erated path , wh ich she fol lowed.

Th i s brought her to a depress ion or hol low,end i ng i n a

rav i n e,wh i ch i n tu rn ,

pas sed i nto a narrow,deep and

rocky glen .

There was a des erted savage a i r to the place wh i chseemed at fi rst repel l ent

, and thr i l l ed her wi th a senseof awe or dread . I t had the appearance of hav i ng been ,at some d i stan t per iod

,i nhab i ted

,though now not a

s i ngl e dwel l ing or st ructu re remai ned i ntact, or recogn isable even as a ru i n . But as sh e descended i nto thegorge

,she passed var i ou s fragment s of stonework,

which or ig i nal ly m ight have belonged to bu i ld i ngs Ofsome k i nd . There seemed the h i nt of a catast rophe, amyster i ous doom

,i n the su rround i ngs . She now gave

them l i tt l e exam inat ion or thought,for her qu i ck ear

had caught that more than de l ig htful sound the s i lve ry splash of fal l i ng water.


p i led on top of one another . This at once attracted herattention , for evidently i t was the work ofman , and therewas a purpose i n the step-l ike arrangement of the stones .On mounting to the top of the p i le she could just reacha succession of roughly-cut steps o r rather notches onthe face of the c l iff, by which she carefully cl imbed to ashelf-l ike ledge , above which the rock shot up , perfectlysmooth and almost perpendicular to another and thehighest ledge , giving not a single perceptible footholdbetween . But she discovered , hidden i n a cleft i n therock , a rudely-made but strong ladder sti l l i n a fair stateof preservation . This showed that some one within re

cent years had occup ied the retreat . Two deep socketsor holl ows in the rock near by were made to receive thefoot of the ladder , the top of which when i n positi onreached nearly to the upper ledge at a poi nt where wel lmade grooves held i t i n place , preventing i t from sl ipp ing.

H ilwe with but li ttle d iffi cu lty ascended to the top bymeans of the ladder, which she drew up after her . H erewas her i nviolate cave , which may have been originally theabode of the tro g lod ite s of Palestine , or subsequently therefuge o f the early Christian hermits who in the seventhcentu ry flocked to such retreats by thousands , and whosecell s to th i s day honeycomb the rocky gorges throughout the country , as in the Cedron Valley , Mar Saba , andthe Jordan . That there had been another and very di fferent occupation of the place , pointi ng to a higher c ivilisation , was apparent from the fragments Of sculptureand other remains strewn on every S id e .

To any of these inhab i tants as well as afterward to thefel laheen , the presence of the water would have been anattraction of paramount importance .

And yet the place was deserted . This puzzled H ilwe ,while she profited by it. Then She remembered Kadra’

s

having told her that there was a curse upon Ain Farah ,some d isaster having befallen i t , and that now it wasrarely resorted to except at certain seasons , such as atSheep-shearing , when the shepherds drove thei r flocksto the waters for washing .

But though H ilwe thought of the possible proximityof the j i nn , vampires , and other l ike undesi rable beings ,

H assan a Fellah 475

the advantages connected with the place dec ided her toconti nue to remain there . She admitted there was amysteriou s sense of i solation and gloom about it ; but asday after day passed by without moles tation o r trouble ,she settled gradually i nto a feeli ng of secu ri ty and confidence which she had no t dared to expect . True , shehad to traverse qu ite a d i stance to obtain grain

,fru i ts

,

and other suppl ies of food ; but thi s very fact renderedmore probable her immuni ty from i ntrusion , and thesecret refuge of the sheltering cave and the nearnessand abundance of the water were superlative benefi tsnot easily outweighed .

Well ' might she think the place pecul iar— haunted .

I t was so i n a sense beyond her simple comprehension .

It must have been an anc ient river-bed , a passage forthe floods of prehistoric times , cutting a way of escapefor themselves . A swift- rushing river must have sweptthrough this water-worn channel , with i ts pol i shed bottomand gap ing sides , —a deep , fleet , i rresi stible power , nowreduced to these paltry d imensions , a trickl ing stream ,

with intermittent pools i n the hollows , where sand , gravel ,and pebbles collected . Great boulders lay deposi tedhigh up on rocky shelves where some unusual overflowhad left them stranded and ever si nce u ndisturbed .

H ilwe wondered as she p icked up pieces of te sseraz ;si ngle cubes were numerous , and occasionally several wereseen grouped together i n the ori gi nal matrix, giving a faintconception Of the mosaic pattern . They must have beenpart of the pavement of an extensive bu i ld ing of importance . Then the fragments of the carved pi lasters , withthei r primitive Ionic capitals , — those Ammonic ram

’shorn volutes

,— they meant much . In those far-Off palmy

days , a palace or a temple may have stood upon the shore ,with portico Opening o n the descent, and steps lead i ngdown to the flood . The cells , caverns , and deep re

cesses and the later precautions for retreat , revealedconditions of both remote and nearer times which alsogave her food for thought . But in her lofty den , asshe lowered and rai sed her ladder , she felt that sense of

secu ri ty which the warder of some ancient castle musthave felt behind his d rawbridge and portculli s .


CH APTER XLIV

was one o f those warm , cloudless , monotonouslyequable days so frequent i n Palesti ne

,unduly pro

longi ng the rainless season , and H ilwe was retu rning toher secluded glen laden with the spoi l Of the fields . Sheswiftly went upon her way , bearing the burden andrejo ic ing i n her heart.In her excursions to the ou ts ide world and the fields

to renew her supply of provi sions , which latte rly~had be

come scanty and d ifficu lt o f procu ring , H ilwe continuedto use the greatest precaution to prevent d iscovery andbeing tracked to her lai r. Though the d i stance She wasobl iged to cover and the labour of finding and collectingthe food gave her fatigu ing work , the change from theoppressive atmosphere of the glen was an agreeablebreak or variation to her . If only successful she wassatisfied to endure the toi l .Two or three times she had had narrow escapes from

detecti on , which had warned her to be even more carefu li n her movements in future and to restrict her visi ts tothe fields to occasions when absolutely necessary . Thus ,to avo id ri sks , she often let her l i ttle store run low beforerenewing it , and thi s was the case on thi s b right warmday when she could no longer postpone her innocentraid .

She had already reached the descent into the hollow,

and was congratu lating herself that the ravine wouldsoon receive and conceal her, when she heard the unmistakabl e clang and clash of rapid ly-approaching horses ,and , l ifting her eyes , trembled to behold several mountedsoldiers

,who came up at a brisk gallop . As they drew

nearer, she perceived they were zaptiehs , which only

added to her horror .She qu ickened her footsteps , sl id ing from shadow to

shadow and rock to rock , underneath the banks , withthat pecul iar and inimi table grace of movement whichwas her heritage the badge of her kinship with the


The stream ofwater, so rampant during the rainy season ,was dai ly growing less u nder that burning , cloudless sky.

The sources of the brook were fai l ing, She feared . I twould soon dwindle to a thread , and then dry up . Thevery flowers took on an i nimical aspect .From among the loose stones near by shot up

,tall

,

stately , and impressive , the great purple-black arum ,

its long yellow spadix , i n fine contrast, protrud ing prominently from its velvety sheath , sprinkled with goldendust, a very Lothario a voluptuous lordling offlowers .Like Dives , the wicked rich man , clothed in purp le , andfaring sumptuously , i t seemed to hold i tself aloof, i n i tsari stocratic exclusiveness , from contact of al l beggarlyflowers , while , with somewhat of a Mephistophel ian attitude and mien , a more evi l-looking plant, one of thescrophularia a tawny , crawl ing thing with big l ip ssplotched with black, c lung to a p iece of o ld ru inedwall , as i f malevolently watching her . Nearer, the sp inyhyssop reached down its sharp claws .When H ilwe had consoled hersel f with the thought

that she had escaped the observation o f the zaptiehs ,she had deceived hersel f. Yet she might have knownbetter . The Ori ental has eyes i n his pole , as they say.

Nothing escapes him . H is cu riosi ty and susp icion andsweep o f eye are u nbounded , and they all act i n concertwith detective pu rpose . It seems impossible to do anything that he wi ll not see . H e even sees you comingbefore you come , and he beholds i n imaginati on what hethinks you would do . The prophetic instinc t possesseshim . It i s hi s by inheri tance . The act in prospectu i srevealed to him . When you least anticipate i t, he i supon you .

It i s wonderful to find at what d i stances he can se eminute objects , and with what suddenness those deepunearthly eyes Of his are unexpectedly turned upon theu nconsc ious ind ividual . As he stands talking to you hewill have read every word of the letter you have beenwriting that l ies upon you r desk . Should the drawer ofyour bureau at the other end of the room be open , hewil l manage

,i n the most natural manner, to get to i t

before you are aware , and wi l l know all its contents,almost at a glance .

H as san : a Fe llah 479

This trait this power of the eye and o f sp iri t visionseen i n the frequent allu si ons i n the Bible to eyes .Thou God , seest me , said H agar . The eyes of the

spoken of as bei ng “ i n every place,

” and asto and fro the wheels ofthe living creatu res

,

are described as bei ng fu ll o f eyes ,” and the

before the throne i n Revelation as “ full of eyesand behind , and “ fu l l of eyes inside .

The zaptiehs were those of Kiamil Aga’s squad , andiamil was with them . I n no sense were they defic ientthe d i rection referred to , rather, their raids , characrised by marauding and ravaging , had qu ickened and

r natural gifts . Their eyes were l ikehey could see the prey from far ; theythe sun , l ike the eagle .

n H ilwe , and had noted her hurried escapeWhen they came to the hollow theyamil cal led Assad to him .

e next vil lage , and wai t there for me ,I shall be detained here a l i ttle while , but

shal l soon ove rtake thee .

”

H e made some trifl ing excuse , the first that suggestedi tsel f to him ; and Assad was not deceived .

We can b ide here for thee ,” the sergeant suggested .

Nay,i t is not necessary ,

” repl ied Kiamil . “ Rideo n ; and thou canst water the horses while waiting forme .

When the men had left, the aga tu rned without delay,and rode down the slope i nto the hollow. Reaching thesteeper descent which ended in the ravine and chasm ,

and where the loose fragments of rocks and stones madelou s footing for the horseman , he d ismounted , noted to stretch his legs after hi s long gallop , and ,the bridle over hi s arm , led the faithfu l mare theer of the way .

able to speak , how many a strange andinto which She had been d ragged by herhe sagacious creature have told of ! Butrscs , i t must be admitted , come very near

punishment, or even censu re ,


which h i therto had marked the career of Kiamil

had only encouraged him i n the i ndulgence o fmorgrant excesses . H e flattered himself that his cleveand adroi tness would continue to extricate himadverse consequences , as they had in the past ; andgrew more careless, and plunged deeper and deeper ithe Stygian mi re .

F i nd ing that the feet of the mare made altogethersonorous and too loud a clatter amongflakes and chips of rock that strewedmight prove dangerous tothough the very stones wersecu rely in a sheltered spot,and cautiously reconnoitre ,sons he might encounter i nstand ing hi s ardentd i spensed wi th a certai n amount of caution i n hisce eding s . Perhaps it might be said to be the powhich hi s conscience principally mani fested i tsel f.At last he turned the corner of the j utt i ng cl

wh ich gave a fu l l v i ew of the narrow canon- l ike g lwith the stream runn i ng through

,and H ilwe seated

the water.As he saw and recogn i sed her

,h i s whol e

changed . H e drew nearer to her,s lowly

,as i t

to h im , but w i th an eagerness wh i ch was SO

he fe l t an i nfluence g o out Of h im,precede h im

,

take possess ion of her i n advance . H e breathed (1

H e trembled . H is eyes , fixed upon her,d i lated

br ightened . H e was transfig ured .

“ I t i s She, the beaut ifu l H ilwe . I knew her tmoment I saw her, he sa id .

H i lwe had fe l t that i ndescr ibabl e sensat ion wh iwe al l

,at one t ime or other

,have exper i enced i n so

s l ight degree, — the impress ion of the presenceapproach of another ; but had put forth an effortcounteract i t, and d i sm i ss i t , as unworthyance

,she had been so free from intrus ion ever 5

her abode there . She even res i st ed the impu l sra i s e her eyes and look

,with the superst i t ion that

wou ld br ing what she dreaded .


She was great ly a larmed. She had not attempted torep ly

,but rema ined s i l en t, through embarras sment and

fear.Look ing around, i n the d irect ion of where she had

left her ch i ld, sh e sudden ly sprang to her feet,and

made a determ ined effort to escape.“Ah , no, no ! thou must not fly. Thou wou ldst not

t reat me so badly,” he sa id

,catch i ng her i n h i s arms.

“H ave I not told thee that I love thee ? I wou ld dothee no harm

,bel i eve me .

“ Let me g o, I beseech of thee ! ” she pl eaded .

H ow canst thou behave so t reacherously ?She struggl ed to fre e herse lf ; but he held her al l the

more t ight ly.

“ Nay ; I have thee now, he sa id exu l tant ly,a

t r i umphant sm i l e part i ng h i s l ips and l ight i ng up h isface “ I w i l l not l et thee g o. Thou can st not escapeme . I t i s u se l ess for thee to struggl e .

”

The on ly excuse he had, if excuse there can be, wasthat he pas s ionate ly loved her.

H ast thou no p i ty ? A ct not so fool i shly. Knowestthou not I am another ’s ?

“Ah,I coun t that as naught ! Thy lover hath for

saken thee,and gone into a far count ry. H ath he not

been fal se to thee ? H ath he not taken to h im otherw ives

,of the st range women of the land ? The Greek

women are fa i r to look upon, and w i ly. They havegolden ha i r l ike the sunbeams and eyes b lue as theheavens

,— such as men l ike H assan love. And

,s i nce,

hath he not been s la i n i n batt l e ? Yea, thou maystbe l i eve it . Is i t not so repo rted to us ? Thou shal tnever see h i s face aga i n .

”

H ilwe shr i eked w i th horror and gr ief as she heardthe fata l words .

Nor i s it as though thou hadst been h is w idow, hecont i nued .

“Why shou ldst thou mourn for h im ? Andhow cou ldst thou , in any case, prefer such an one to

me,h i s master , who am better every way

,I who

love thee so,— I who am here present w i th thee ?

What i s a dead man to me ? ”

Release me, if thou hast any k indness or l ove


for me , as thou sayest thou hast, she be sought Ofh im .

“Ah,that i s why I cannot !

H e pressed h is face aga i n st hers as he spoke.She cr i ed aloud and screamed, as she tr i ed to del iver

herself from h im .

I n the un inhab i ted, empty place her cr i e s were lost.The a i r seemed to d iss ipate them ,

or dr ink them up.

There was none to hear them,or to he lp her, as he

pla i n ly told her.H er struggl es were fast exhaust ing her.Canst thou not return my love , or Show me a l itt l e

k indness ? he asked, as be commenced to k i ss her .

In a moment , w ith an effort that was as subl ime inits pur i ty, grace and strength as i t was un expected of

the capta i n Of zapt iehs, she thru st h im from her.Taken unawares

,he staggered backward ; and She,

bound ing acros s the rocks, reached the spot where herch i ld l ay s l eep i ng .

Snatch ing the boy from the ground , she s l ung h imover her shou lders, and then tu rned to make her wayto where the p i l e of ston es gave access to the steps ornotches cut in the rock l ead ing to the lower she lf ofthe c l iff.But the aga , qu i ck ly recover ing h imself, had fo l

l owed her, and was al ready between her and the placeof ascent.Without a second 's he s itat ion , she began cl imb ing

the c l i ff where she stood .

To attempt th i s wou ld have s eemed fol ly to her atany other t ime

,but now i t was her on ly hope of escape ;

as she wel l knew that,upon the ground

,encumbered

w i th her ch i ld,the aga cou ld eas i ly outrun and capture

her.H e was too fu l l of h is purpose, — too thoroughly

dr iven Of h i s pass ion to g ive way very eas i ly. H eadlong he went

,determ i ned to ga i n h i s end

,regard less

of r isks or consequences. The Obstac l es he had metw ith

,and h i s former thwart i ng

,on ly i nc i ted h im the

more fi erce ly to conquer now. I t was now or n eve rwi th h im .


The c l imb ing an apparent ly inaccess ibl e he ight toescape her pursuer

,her l i tt l e ch i ld fastened on her

back,— h i s we ight dragging about her neck

,- the

horror of i t al l , who can descr ibe i t ? C l ing i ng w i ththe last remnant of her st rength to the scant mou ld andthe stunted vegetat ion growi ng out of i t, and the rockthey at w ide i nte rval s part ial ly covered, almost despa i ri ng of escape, the beads of moi sture, l ike the dampof death

,gather i ng on her brow

,her spent fingers s l ip

p i ng from the i r hold,her heart fa i l i ng her

,— it was

l ike some fearfu l n ightmare, the terror that overwhe lmsi n a dream of darkness, rather than real i ty. Yet is thegreat terror very real to such as find themse lves w i th i ni ts shadowy power.The capta i n had ru shed i n pursu i t of H ilwe up the

steep ascent,and, i n h is fierce exc i tement, paused not

at the c l iff,but began at once c l imb ing after her.

H is heavy caval ry boots were, however, an encumbrance to h im

,and he had more than one severe s l ip

from h i s i n secure foothold .

H ilwe , wi th her naked feet and her l i fe-long expe

rience i n c lamber i ng up the rocky acc l iv i t i es of the h i l lcountry, had dec idedly the advantage of h im i n th i srespect . But sh e was we ighted and hand i capped withher ch i ld . Bes ides

,the h igher she went the more

d ifficu l t became th e ascen t,the rock present i ng scarce

a vantage-poi nt for the hand to grasp,or the foot to

rest upon . The smoothness and steepness of the upperpart of the c l iff were the obstac les he counted on to

arrest her progress,and del iver her i n to h i s power.

Agi l e and capabl e as was the aga,h i s impetuos i ty

on th i s occas ion was an imped imen t to h im . H e fe l tso su re of accompl i sh i ng h is purpose, he was not ascarefu l i n the means to that end as he shou ld havebeen . F l u shed, ab laze and rad ian t with h is ant i c ipatedt r i umph, on the verge of v i ctory as he thought h imse lf, a m i s-step brought h im to gr i ef. H e fai l ed i nh i s foot i ng

,s l ipped in a v iol ent effort to recover h im

self, and completely lost h i s hold . H e fel l to thebottom Of the c l iff, as l ead s i nks i n water.The du l l

,heavy thud told the story. Though the


NO wonder that her head became d izzy ! No wonderthat her heart fa i l ed her ! But st i l l she c lung to therock and th e crumbl i ng so i l almost part i ng from therock

,and hero i cal ly struggl ed to evade h im .

Love,hope

,fear hOpe that lost i t se lf i n fear, and

became d i stracted and bew i ldered, and despa i r i ng, t i l li t cou ld no longer be recogn i sed a s hope— urged herw i th a b l i nd i nst i nct , even when her m ind trembled,and sh e scarce knew what sh e d id.

Oh,the agon i sed c l utch ing ! Were her t ired and

numb fingers s l i pp i ng ? her strength becom ing exhausted ? H ad she l et g o ? Was she fa l l i ng downward

,downward, wi th i nev itab l e dest ruct ion beneath ?

H er head grew confused, and she bel i eved th i s, t i l lshe fe l t herself s i nk through the part i ng a i r, expect ingevery instant that her ch i ld and herse lf wou ld bedashed i n p i eces on the jagged rocks be low.

Was she st i l l c l i ngi ng to the br i tt l e so i l , the scantyherbage

,the wr i nkl ed rock ?

She was near i ng the end of her strength. Al l wou ldsoon be over. She cou ld endure no more.O Allah , help !The words escaped i n a wai l from her parched throat.

The shal low fissi l e mould parted and broke away comple te ly. H er fingers sti l l c lutched a handful of i t aswi th a death grasp , and with closed eyes she sank, shefell . She was lost. She knew no more .

She knew no more . But i t was only for a li ttl e while.She expected to be dashed in p ieces with her chi ld . AsShe sank through the ai r she grew faint, and resignedherself to the inevitable .

H ow much may be i ncluded i n a second of time !She had done what she could . She was sac rificing

her l i fe for her honour and her child . All was over.Now the action had passed from her into the greaterpower,— the Supreme ,— as men speak and reason .

Yet i s i t not i n thi s we ever l ive and move and have ourbeing ? Is not all Nature a manifestation of that power ?I n the midst of that deathly descent she felt herself

suddenly seized , as i n the grasp of a mighty hand . Shewas stayed , — uplifted , — suppo rted . I t was l 1ke a


m iracle . As she timidly opened her eyes she at onceperceived her del iverance . A sharp , projecting spur ofthe rock, not far below the level o f the fi rst ledge or

Shel f of the c liff, had in that fearful plunge caught herraiment and held her from destruction .

H er first impulse was to se e that her child was safeand uninjured . There was a startled look i n his eyes ;but, not knowing what the trouble meant , the brave boywas not greatly frightened , and d id not cry , being soonreassured by her consol ing words .She was i n such a posi tio n that wi th care she could

easi ly reach the ledge , while through the smooth surface of the interven ing rock She was out Of immediatedanger from the aga .

Freeing her dress , She gradually worked her way tothe po int of escape i nd icated .

But the aga , instantly antic ipati ng her intention andknowing he could not reach her from his present position , commenced to descend the face Of the cl iff, a movement deftly and rapidly accompl ished by him .

She i s giving me much trouble , but I shall have herin the end , he said .

H aving gained the ledge , H ilwe soon ran along i t, tothe recess i n which she at first had found the ladder , andwhere for security She always hid it when leaving, that i tmight not attract attention to her retreat .Meanwhi le , the captain

’s qu ick glance had d iscernedthe p i led stones and the steps lead ing to the ledge ,which he was not slow i n u sing . By the time H ilwe hadfitted the ladder i n place and was hal f-way up i t, Kiamilwas at its foot . H ow qu ick were his strides to reach i t !H ow eagerly he stepped up the rounds of the rudelyconstructed thing, that bent and swayed beneath hi sweight !

“ I have tracked thee to thy den , he said “Afterall, I have conquered . There i s no escape for thee now.

”

A look Of immeasurabl e sati sfaction l ighted his face .

She had barely reached the top of the ladder and theupper ledge where was her cave when the determinedyoung Offi cer had covered nearly two-thi rd s of the wayi n pursu it.


H ilwe had seen him coming , and had hoped to havegained the top and drawn up the ladder before he hadput his foot upon it ; but he had been too qu ick forthat. Now an awful ex tremity , utterly unantic ipated ,faced her .She cal led to him , warning him not to follow. But

she only heard hi s mocking laugh in reply .

Desist ! She cried ; come no farther, or thy li fe i si n danger !She shook the ladder threaten ingly , and partly li fted

the upper end from the notches in which it rested .

Ah , thou wou ldst not harden thy heart against me !Thou wouldst not treat me so cruel ly, and only becauseI love thee !AS he spoke , he looked up smil ing i n her face . H ow

confident he was ! H e enjoyed the positi on , and d idnot thi nk she would carry out her threat.One of the rounds had given way and snapped beneath

him , which had delayed him .

Believe me bel ieve what I tel l thee , she said . Ifthou comest one step farther, I Shall fl i ng the ladderbackward . Thy l ife i s i n peril .

“ Thou knowest I Shall have thee . I am determinedto make thee love me , was hi s warm and easy answer.Nay

,I bel i eve that at heart thou lovest me .

”

Again he laughed , that self- i ndulgent laugh .

“Wilt thou not go back ere i t i s too late ? ”

Ah,no , no ! Thou wouldst not hu rt me .

There was a tone Of defiance as well as Of cajolery inh i s voice

,and he continued to ascend . H e was now very

near the top .

Then thy blood be upon thine own head , she said .

Thou hast driven me to extremity . God help me ! Ihave naught else left to do .

”

H er face was ashy pale . The l ines of her featuresgrew rigid with pain .

She pushed out the head of the ladder wi th what shethought al l her might. H e was so near the top i t requ ired more exertion to move i t than she had supposednecessary . H e had counted on this , and tried to se izeher as she bent from above .


There he lay , crushed and dying, that proud handsome young man , late so full of l ife and energy . H is

c rime had been love for her—s i nfu l love , i t is true . Buthow terrible had been hi s punishment ! Was i t not expiatory? Is not al l sin of every kind and shape sin

of far deeper dye than h is , capable of expurgation ,amenable to sacrific ial atonement ? Is it not a dogma ofhuman nature and of al l rel i gions the Egyptian

,

Pagan,Jewish , Christian , and Mohammedan ?

True , i n hi s case there had been no repentance , norplace for regret . In h is condemnation and punishment,i n which she was judge and executi oner , there was noroom for his cho ice o r i nterference , or, at least , not suchas he accepted . But retribu tive j usti c e had been so

swift, so su re , so thorough and so terrib l e , i t carri ed w ithit a certain commiseration for the gu i l ty .

When the end had been reached , and all was over ,and she was saved , the woman

’s heart melted relented .

She fel t sorry for h im . She would have gone down , andmini stered to him , and done what She could to ease hislast moments , bringing him water to cool hi s feveredstate ; but she dared not . Somethi ng warned her not toventure , to beware beware ! H e was not to betrusted . Might i t not be that hi s predominant passionwould gather force at the close ? I t was even possiblehi s condi tion was not as serious as i t seemed to be .

“ No , I dare not go down , or near him . As it i s , Ihave delayed too long already . Some of his companions may come here seeki ng him , and find me andmy chi ld .

”

The thought was sufl‘icient to add another and thefinal spu r to her fears .She fled , as one demented , from the narrow gorge in

which she had for so many days dwelt securely andunmolested .

Pursued by the phantom image of the dead or dyingaga , She saw him , prostrate , either sti l l and cold , or i nthe mortal agony , writhing in torture, drawing up hisl imbs to him in the sharpness of death - the pang andthe spasm that let out the l i fe . For she was sure that i fhe was not dead , he could not long survive .


H ow grand , how awful he looked , l ifted up on thatscaflo ld—l ike ladder, fac ing her , before he went down ;casti ng that glance of s ilent reproach at her, for whatseemed an eterni ty ! She saw the l ingering smi le o f

assurance on his l ips pass into horror and rage . Shecould not bear i t . She fled and knew not whither. Toescape— to get away from th is terror and the placethat held i t was her one i ntolerant desi re .But could she escape i t ? Could she get away from

it ?I t went wi th her . I t ever remained with her, as she

soon found .

I have slai n a man in his prime , i n the fu lness of hishope . I have laid low a strong man , in the flush of hi sprom1 se .

These were the thoughts and the words which con

tinually haunted her , and made themselves felt , eventhrough the ove rwhelming agony of grief that had fallenupon her when the aga had told her Of H assan

’

s deathand false-heartedness .Through desolate places that she knew not, and wherethe very sky looked down on her with hard unfriendlyeye that wou ld not p i ty but condemned , she wanderedon on , lost, desp ised , forsaken .

As she looked back , when she dared to look back , i tse emed as if she had always been grieving and wandering. As i f there was never a time i n which she had not

been a fugitive . As if the very ground She trod on

hated and loathed her , and , casting her forth , wouldhave none of her, and u rged her onward .

Away wi th thee ! i t cried . Away from me , murdere ss ! What have I to do with such as thou art ? ”

And the night was no blacker than the day , for i t wasall n ight with he r. And the day brought no l ight, forthe darkness of her soul shut i t out from her.


CH APTER XLVI

H EN hou r after hour passed by , and there wasno appearance of the aga , his men began to

be uneasy at hi s delay ; and more than once Assad wentup on the look-out po int of the vi llage , where theyawaited him

,to reconnoitre , and try i f he could not

catch a gl impse of hi s errant captain .

At first they had joked about i t, and indulged in manyquestionable pleasantri es at the aga’s expense, afterthei r manner .

“ The aga i s enjoying himself. H e i s having a finetime ,

” was Assad ’s conjectu re , well founded , as he supposed , from former experiences .They had watered the horses , and , as i t grew later,had fed them out of the peasants’ store of provender.They , too , had thei r own i ncl i nations to gratify , andwhile they wai ted d id not fai l to amuse themselves i nsuch ways as the place afforded . They smoked , theytold stories , played at d ice , draughts , or other games Ofchance , drank coffee , and when they grew hungry , ate ofthe refreshments which were l iberal ly provided for them .

To gain the goodwill of the zaptiehs , and with the hopeof escap ing plunder and worse treatment, the fel laheenwil l give of the i r best to these terrors of the Sultan . Butfear, not love , i s the governing motive .

Assad at length awoke to the convicti on that something ser iou s must have occu rred to detai n the aga, andtaki ng one of the men with him , set out to retrace theway to where they had left Kiamil .They carefu lly watched for any ind icati ons which

would Show that , unknown to them , he had returned ,but find ing none , rode down , through the hollow, i ntothe ravi ne .H ere the loud whinnying of the gray mare attracted

thei r attention to her . This was the first evidence theyhad found of the aga’s presence .

The mare was fastened just as her master had left her ;and from appearances had long been a prisoner. It

494 H as san : a Fe llah

sound , and near i t saw a confu sed patch of dark b lue,

re l i eved aga i n st the redd i sh ye l low of the ston es .Th i s l as t

,as he drew nearer, took the shape of a man.

It was th e crushed form of the aga. H e saw th i s at aglance

,and hurr i ed forward w ith the worst forebodings .

“ The aga is dead ! ” he excla imed to h is compan ion .

D id I not say ev i l had befal l en h im ?I t may not be so had, was the reply. Perhaps he

i s as l eep or rest ing.

”

Ah no ! H e wou ld not look l ike that ! ” cr ied Assadpass ionate ly. Nor wou ld he be rest i ng at th i s t ime .

A fal l so despe rate as that su sta ined by the capta i ncou ld on ly be expected to resu l t i n the most ser iou sconsequences . As he approached the ground i n thatawfu l p l unge, the shattered ladder turn ed and reboundedbeneath h im , break ing h i s fal l , and, i n some s l ightdegree, saved h is tossed and d i shonoured body fromthe worst effect s Of his d i saster. It seemed to sympath i se w i th h im

,and to have mercy upon h im .

H e l ay mot i on l ess at the foot of the c l i ff, stunnedand bru i s ed and broken . H e had been knocked sensel ess

,but he was not dead .

Present ly h i s eye l id s half unclosed ; and, becom ingconsc iou s of the pa in that was rack ing h im , he s lowlydrew up one l eg

,then stretched i t out to its fu l l l ength,

i n agony. H is other l eg lay unmoved, as though benumbed. I t was fractured at the th igh . H e made aneffort to r i se or s it up, but fe l l back, he lp l ess, moani ng and gasp i ng for breath .

H e Opened h is eyes gradual ly, as if wear ied. H e

looked around h im . At once he remembered everyth i ng. Again he tr ied to spr i ng to h is feet , a flash Ofrage and hate flam ing from h is eyes . But he sank i ntothe col l apsed heap from wh ich a l l h is pass ion cou ld notra i se h im .

H e was fur ious, demon iac. H e cu rsed , he swore , hevowed vengeance

,and threatened murder.

To th ink that a woman shou ld have outw itted h im ,

have overwhe lmed and conquered h im—nay, m ight endi n hav i ng k i l l ed h im ah , that was the b i tterness andcrue l hum i l iat ion of it ! H ow he hated her, when he


thought of i t ! At the moment of v i ctory, at the verysumm i t of h i s hopes , to be cast down and dest royed !H is ungovernabl e pass ion raged with i n h im and toreh im . H e foamed at the mouth, and gnashed h i s teeth,wh i l e he hur led h is profan i ty. I t was horr i b l e, a l l themore so becaus e i t was w ith great d iffi cu lty and d i stres she drew h i s breath

,and he d id not know but that each

breath m ight be h is last .But there was none bes ides h imse lf to hear. H ilwe

,

the i nnocent occas ion of h is wrath, was far beyond h isreach

,eve ry moment send i ng her farther on her way

,

escaped i n fl ight from the scene of her hero i c confl i ct .Ever

,from Olden t ime

,had i t been held i n that land

a pecu l iar d i sg race for a man to be S l a i n or d iscomfitedby a woman . I n the days of the Judges

,i t is told of

Abimel ech , in h i s w i ld warfare, how he encampedaga i n st Thebez and took it . And how,

when he cameto the strong tower w i th i n the c i ty

,and fought aga i n st

i t, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn i tw i th fi re a certa i n woman cast a p i ece of m i l l s toneupon Ab ime lech ’s head

,and al l to brake h i s sku l l .

Then he ca l l ed hast i ly u nto the young man h is armou rbearer, and sa id unto h im ,

Draw thy sword , and s layme

,that men say not of me, A woman s l ew h im . And

h i s young man thrust h im through , and he d i ed .

Th i s was the fee l i ng that st irred the sou l of K iamilAga. Never had a man fe l t more keen ly the d i sgracewh ich had ove rtaken h im . The ignom iny of i t hadentered i n to h i s sou l .H e cas t h i s eyes down upon h is battered frame, the

body he had taken so much pr ide i n,and he groaned

and shuddered.

I am l es s than a man . I am no man . I sha l l beleft here to exp i re

,to die by the hand of a woman .

There i s no help for me. Why i s not Assad here ?Assad who professed such love for me, and for whom Id id so much —why doth he not seek m e ? Alas ! Itold h im not to come ; I ordered h im to awa i t mycom ing . And now

,when they find me I sha l l be num

bered w ith the dead.

”

SO spake the ag a, i n h i s weak and cru shed stat e.


Lying exposed to the sun , a burn i ng th i rst assa i l edh im. I t was the more unbearab l e becau se

,before h i s

eyes,the l imp id water

,though i n great ly reduced vo l

ume,st reamed ove r the rocks

,and fe l l i nto the p l easant

verdure-enc i rc l ed poo l s,as i t pas sed on i t s way to the

Ghor,where i t empt i ed i tse lf i nto the greater stream

through that deep-cut fi s sure, a shal low,marshy stretch

of land at i t s mouth reddened as by a w ine-sta i n withthe p i nk b lossoms Of mu lt i t udes of Ol eanders .

Oh,the waste Of i t ! he cr ied ;

“ and I cannot getone drop to cool my parched tongue.

H e heard the t i nkl i ng trebl e of the water as i tsp i l l ed i tse lf from ledge to l edge, i n a th i n waver i ngcol umn

,and he cou ld bear h is crav i ng for i t no

l onger.“ I shal l make anothe r effort to get to i t, he sa id .

I m ight as we l l d i e that way as to l i e and s lowlyper i sh i n agony.

H e gathered h i s strength for the exert ion,and

dragged h imself a l i t t l e way on h i s face and hands . I twas but a l i tt l e way. Exhau sted, he S l ipped and losth i s balance

,and

,wi th a cry of excruc iat i ng pai n

,he

found h imself rol l i ng down the s lope,every movement

be i ng one of tortu re .

“ Sure ly th i s w i l l fin i sh me,h e thought . I t w i l l

knock the m i serab l e remnant Of my l ife out of me .

The Shock , no doubt , was a severe one to a man i nh i s state ; but as he reached the l evel , and lay veryst i l l and death l ike for awh i l e

,draw ing every breath

wi th i ncreas ed d i st res s,he heard a soft r ippl ing sound

c los e by h im . H e had rol l ed so near the shrunkenstream he cou ld d ip h is hand i nto i t .Feebl e as h e was, as soon as he perce ived the water ,

he d i d not delay to mo i sten h i s l ips and to dr i nk . I twas l i ke new l ife to h im ; yet, so weak was he , that, toh is great shame , the effort overcame h im ,

and he sankback wear i ed and mot ion l ess .At th i s moment i t was that Assad saw h im , and ,

th i nk ing h e was dead , w ith sad heart hastened to h i ss ide.Great was the r e l ief of the sergeant to find h imself

49 8H assan : a Fe llah

dur i ng h i s i l l n es s ; and he flung out i n to extra andnew i ndu lgence s w i th the intent ion of mak ing up forlost t ime

,and exhaust ing h is cred i t on the Great

Reg i ster.

CH APTER XLVII

ILWE was as one who i s lost to herself.She was bewi ldered with the horror which eucom

passed her .She was as the spoi l which the remorseless pale war

r ior gathereth after the battle , then casteth from him asworthless .She had become as a speck upon the horizon’s verge .

By day and by night She had fled , nor knew she i fthey were many o r few days that had cast her trembl ingshadow upon the parched ground , where there was nofamil iar thing, or that which i s comforting or beauti fu lto detain her, or b id her rest .Wandering wandering , to be always wandering !Oh , the dread of i t ! AS she looked about her she sawal l the surround ing objects were moving with her - thewhole world was wanderi ng ! Nothing was steadfast.H er l i fe was weary for the heaviness Of the thought

and the woe that oppressed her ; and ever she said :I have slai n a man ! I have wounded to death and

laid low a strong man ! H e was fai r and glad , and fullofwarmth and love . The cup i oywas at his l ip s . H e

imagined not the evi l that was coming upon him . H is

l ife was i n my hand to kil l o r to Spare ; and I overthrewhim . I parted sp i ri t and flesh . I drove out the soulfrom him . H e has d ied in his lust . H e has peri shed i nhis sin . H is l ife and his love and that which was pleasantto him are passed and gone . H e will know them no more—forever . Ah , woe i s me ! Did I not make myself asthe vengeance ofGod , that i s i rresponsible that cannotbe questioned ? I , who am but a weak erring woman , Iwho am but a poor fragment a shard of a broken and

H as san a Fe llah 499

rejected vessel—how should I be as the Great All ?H ow should I seize the judgment of vind ication to myself, to exerc ise punishment and wrath upon him whomI adjudged gu ilty ? H ave I not sinned i n th is ? ”

And it came to pass as another day broke upon her ,and she took no note of i t, for day and night conti nuedas one to her, a sunless , moonless darkness , her feet began to give way beneath her and the l iving burden She

bore— the beauti ful famishing chi ld she carried uponher back, i nnocently smi l ing in the face of death .

When she had gone a long way , nor thought about i t—whether i t was far or otherwise so lost was shewhen so numbed she scarcely felt the gnawings of hunger , and knew not whether hours or days had passedS i nce her dread experience , she saw before her, i n astripped field , an inclosu re denuded of its harvest, whatseemed a deserted booth ofwithered boughs .I t was a lodge left i n what had been a garden o f

cucumbers and melons . For many a day had i t beenforsaken of the watchers who during the season hadguarded the crop . It was desolate enough ; but thegrief and misery i n her heart , looking through her eyes ,painted i t i n sti l l more sombre and dreary colou rs .Yet i s i t no t a refuge ? she said , weari ly , feebly .

With the feel i ng that she was dying , the maternal instinct to save her chi ld , i f possible , rose strong i n her ,paramount to everything else ; and she put forth the lastefforts of her fail ing strength to reach what seemed ashelter poor as i t might be .

It was too late . She had scarce crossed hal f thelength of the field , when she fel l , exhausted .

All her anxiety hitherto had centred on her chi ld to

save him ; but now that was departing from her . Shewas too weak to make more than two or three i neffectualefforts to regain her feet . With all her attempts She hadbeen able to stagger forward only a few steps . Eachtime She had again fallen .

A nameless consc iou sness of desolation , sadness ,abandonment, misery that was what Sh e was becomi ng. She was ceasing from herself

,and mergi ng i nto a

state devo id of all that makes l i fe desirable .


Was i t death ? Was that rustl ing the footsteps ofAzrael ?She no longer noticed , as such , the Objects that had

at first almost appalled her— the dreary aspect of hersurroundings . The wilted , dead and dried vi nes thattrai led over the ground of that despo i led garden

,the

shrivelled remains of broken gourds and stalks ofmelonsand other seared and withered plants whose fru i ts hadbeen gathered i n , left upon her only a vague sense of

dejection and loss of that which was gone,and could

never be recalled .

“ Am I not l ike unto them ? she felt rather thansaid .

When , aweary of i t, she closed her eyes , she could notshut out the pai n of i t, for i t was within her.Near where She lay , a black beetle , the sacred scara

be us of the Egyptians , the species which they worshipped , and inscribed images o fwhich they wore uponthei r persons and placed with their dead , was roll ing,with al l i ts energy , the pellet coated wi th clay containing its eggs . Emblem of the g od Chepera , o r

“ B e

comer one who not only is the sou rce of all l ife andferti l ity , and has c reated al l things , but who has produced himself, and given bi rth to al l the gods greatwas its honour and worship . It to iled with head down ,and

,pushing with i ts h ind legs the p recious sphere a

miniature world — the sun—rol led i t backwards towards the hole it had dug for i ts reception . I t was itslast act before i t should d i e . The mystic creatu re , apocalyptic symbol , how much it meant to that augustlyrel igious venerable people , who , i n the days that havegrown hoary , dwelt by the Ni le , and bu i lt thei r stupendous temples of worship to everything , apotheosisingfrom the whole range Of creati on . As the sagac ious insect rolled that perfect globe , u tterly unconsc iou s of thed ivine honours which had been paid it . and Of the emblematic i nterpretation of i ts simple l ife , and only intenton the perpetuation of its kind , d id i t not suggest thethought of the parallel or simi l i tude between i t and thispoor mother in her extremity ?H aving fal len the last time , H ilwe dragged herself


called , seemed rather a scanty drapery ofwhite cottonthan a piece ofmade-up apparel .Strangest of all , this man was not an Oriental. H e

was an American .

I t may well be considered remarkable that a people soeminently rational , and abounding i n common-sense ,plain , prac tical , u ti l i tarian ,— so restive u nder anythingapproaching sentimental ity , the useless , or effete , andso cri ti cal of all others indulging i n th e i nconsistent,eccentric , or unreasonable , should give b irth to so manyof that multi form genus Of unstable mind known ascrank.

” And the American crank, espec ially whenof the reli gious species, is generally of the most exaggerated type .

Yet it would be qu ite erroneous to suppose that th ispeculiar field of rel igi ous enterpri se in Palestine is occup ied only by subjects from America . The Englishcome in a fair second , and the German and othernational i ties follow in goodly numbers . The attracti onis great, and effectively draws them .

But who is thi s American ? And how comes he to behere , and i n thi s shape ?George Peleri n Crosslett, th is mild-eyed recluse , was

a New-Englander , a descendant of one of the'

old colon ial famil i es . H e was thus not only an American of

several generati ons , but a genu ine Yankee .

The Cro ssletts had originally come from England ,where they had belonged to that greatly-to-be - respectedorder , the landed gentry . They had thei r ped igree ,which tradi ti onally traced them back to an ancestor whohad accompanied King Richard I . to Palestine , i n theC rusades . Thei r coat of arms was assigned to thi sorigi n . The shield might be described as arg ent, threecross-crosslets , g ules ,— having a S i lver field , chargedwith three red cross—crossle ts , a cross—crosslet being, asthose versed i n herald ry know, a cross having the threeupper ends terminating i n three l i ttle crosses . Thearms therefore had a reference to the name , as wel l assome sl ight resemblance to those of Jerusalem . Thecrest, two palm-branches enci rcl i ng an escallop-shell , thepilgrim’s badge , furth er pointed to crusader days , of


which the motto “ P er crucem aa’coronam was held

to be addi tional confi rmati on . H is second baptismalname , Peleri n , was that of h is mother

’s family,which

also claimed crusader descent, on more than one

ground . P élerz'

n i s certai nly the French for pilgrim ;and one must not be too i nqu isi tive in such matters

,

but must accept wi th a good grace al l the rest of theevidence , even though i t were trivial , and fabu louslytrad i tional .In his happ ier days George Pelerin Cro sslett was a

pleasant lighthearted young fel low with the usualamount of animal sp i ri ts that fall to the share of

budding manhood .

Years pas sed by , bringing him vari ed experiences ,perhaps not always holy . Then came an unfortunatelove-affair . I t left him an altered man . H e becamemoody , dreamy and brooding .

H e could no t shake off his despondency . To him ,

the loss of the woman he loved was an irrepar

able fatal i ty . F i nally his grief assumed a religiousshape .

H is family and friends had many an i l l-advi sed joketo gibe him with , by way of cheer, to ral ly him ; andmany an o ld musty proverb -store was ransacked andlevied on for his benefit. There are more fish in thesea than ever were caught , and such l ike , were made todo duty repeatedly , with maddening effect . H e borei t l ike a martyr and a man .

But the expected rallying fai led to appear . H e

gradually became more p ronounced i n his beliefs , andseemed to settle into a melanchol ic state , which began ,at length

,to alarm his friends . They feared insanity

and su ic ide . The warm natu ral forces in him , whichshould have gone fo rth i n affection and love , found nofru i tage

,nor even blossoming , but were checked , stunted

and blighted .

H e began to see visions , and hear voices . Strangeand heretical relig i ous views troub led him . Temptationsi n various seductive gu ises assai led him .

As to these last, he considered them evidences Ofsaintship

,and Of Satan’s desire to have him .

504 H as san a Fel lah

Remember St . Anthony and St. Augustine, hewould say , and how they were tempted .

”

H e had been brought up in the doctri nes and communion ofthe American Episcopal Church the fai r anddevoted daughter Of the grand Old Anglican faith andthis should have had its usual restraining and salu tarypower to aid and del iver . But he had allowed himself,almost imperceptibly, to lapse

‘ away in bel i ef and practice

,ti l l he scarcely knew where he stood , driven about

by every wind of doctri ne . H e was l ike a shipwreckedman .

Strangely supersti tious notions , which fed on the mosttrifl i ng and i nconsistent details, took possessi on of him .

H e dwelt on the S ignificance o f his name , the symbolsof the coat of arms, and the trad i tions of the familyrelating to the H oly Land and the Crusades .

“ Am I ri ot a crosslet—a l i ttle c ross ? he would say,

stretching out his arms . Let me cruc i fy upon i t thesin ful affections .H e had manifestati ons , ! esoteri c signs and wonders

o fdeeper s ignificance ; and the voices , interi or , soft andlow, fitted for his ear alone , finally took on a definite andposi tive purpose and aim .

Go up to Palestine and to the H oly Ci ty , theysaid .

“ There i s work for thee to do there ; and thoushalt be at hand for the consummation of all things .H ere was something tangible , on which he could

settle hi s d isturbed and restless mind .

Why should I not be a Crusader , as was more thanone ofmy ancestors ? Is not the secret mark upon me ?Am I not call ed to the work— to be a soldi er of theCrossThere was a candid chi ldl ike simplici ty of faith in th e

way he talked of these things . Alone in the forest andfields , communing, in preparati on for the work, heseemed to have acqu i red the language of the sol i taryplaces , the murmuring ofNature’s voices in haunts apartfrom man . There was a sweet yet mournful solemni tyin his tones as he spoke :Everywhere I looked I saw i t, he said . Not only

in myself, or on church sp i res , or surmounting the gables

506 H as san : a Fe llah

H e went with the Jews to that majest i c fragment Ofthe Temple Enclosu re , whose cyclopean blocks of stoneneed no architect’s authentication , the wai l ing place ”o f the outcast people , as near as they can venture tothe forbidden ground of the sanctum sanctorum,

wherethey rai se their prayers and lamentations for thei r lostglory ; and he wept and prayed with them : H ow long

,

O Lord ? how long shall thy holy place be trampleddown of the Genti les ?As he beheld the sheep led to the slaughter— led as

he had never seen i t i n any other country,the pathetic

S ignificance of the scene touched him to the qu ick,as

he recalled the words of prophesy and thei r exaltedapplication : H e was led as a Sheep to the slaughter ;and l ike a lamb dumb before hi s shearer , so opened henot his mouth . H e could never se e the sight withoutbeing penetrated afresh wi th its heartbreaking poignancy .

Nor cou ld he pass the wheat-market in Jerusalemwithou t pausing in the open archways at the entrance

,

and watching the merchants give good measure ,” they

thu s fulfil l i ng, u nwitti ngly , the words o f the Masterwhom he served : “ Give , and i t shall be given untoyou ; good measure , pressed down , and shaken together,and running over , Shall men give into your bosom .

”

With renewed wonder he saw thi s each time li teral lydone . The peck- l ike measure i s fi l led with wheat, whichi s p ressed down , and Shaken in three d ifferent d i rections,continual add itions causing i t to ri se high above the rimi n a cone- l ike form . Pressed at the apex with theknuckles

,more grain is added , ti l l i t begins to run over ;

when , i f the purchaser i s unprovided with a sack , themeasure i s deftly l ifted , and the contents are poured intothe bosom of h i s outer garment . This , being confinedby the girdle at hi s waist , i s capable o f holding a largeamount o f such provender ; i ndeed , i t is the favouri tereceptacle i n the East for carrying any obj ect whichmay conveniently fi t there , o r for conceali ng anythingwhich the wearer may not wish to be seen , such as stolenproperty

,as too often happens . To this day , there are

in Jeru salem two kinds of measure— the common o r

ordinary,and the good measure ”advocated by Jesus .


But, above most things , Crosslett was impressed bythe pecul iar recu rrent glows which succeed the sunsetsi n the H oly C ity . To thi s wonderful rad iance , to whichwe have repeatedly referred , i t i s d ifficult to do j usticei n a mere description .

When he saw the gloriou s sight repeated , eveningafter evening , dying out and reviving , Often ti l l seventimes

,i t gave him pause , and made him consider . The

glow was more than bright . A red-gold ring o f l ight ,as intense in the east as i n the west, i n the north as i nthe south

,enci rcled the enti re heavens . The hoary

head o f the ancient H oly City su rrounded with thisannular glory , l ike that o f a saint o r martyr , was aspectacle of unspeakable grandeur . It seemed Nature 'sand God’s canoni sati on of Jerusalem .

Perhaps i t i s the S i gn of the Son of Man , murmured Cro sslett— “ the light of the Sheki nah withdrawn to the heavens from the desecrated temple .

”

Among the few i n Jerusalem with whom Crossle tt

became early acquainted was a Franc i scan monk of thename Of Scherer . H e had barely reached his p rime ,and , as hi s name impl ied , he was German . In hi s relig ious l ife , he had reta i ned , unsoured and unspoi led ,the pleasant genial d i sposition wi th which he had beenborn . Under the coarse brown habi t and rope gird leof his order beat the warm generou s heart o f a trueman , always ready to respond with unaffected sympathyand loving aid to the appeal of gri ef or mi sery , bringingcomfort to the wretched ; while he cou ld rejoic e withthe rejo ic ing none the less natu rally because he couldweep with those who weep .

Seldom , even i n the coldest weather, d id he avai lh imsel f of the guarded sufferance o f his order to drawthe cowl of hi s garb over those sunny locks of his , thatshone l ike pure gold ; and the smiles and kindly wordsthat made beauti fu l h is l ip s were ever reflected in themild blue eyes of this worthy son of St . Franci s . H e

had been b lessed with a noble physique . The sol idmuscular l imbs covered by the heavy woollen cassocksuggested by thei r action that they might have had amili tary training, —that, one day, thei r owner might


have led a charge Of caval ry , or marched at the head of

a column to victory .

I t was with a sense of amusement as well as su rpri sethat the Franciscan first beheld Crosslett, wondering towhat new, unknown order this strange figure belonged .

H e took the earl iest Opportunity of i nterrogating thelate comer ; and soon discovered “ where the landlay .

In the beginning there may have been something of

j ealousy on the part of the Franciscan , who , perhaps ,felt that Crosslett was encroaching on his pastu res andmethods. But th is d id not last .I f anything , Cro ssle tt ou tdid the monk in h is ascetic

l ife , his s imple raiment ou trival l ing simpl ic i ty , he neverwearing a covering of any sort to hi s head , having nodwel l ing-house or regular meals , and hi s feet beingalways unshod .

This last comparatively insignificant po int, assumedan importance out of all proportion to its value . Themonk wore sandals of the simplest sort— each a meresol e o f leather strapped to the foot . These , he anx

iously explained , were a concess ion permitted onlyunder certain c i rcumstances ; and , i t must be admitted ,they were a necessary but inadequate protecti on fromthe rude pavements and fi lth of the Jerusalem streets .It was impossible for two such men to come in con

tact withou t fal l ing into argument and controversy . Yetthough words might run high and hot between them

,

they were both too kind and good at heart no t toacknowledge each other's nobleness as wel l as frai l ty ,and

,no matter how fierce m ight rage thei r di scussi ons,

they never parted withou t a smile and a good wish ,though each remained unmoved i n his bel ief.Scherer flattered himsel f that he had impressed Cross

l ett with the beauties of the Roman Catholi c faith ;while the latter confidently bel i eved that, at heart ,Scherer was a convinced and converted man , who couldnot break away from his conventual vows .The monk , aggressive and soph istic , often pushed

Crosslett rather hard , taking him unawares . But, i ngeneral , the American was fully competent to hold h is

51 0 H assan f a Fe l lah

Scherer looked upon Crosslett with eyes of p ity andof love .

H ow could I be angry with such as he is , who so

confidently beli eves i n what he speaks ,” he said , who

l ives so stainless and so self-denying a l i fe ? What api ty he i s not a good CatholicTheir i ntimacy grew apace ; and who knows how

much,i n the end

,the beli ef of each tempered that of

the other ?Scherer

,at least on one occasion , even admitted

Crosslett to his cell , or room , i n the monastery . It wasbare and poverty-stricken , i n truth ; yet to Crosslett i twas luxuriou sly appointed . For, d issati sfied with himsel f, he had , of late , passed i nto more rigid and exactingordeals , and cruc ifixion of the flesh .

Brother Scherer had joi ned in cal l ing him St. George ,nor was i t qu i te i n the mocking sp i ri t i n which i t wasfirst done by those in Jerusalem who , finding out hi sChristian name , thought i t a good joke to give i t theprefix of Saint .Crossle tt could not long hide from himself the fact

that he had fai led to accompl ish in Jerusalem thatwhich he had hoped and expected . I t i s “ a mixedmultitude ,

” with the usual consequences . H e was di sappointed and d isgusted with the sp i ri t of the people

,

thei r miserable quarrels , thei r utter want of forbearancetoward one another, and the jealou sies , the backbiti ng and vi ndictive slanders which scrupled not to attackthe noblest and the most innocent.H e himself was not exempt from the tongue-lash ing.

But he did not wonder, for he had heard the patriarchsand bishops , priests and archimandrites made the subj e cts of the most abominable sto ries , i ntrigues andscandals .H e longed for seclusion .

At last he said to Scherer :In my experience Of the Jerusalem of tod ay, I am not

surpri sed that ou r Lord found a great rel i ef i n escapingto qu iet Bethany from the slander-loving c i ty wi th itscabals of Phari see and Sadducee , the proud pretensionsto zeal and sanctity , and the notoriou s emptiness Of real


good , in the priests and people , — ‘the generation of

vipers ,’ as John the Bapti st called them .

The stalwart Franciscan , while sympathising with him ,

shook his head and smiled .

“ Don’t mind them ,

” he said . Then he sarcasticallyadded , “ Pray for the peace ofJerusalem .

The fol lowing day Scherer was told , St. George i sgonef’

It was true . H e had left Jerusalem .

After many wanderi ngs in remote and desolate placesand among the fel laheen and Bedawin , he took up h isabid ing place i n the deserted lodge of a garden Ofcucumbers . Cro ssle tt had at one time been a student o fmedic ine ; and , practi si ng among those simple people theheal i ng art, he was always rece ived by them gladlyas the “ hakim .

Thus i t was that he was in that lonely spot to whichH ilwe , beaten out, had dragged hersel f with the lastefforts of her exp iring strength on her escape from AinFarah .

It was St . George who rai sed her fainting head .

My child i s perishing ofwant, she said .

The mother-love supreme in her , she thought not of

herself but of her chi ld .

“ My daughter, be Of good cheer ; help is at hand ,came the answer .Save my child , she hoarsely ejaculated , and could

say no more .

It was enough . Almost worthy of the saintly namebestowed in mockery upon him , Cro sslett, with the tactand kindly help fu lness so characteri stic of the tru eAmerican , had hastened to their assi stance , doing everything in his power to rel i eve and restore them .

H e not only brought water to assuage thei r thirst, butsuch food as his scanty store provided , regardless of hisown wants , was freely bestowed upon them . H e waitedon them as i f he had been their servant, and could not

do enough for them .

H e would have had them remain longer , so as to become more thoroughly rested and restored ; but, after abrief repose , H ilwe was eager to be gone .


With the healthy robust natu re of the peasant, she

and her chi ld had that strong recuperative force whichis too often weakened or lost i n c ivi l i sed l ife ; and , onreceiving the needed sustenance , they had qu ickly re

vived , and i n H ilwe’

s opin ion had soon recovered sufli

ciently to resume thei r journey .

As to the mental trouble which distressed H ilwe ,Crossle tt was not as successfu l i n min istering to that.H e was too finely strung not to perceive that a burdenwhich was weighing her down rested upon her soul . Atfirst he could only su rmise what the pecul iar charactero f thi s might be , and had to content himself with givingher such general counsel and consolation as he considered adapted to her case . Yet when leaving, i n hergrati tude she gave way , and , confiding i n him , whi lethanking him , confessed to a certain extent her pe cul iar trials , and the danger threatening her should she

fall i nto the hands of her own people.

CH APTER XLVII I

H OUGH Crosslett had tried to convey to H i

on her departu re certain d irections as torou te she

'

should take , h is advice had but an imeffect upon her. I t was l ike th e blurred impa mould o r matrix , spoi led i n the making . Thedominant feel i ng possessi ng her was that she mustten on her way to escape from some impendingwithout loss of time . The d irection she mightcontinued , for the present, comparatively a seconmatter . Nor d id the places she passedimpress her. In her wearied state svexed at the hindrance, the annoyance , orthe various imped iments which she encountered .

that they detained her and held her back was hersense of pain and grievance .

Yet, after a while, she made an effort to recall Clett’s advice .


l i th , on which were carvings and a Lati n inscripti on . Itwas the p i llar, a great columnar milestone

,with the

record i n honour of the Roman emperor u nder whom theroad had been bu i lt . Such of the column as was not concealed by the rubbish i n which i t lay partly buried , kepttell i ng i ts story , i n the contracted Latin way, to a peopleto whom it was an unknown tongue .

Soon she came to a more extensive stretch of pavement, i n a remarkable state O f preservation . Thoughcentury after century ofmountai n torrent and storm hadundermined , scooped out, and torn away the foundationsof the ancient road-bed , so that the present highway ,running beside i t, was at least from eight to ten feetlower, the sol id pavement, l ifted on high , l ike a widesidewalk , sti ll remained intactThose Romans were masterly fellows . The more weknow about them and the works they left behind them ,

the more we respect them . Thei r aqueducts , bridges,roadways , and architectural monuments in general aresubstantial evidences of what they could accompl ish .

They conquered a country , and , with a broad conceptionof the princ iples of government, made the people of i tthei r housekeepers . They evidently were men who didwhat they had to do with all their might.But to H ilwe the name Roman was but a word a

meaningless designation for a road or bridge . Thedeeds o f the Caesars and the great commanders wereunknown to her, and the vo ices of the orators , statesmen ,philosophers and poets , which have made notorious orimmortal i sed the sunny land of i nspiration— of art andarms , sc ience, song and thought, had never reached herears .Poor H ilwe ! She d id not long delay . She would

not take the time to rest suffi c iently . But, leavingbehind the Roman road , she made a decided detourfrom it, at a wide angle .

The country traversed was mostly wi ld and unculti

vated . She d id not mind that so much ; what troubledher more was that She found no water ,— for a droughthad been long prevail ing through a wide section of theland . In her i solati on at Ain Farah this was unknown


to her . Though , as we have seen,even there

,the

volume Of water had , latterly , greatly d imin ished , and ,to the observant eye , ski lled in noting the natural signs,had given tokens of soon ceasi ng altogether.The sel f-abnegating Crosslett had no t let her know

that he had given her, and her l i ttle Talmai , on thei rdepartu re , the last of h is supply of food and water . H ad

he i nformed her of this , she would not have taken it.It was p iti fully meagre , and was soon spent. The foodwas a handful of parched wheat, the water scarcely acupfu l .She searched with feveri sh eagerness many a hollow

and moi st-appearing depression , hop ing to find water ;but every such p lace she came to , and which inordinary times wou ld have suppl ied her wants , had longbeen exhausted and dried up .

In her ignorance o f the state of things prevail ing, she

thought she was under a pecul iar j udgment, and that acurse was upon her for what she had done .

Even the water dries up before me , she exclaimed ,i n the bitterness of her soul , and the springs d i sappearat my approach . The d ispleasure of Allah follows me

whe rever I go . I am unfortunate . And he , my beloved ,i n whom my soul trusted , i s taken from me . I havenone to defend me .

At the thought she sank upon the ground , and bursti nto tears

,and cou ld no longer restrai n her lamentations ,

remembering what the aga had told her as to H assan’sdeath .

O H assan , thou canst not hear me ! Why art thouso far from me ? Why art thou not here to protectthy l ittle one ? Alas ! have they not told me thou artslai n i n a far country ? Never again shal l I behold thee .

Oh,my beloved

,the darkness gathers about me, and the

thick darkness of sorrow hides the wayThe prattle of her chi ld recalled her to the pressingnecessi ties which were c losing upon her . She brushedaway her tears , and arose .

“ Yet wil l I not be cast down , she said .

“ Talmai ,wi th the help ofAllah , thy mother wi ll not let thee perish .

O God , have mercy upon the son ofmy sorrow !


She pushed forward with the energy of desperation .

It seemed as i f a new strength had been vouchsafed her—a power she had never before known .

Suddenly She came out on an Open place sort ofplateau

,and before her rose a high and rugged tel l

with a village on the summit .It was l ike and yet unl ike Malha . Up the terraced

heights,ol ive s and vi nes had been planted , and every

l i ttle Space and bi t Of ground among the rocks , Often o fonly a few square feet, had been taken advantage of andcultivated .

She thought i t was a dream. She could scarcelybel ieve her senses .Is not my mind wandering ? she asked herself.

H ath not my sorrow d istracted me ? ”

As she drew nearer, sh e saw that one S i de of the tel ldescended with abrupt decl iviti es i nto an unusually deepval ley , extending to the northward . But in one of thenearer hollows was an inclosed area . Trees of a largesize grew near i t .It i s the fountain , she said . Every v1 llag e has its

ain. I shal l get water to quench our thi rst, my Talmai .Allah hath not forsaken u s . H e hath heard my c ry . Itwas wrong to doubt h im . H ave I not known this ofo ldWith this confidence she advanced ti l l she stood on

the edge of the slope overlooki ng the fountai n,which

,

being at a considerable d istance from the vi llage , shemade su re she should be able to approach unobserved .

What was her astonishment, therefore , to behold theentire of the i nclosu re fronting and i ncludi ng thefountain fi lled with a crowd of struggling, wrangl i ng andlamenting women .

She could not u nderstand what i t meant. She hadnever seen anythi ng l ike i t. I t seemed as if all thewomen Of the vi llage had collected there .

The noi se o f thei r complaint, and occasionally thewords of thei r harangues and exclamations reached thespot where she had stopped , transfixed with wonder atthe sight o f thi s tu rbulent gatheri ng .

Will the heavens have no pi ty ? Wi ll they not sendthe timely rain ?


or spe ndth rift lavishness and was carried Off i n a broadOpen slu ice and condu it i nto the lower valley , was nowreduced to a miserable attenuated dribble , which latterlythreatened to cease altogether , Often only dripping intermittently, drop by drop , over the green sl ime thatmarked the spot.I t was a torture to the poor u nfortunate vi llagers to

col lect suffic ient for thei r most u rgent wants . It wou ldbe difli cult to measure the tri al they were enduringall the suffering entai led by bei ng deprived of water ,except i n such small quanti ty that i t was almost a mockery , and an aggravation of the affl iction .

An exterio r and sl ightly higher wal l guarded thepoint where the steps descended to the paved inclosu re .

O n the broad flat top a young man was stretched at fulll ength , seemingly asleep . With the exception of a companion o f abou t h is own age , who recl ined in a similarposition

,at a short d istance Off, he was the only man

from the vi llage who was present.H e was not asleep , as a c loser observation showed ,

which made hi s apparent equanimity the more remarkable . H is gaze was intently fixed on the scene enactedbefore him ; he never once withdrew his eyes ; he lostnot a S i ngle movement or cry of the seeth ing throng ;but nei ther by word nor motion nor expression Of cou ntenance , nor any other outward S i gn , did he give the leastevidence of sympathy or feel ing i n the piti fu l contention .

H e and hi s comrade had probably been sent there bythe vi llage sheik as a precaution , to prevent any dangerous outbreak or act of i nj u sti ce , o r excess , and to keepthe peace , as far as possible , under the extraordinaryc ircumstances .A gentleman , accompanied by his d ragoman , and pre

ceded by a cavass i n gold-embro idered jacket, all be ingmounted on horseback , had come up through the byroad , and , attracted by the noi se of the tumultuousassemblage , rode aside to se e what i t meant.It was the American consul who was return ing from

some offi c ial investigation .

H orrified at what he beheld , he questioned the youngman from the vi llage regard ing it.


Why do they wait ti l l thi s late hour ? he asked .

Why do the women come all together ? Cannot someof them come earl ier, and so avo id thi s terriblescene ? ”

The young man at once arose , and cou rteouslysaluted . H e had the pleasing features and slender wellkni t figure SO frequently Seen i n the men of the Palesti nev i l lages . Above all , he had the i r inimitable g race .

“Ah , he said , “ this that thou seest has been goingon since early morning. From early morning til l late i nthe evening, for nearly six weeks , shortly after thedrought began , thi s has been our burden and sorrow.

There has been no resp ite .

”

The tone of the man’s vo ice said more than thewords . Though even now he restrained himself fromany marked d isp lay of feel ing, there were tears in hisvo ice .

“ My God , this i s horrible !” exclaimed the consul .

It i s worse than I supposed .

It is worse than we have ever known .

Is there no help ? ”

None . Except Allah sends us rai n .

Are there no other founta ins or well s i n the neighbourhood from which you could be suppl ied ?

”

A sad laugh , i n which mingled something of scornfu lp ride , broke from the young fellow

’s l ips .“ There i s no ain i n al l the valley l ike ours . It has

never before been known to withhold its water . Whenal l the other springs and well s were dry , our ain wassti l l flowing. They that were thi rsti ng came to us fromall the countryside around , and we gave them freely of

our l iving water. Not the dul l heavy water of the wel l ,but l ightsome , l iv ing water , fresh, and ful l of strength ,o ut of the heart of the earth . I f our ain i s dried up , towhom then shal l we go ? There i s no one to give untous as we gave unto them .

The consu l was deeply moved . The scene of thestruggl ing women vividly reminded him of the celebratedpainting by Poussin representing the Children O fI srael i n the wilderness , when there was no water forthe people to dri nk, and theywere perishing with thirst,


ti ll Moses brought water out of the rock for them . Buthere was no Moses to del iver .Espec ially was he touched with the young man’s

courteous grace, preserved in the midst of such an

affl iction .

We Western people are savages and brutes.

as compared with these Ori entals ,

” he said .

“ They Shame usw i th their fine manners— the ir natural pol iteness .”

H e recalled an inc ident of the morning, when meetinga peasant who was carrying a sack ofwheat to the mi l lon his donkey . H e had wished

'

th e man Good morning, which in the Arab ic has a fu ller and warmer S ignificance than our cramped phrase , which has almost lostits meaning ,— the former having more than the heartinessof the Irishman when , i n the original of the exuberantOld Erse tongue, he wishes the top of the morning toyou .

After salaaming , and retu rning the consu l’s wish , the

peasant added , with an unmistakab le sinceri ty , H eream I , a poor man -a fel lah , and you , who are an honourable man , of high position , stop and speak to meand give me a good wish . Now you have made mehappy for the rest of the day. Surely i t i s always thetru ly great who are graciou s and condescending .

”

Struck with wonder at the reply , the consul drewrein , and made su i table acknowledgment ; adding, whenthe man was departing ' Take care ofyou r soul .”

With upward wave of the hand , the answer came ,qu ick as a flash : “ God wi l l do that.

“ There truly i s more i n thi s people than meets theeye , was the conclusion of the s tranger .And now , as the consul waited by the fountain , think

ing of the feel ing in the words of the poor peasant , andl i stening to the statements of the young man , noting , too ,all his fo rtitude and cou rteousness in the midst of hissorrow , while the wai l o f the women ascended to them ,

he fel t more keenly the b i tterness of the affl ictionthrough which they were passing .

Poor women ! It i s a matter of l ife and death tothem ,

” he said .

“Who could expect them to bear i tany better than they are doing ?


She rai sed the boy astride of her shoulder, after thefashion of the country , and with bowed head went up bythe path that led beneath the vi llage , and so by the steepascent behi nd the fountai n and the trees.An Old woman sat by the wayside , resting . H er

water-pot,l owered from her head , stood near . As H ilwe

came by,the salutations Of the land , wi th the usual good

wishes,were exchanged between them . Then , as she

thought of the sufferings of her chi ld , she cou ld no longerrefrain .

Alas ! how can one as wretched as I am wish a blessi ng to any one ? she cried .

What ai leth thee , my daughter ? asked the o ld

woman .

There i s no water , and my child hath not quenchedhi s thi rst s i nce early to-day . For the love of God , i fthou canst, give him to drink that he peri sh not. Ithought not to ask water of any one. I thought to findit among the rocks . But the Springs dried up before me,as though I was accu rsed .

The first impulse of the aged woman was to seize thewater-pot and give to the thi rsti ng, as She had been accustomed to do from her girlhood . Then she paused

,

remembering al l . H er head drooped on her breast, aflush of shame on her wrinkled cheek and forehead .

I have been dreaming ,” she said . I thought myself

once more a young maiden coming from the ain to thevil lage , balancing upon my head my kulleh fi l led fromthe cool , plenteous flood . Never was there an ain l ikeours . We were proud of i t, and gave l iberally of thewater to all that asked . We could not bu i ld a placebeautifu l enough for i t. I t was l ike an angel ofGod . Itmade glad al l the hil lside , and kissed the valley ti ll i tsmi led back in corn and wine and o il .

The sunshine of her chi ldhood came , and once morel ighted up and beautified her aged face as she spoke .

Never ti l l now have I known i t to fai l ,” she continued .

To-day I stood before i t from early morn ti l l this hour,wai ting my turn , whi le the scanty drops trickled down ,and my strength gave out. Some Of the younger womenat last took pi ty on me , and let me come near . They


knew my daughter was lying sick of a fever. I amashamed to tel l thee— but the water is not enoughfor our wants . Nevertheless I Shal l share i t wi th thee,and Allah replen ish our store .

Nay , said H ilwe ,“ I cannot deprive thee of i t. I

am grieved for thy trouble . It was wrong of me to askthee . The thought ofmy child betrayed me . God blessthee fo r thy kindness , al l the same .

”

The o ld woman at once arose .

Thou art a stranger and a wayfarer , she said ;“ I

cannot deny thee ” She raised the water-vessel wi thtrembl ing hands . Drink , thou and thy li ttle one , in

the name of the All-Merci ful . Thou art welcome .Drink.

”

She held the water to Talmai’s l ip s , and when he haddrank, she gave also to H ilwe , who could no longerrefuse .Blessed be thou and thy people , exclaimed H ilwe ,

as She ki ssed the o ld woman’s hand . God send theeprosperi ty and peace . Thy heart i s right . Thou hastshown kindness to the unfortunate . Thou hast restoredmy life and the l ife ofmy child th is day .

”

With the usual superabundant exchange of sal utationsthey parted .

The Old woman returned to her sick daughter i n thevillage .

H ilwe weari ly plodded up the ted ious ascent , takingthe by-road , which presen tly passed i nto the highway.

This recently had been greatly improved , through theenforced labour ofthe peasants . I t had been straightenedand much shortened by cutting out unnecessary cu rves .I t was now a fine macadamised road , though it stil l ,where necessary

,wound up and down the steeper hil ls

with many a zigzag cou rse . But i t was no pleasant sightto the poor fellaheen , as they remembered the days Ofunremunerative to i l expended on i t by themselves , the i rwives , and their children . They valued not the improvement .I t i s naught to us , they said . What doth it profit

us ?

The day, at length , was drawing to a c lose , and the


wanderer began anxiously to cons ider where she mightfind a resti ng-place for the night. She had left thehighway far behind ; the country was unusually roughand broken , but the fear She had of the main roads madeit comparatively pleasant to her . The brush and scrubwere so wi ld and thick they greatly impeded her way

,

but she pushed on as i f She scarcely noticed this,eagerly

watching for some hol low or cave where she and Talmaimight take Shelter .I t was a lonely place , with the desolate aspect of a

wilderness . Not a b ird was visible . The gay flowerswhich , earl ier i n the season , had lent their charms tobeauti fy i t, had gone to seed and were withered anddried , consumed by the fiercene ss of the sun and want o frain . Only such plants and Shrubs as could well sustainthe drought were to be seen among the thorn-busheswith their sp iny, conto rted growths. They representedmillenn iums of endurance . The thorn of the crucifixionwas there , and the stubborn burnet with i ts clusters ofdul l redd ish flowers grew i n a tangled mass wi th theyellow prickly broom and abounding thyme . Defiantof the rainless season , these held thei r ground as i f byd ivi ne right.More than once H ilwe had halted , thinking she heard

a signal cal l . The profound sti l lness of the place wasawe- i nsp i ri ng

,and made the least sound unduly audible.

“ I am growi ng timorous and fool ish ,”she tried to

assu re herself. It i s naught but the c ry of thepartridge .

”

But again came the pecul i ar sound , on the right, andmuch nearer. It was answered , after a few seconds , onthe left.

This time there could be no m istake . She recognisedthe signal s used by the vi llagers .Once more they were repeated , and now close at hand ,

and startl i ngly clear.We are tracked , she said .

“ They are pursu ingafter us , and wil l take us . We are lost.

”

H ardly had she spoken when she saw a number ofmenpouring over an adjo ining ridge . They uttered a shoutof triumph as they came upon her .


The tw i l ight was dying out on the hi lls ide. The lastsurges of day were breaki ng i n golden waves against thetopmost heights . The monotonous blue Of the sky wasfading to a pale gray ti nt , wi th a few greenish l ights atthe horizon . Night would soon be upon them . Thenight of death was closing upon H ilwe and her son .

“ It will be dark before we reach Malha,” the men

told themselves .

As they hastened on thei r way , draggi ng her wi ththem , she heard them mutter that they would confineher i n some secret p lace for the present, or unti l themorrow .

After i t was qu ite dark , they were sti l l l eading thei rcaptives , the sad-eyed weary mother and her son ,

to the dread fate decreed them . To the rocky defile s,through which they passed , d ifli cult to penetrate in thedaylight, the darkness added a thousand horrors . Theywere taking her to the B lack Valley ,— that namelessabomination , —that place O f mystery , of fear , and violence , of swift j udgment and piti less executi on , the tombof the unchaste and the degraded .

They were taking her there . It cou ld have but onemeaning.

All the way ,— to her a Vi a Dolorosa ,— every trembl i ng step she took in the uncertain gloom , she thought OfAmne’s fate as prophetic Of her own . She was walkingto her death .

And was thi s to be H ilwe ’s end , branded as a wanton and an outcast by her own people , her sou l smittenfrom the body , even her child overwhelmed in the destruction which had overtaken her ?She had appealed to them in vain . In the black

m isery of that night who can tell what She suffered ?The horror of i t had struck her S i lent. She had nowords which could express i t.She suppressed her s ighs , lest she should awaken

Talmai .Once a pass ionate fi t of sobbing burst from her l ips .Oh , i f Kadra but knew ,

” she said , “ She would not

rest till she had done something to deliver u s !

H assan: a Fe l lah 52 7

CH APTER L

H E St . Georges are rare characters. There arenot many of them to be found i n the world .

Nor are the St . Theodores who trample down the mudwallowing saurian of fle shly desi re much more commonthan the vi rgi n Si r Galahads , brave knights of the H olyGrai l , who each can say o f himself, “ I never felt the kissof love nor maiden 's hand i n mine .

” The nineteenth century wil l present few i f any cand idates for canonisati on .

But among that few, i t i s highly probable , no moreworthy name wil l appear upon the blood -blanched rollthan that o f George Cro ssle tt, he who was derisivelynamed St . George by those who might easi ly haved i scovered among themselves more su i table subjectsfor mockery .

When Cro ssle tt found himself once more alone , theretreating figure of H ilwe and her child fast d isappearing i n the di stance , his heart began to misgive him , andhe blamed himself i n that he had let her depart, unprote cted ,

exposed to so many dangers, and with so l i ttlep rovi sion for the way .

The few words i n which she had told him her troublehad deeply impressed him . H e fanc ied she looked l ikeH agar with her son Ishmael , which only helped to stimulate his sympathies .Yet

,with existing prejudices , how could he have

accompanied her ? She would no t have permitted i t .H e had given her his last morsel of food , his last cupfu lOf water . What more could be expected of him ? I tmight well seem it should have been easy for him to sayhe had done what he could , and so rest sati sfied . Butthat was not his temper or his Sp iri t.Something in thi s g irl~mother and her son had deeply

moved him . H ow virginal she seemed H er great innocent eyes had appealed to him . They had touched hi sgentl e manly heart, from which woman had been so longshut out, i n a way of which he was scarcely consc i ous.I t was p ity , and something more than p ity .


H ow dreary and woe-begone were hi s surroundings ,the despo i led field , stripped of its fru its, the brokendown fence and hedge . F i t symbol of the daughter ofZion

,the booth or lodge ofwithered boughs, l eft stand

i ng i n the midst, had ceased to be of much protectionor pleasu re to look at. Its upper staging, whence theowners had kept watch over the garden , and which , s incethei r desertio n on the gatheri ng in of the crop , had beenCrossle tt

’

s sleep ing-place , had meagre shelter i n the leanbranches

,the shrivel led leaves having mostly fallen away .

To the left was the pile of ashes , the remains of thenightly watch-fires which had lighted up the place andShown the approach of marauders . Back of the boothwas the shallow excavation in the clay bank, whichafforded a poor retreat i n the worst weather, and hadleft i ts too mani fest stains on Cro ssle tt’s raiment .I t all was wretched enough . I t was the only home he

had,i f home i t cou ld be called . Yet what a peacefu l

sol i tude he had found there , with such golden e xpe

rience s of sp i ri tual communion as tongue may notreveal !Almost unconsciously he had formed the determina

ti on that he would follow H ilwe .

H e had l i ttle or no belongings of consequence to burden himself with or leave behind . H e could start at amoment’s noti ce . Why should he regret turning hisback upon the p lace ?H is smal l supply Of food and water was gone . H e

had given i t away . H e must seek elsewhere to renewi t. Why not take the d irection which she had taken aswell as any other ? I t was a natu ral conclu sion .

“ I shall follow her, afar Off,” he said .

“ I shall se ethat no harm befalls her .”

But H ilwe had had too great a start . Before Crosslettset out she had long passed out o f sight, and , not havingadhered to h i s d i rec ti ons as to the route , S imply fromnot comprehending them and from her devious wanderings i n search of water , he saw nothing of her ti l l hecaught a gl impse of her at the point where she crossedthe main road , leaving i t behind her .H e saw the slender figure bowed with weariness,

530 H as san : a Fe l l ah

H e i s no more than a gad-fly, they shouted . Theyattacked him with such violence that when they re

sumed thei r j ourney, he was left lyi ng upon the ground ,unconsc ious , and bleed ing from more than one wound .

A li ttl e more of the i r stoni ng would have made him amartyr .H ilwe perceived the scufl‘ling and contention , but

knew not what i t meant, and supposed it to be some dispute among themselves .Is he dead ? ” asked those of the party who had re

mained on watch with H ilwe , on hearing certainremarks .

“ I f he i s —and i t i s l ikely that he is dead he hasbrought i t on himsel f,

” repl i ed Abd-e l-nou r. “We areblameless .They hastened more rap idly on thei r way

,and talked

more freely as to what they purposed doing wi th H ilwe ,so that She overheard them . She had not ceased tou se every opportunity to implore their compassion .

But thei r brutal repl i es robbed her of all hope . Theywere evidently spurring themselves up to the aecomplishment of the crime they had decided on committing .

Their murderous attack on Crosslett had only whettedthei r appeti te and fu rther exasperated them .

Unfounded hatred , the parent of i ndefinite vind ictiveness , i s one of the most d iffi cult o f evi l s to contend with .

There is no argu ing with i t. It knows no law, i s without reason , and has no mercy . I t i s from this that,often , the most detestable and unaccountable murders andother crimes which shock c ivi l isati on have thei r origin .

It was clear from thei r conversati on that the Tharthe blood-feud between Malha and B e ttir had a predominant influence in thei r determination as to H ilwe ’

S

doom .

To have been as one of the fool i sh women was evi lsuffi ci ent, of unbearable Shame , and worthy o f death ,

”

said her uncle Ismai l ; but that a man of B ettir Shouldhave humbled her for that there i s no forgiveness .”

On which they al l applauded .

It i s accord ing to our ancient custom , they said ,that thou shouldst lead i n wip ing out the stain .

”


True ! se e thou adhere st to i t, said Abd-e l-nou r.I am ready to do my part.”

An extraord inari ly grim expression , one of savagepride mingled with awful implacabi l i ty , sat on Ismai l’sfeatu res .

“ I know my duty , he said . Yea , I shal l no t failto perform it . Yet i t were as well to refrai n from thefinal act ti l l we have the dec i sion o f the sheik upon it.”

To thi s the majority assented .

Thou dost not need to wait the sheik’s judgment,i nterrupted Abd-e l-nour , whose concei t had never re

covered the wound it had received in H ilwe ’

s humiliat

i ng rejection of him .

But the rest continued to hold to Ismai l ’s view .

There was i n it a reli ef from personal responsibi l i tywhich

,under the c ircumstances , could not but be agree

able to them .

When Crossle tt recovered his senses , all was qu ietaround him . The band of Malhaite s had gone downinto the lower valley wi th thei r captives , and nothingwas to be seen or heard of any of them .

Binding up his wounds as best he could , he made hi sway back into the mai n road which led to Jerusalem .

The undaunted man had determined to reach the ci tythat night, and rouse the authorities into send ing aparty to the rescue of H ilwe and her son .

H is faith sustained him . H is bru ised and batteredbody, i n its fl imsy shred of garment, did not seem to

avail much .

“ The help of the Lord agai nst the mighty ! he keptrepeating .

“ I t can do wonders .H e felt with i ntense accountabi l i ty the importance of

every moment, and pushed forward , i n sp i te of h is weakness , when one less i ndomitable would have sunk by thewayside , helpless.Darkness had settled down on all the sea-coast and

lowlands of Palesti ne ; but a figment of dayl ight, l ike agray buri al-shroud , stil l hung suspended over the hil lcountry . It was barely enough to dimly i llumine h ispath , and its feeble aid would soon vanish .


Suddenly, out of the ashen-gray sky burst a golden

orange radiance .

“ Ah,i t i s the wondrous afterglow, to l ight me on

my way ! ’ he said .

Seven times i t flamed up out of that sombre ashengray

,and seven times d ied out. But before finally

disappearing,i t had greatly helped him on his road .

“ Surely,i t i s a S ign from heaven ,

” he told himsel f,and

,l ike Paul

,he thanked God and took courage .

”

But how many mi les sti l l lay between him and hisgoal ! H e had stumbled and fallen in the darkness .H is weariness was beginning to tel l upon him . I tseemed impossible that he could much longer keepwalking at the rate at which he had been going , or indeed moving at all , espec ially as the way had becomeobscured . Were all hi s efforts to be u seless ?Notwithstand ing , he had not doubted no , not once .

Doubts are not for me ,” he said .

As he lay breathless upon the highway,he heard the

rumble of a carriage coming from the directi on of a byroad . I t was a landau , three horses abreast, driven at afu rious rate . Within it was a belated traveller . Theywere plainly trying to make up for lost time ; and whenthe horses shi ed and plunged , sta rtl ed by the uncouthghost-l ike figure i n the road , the gentleman who o ccupied the carriage d id not fai l to express hi s annoyance . But th is soon changed to p ity , as he caughtsight of the wretched exhausted obj ect i n the shape of aman who appealed to him in the excellent language ofthe Engl i sh Bible, and explained hi s forlorn condition ,and the u rgent necessi ty for his reaching Jerusalem without delay.

The door Of the landau was thrown open .

Jump in , man , and don’t stand there talking ; I my

sel f am i n a hurry ,” came the rough bu t kindly Engli sh

i nvi tati on .

To Cro sslett i t was the chariot of the Lord and thehorsemen thereof, as he bowled over the road at such atremendous veloc ity he felt as i f he were flying on thewi ngs of an angel .Yes ; accord i ng to h is fai th i t was unto him . H e was

534 H as san : a Fel lah

task. The matter would be duly considered and at

tended to , he was informed , when properly presentedand authenti cated , as the law requ ired .

While engaged in this weari some work, almost madden ing from its waste of preciou s time, certain facts inthe tragic end ing of poor Amne reached Crosslett.

They greatly aggravated hi s fears for H ilwe , the dangerofwhose posi ti on he perceived he had not exaggeratedi n the sl ightest degree . H e was told that Count LeoneSpo llato , the young Ital ian nobleman , having returnedto Jerusalem

,was intent on si fting the case ofAmne to

the bottom , and havi ng the murderers punished . H erewas Crosslett’s opportuni ty . H e at once sought thecount

,and laid before him all the particu lars regarding

H ilwe’

s captu re by the men ofMalha .

Though now late at n ight, Leone had not gone tobed , but , fi l led with remorse , was sitting up , broodingover the horrors of the double murder , and the fai lure ofj u stice under Turkish methods .I t d id not take many words to insp ire him as to what

should be done in th is new d isplay of cruelty . The unadorned account ofCrosslett, himself an evidence of theviolent natures of those men of blood , set Leone on fi re .

H e determined to make an appeal to the au thori ti es fora band of sold iers to arrest the men and del iver H ilweand her son . I f not successful i n obtaini ng this

,he

had made up his mind to ventu re his l i fe in the attemptto rescu e the captives . And he flattered himsel f heshould be accompanied by such as would volunteerthei r aid , i n suffi cient numbers to i nsu re the success ofthe incu rsi on .

But the local authoriti es , d isturbed at such an umseemly hou r, and in thi s i rregular u noffi cial way , forwhat appeared to them an enti rely i nadequate reason ,and on the representations of one to them l ittle betterthan a lunatic , were not prepared to take any such stepas that desi red , at a moment

’s notice and without thefullest i nvestigation .

Wait ti l l the morrow .

Boukra—boukra ,” was the decision .

I know we are i rregular i n coming to you i n thi s


way, admitted Leone . As an Ital ian subject , I should

have come through the consul of the King of I taly ;and Mr . Crosslett, who has been murderously assaulted ,through the American consu l .”

Yes , ye s , they eagerly assented .

But time did not admit of th is . We felt that , didyou know the fac ts , you would see the necessity of acting promptly .

Yes , yes . Boukra to -morrow, was the only sat

isfaction he g o t.Equally d isappointed was Leone as to the volunteers

he expected to j o in him . Not one offered ; and whenhe had recourse to expostu lations and bribes, the resultwas no better.One man , whom he had spec ially assured himself of

having with him , plainly gave his reasons for decl iningthe adventure .

This i s an affai r i n which a man’s l i fe i s exposed ,he said . It i s dangerous work .

”

No doubt,” admi tted Leone .

Then I would advise you to have nothing to do withi t Let the government attend to i t .”

I f that i s your advice ,” thundered Le one , “ I have

no use for i t . You can keep it. I p i ty your cowardlynatu re .

The fact was that the reports of the violence andhigh-handed deeds of certai n o f the Malhaite s had terrorised the people .

All thi s delay was maddening to Leone and Cro sslett.We have no time to spare : we must not lose a

moment, they had kept tell ing themselves . Notwith

standing, hours more prec ious than gold had beenmelted i n the cruc ible of Turkish i nertia .

“ All this time has been wasted ,” exclaimed Leone .

We have thrown i t away for nothing , i n trying tomove th em . Yet am I determined to attempt the rescue ,even if I have to go alone .

”

“ I shall go with you , to the death , was the impassioned utterance ofCro sslett.

And then there is Selim , added Leone , tu rning tohi s servant. You wil l go, Selim ?


Ay, was the reply.

H asten and saddle me Al Borak . H e is a host inhimself. And se e i f you can procure two other horses .Th e

.

day i s breaki ng . Remember, every moment isprec ious .”

CH APTER L I

T was broad dayl ight by the t ime the three horsemenpassed beneath K i ng Dav id ’s Tower and through

the J affa Gate on the i r errand Of mercy and j u st i ce.Leone and h is hors e A l Borak, now become a part of

e ach other, were the l ead ing sp i r it s, and natu ral ly tookthe precedence . Crossle tt, a flam i ng sou l in h is rareenthus iasm , wou ld have kept alongs id e, neck and neck ,if not i n advance ; but Al Borak wou ld not have i t so.

I t was i ncompat ib l e,not to be thought of

,the proud

beast fe l t and d i st i nct ly showed by h is act ion s .What fol ly to imag i ne a scrub l ike that cou ld keep

pace w i th me ! ” was the sent imen t of the fu l l-b loodedArab. H ave I not the b lood of the Prophet ’s matchl ess steed in my ve ins

,blood that has coursed through

the purest and finest stal l i on s and mares of the desert,

without a muddy drop in i t ? Am I not named AlBorak ? DO I not know my r ight to do great th ings ?DO I not know what is expected of me ? ”

A horse does not Speak i n words inte l l ig ib l e to us :

yet he can convey what he th i nks and fee l s i n a wonderful way if we on ly g ive h im our attent i on , andespec ial ly if we are i n sympathy with h im . And th i shorse of horses, he was as a pr i nce among men . H e

seemed to spr i ng out of h is sk i n at a touch,at a word

,

so great was h i s sens i t iveness .“ My master i s sad,

” he rum inated . We have aheavy task la id upon us . But I shal l carry h im through .

H e i s t roubl ed . H e b lames h imse lf,and says he has

done wrong. But i t was not much that he d id . H e is

not had. H e on ly wanted to have a good t ime ; and


on h i s cou rse wi th unabated speed , no matter whodropped out

,that he scarce ly looked beh i nd

,or drew

re i n for a moment .H e was an accompl i shed horseman

,hav i ng been

taught r i d i ng at the m i l i tary schoo l i n Napl es,and

afterwards hav ing served i n the caval ry of the I ta l ianarmy. L ike most Ita l ian s

,everyth ing he d id was

done we l l and w ith grace.But now he was r id i ng under a te rr ib l e pres su re Of

respons ib i l i ty. H e came as one i n sp i red .

H is knees c l utched pass ionately the sadd l e and

cares‘sed the s ides Of the nobl e an imal that carr i ed h imso superbly, plung ing forward w i th such proud sp i r i t

,

and determ i ned w i l l,and g lad des i re

,as though ent ire ly

a part of h im , almost as much an outcome of h i s personal ity as if he had been generated of h im .

The horse d id wonders . Yet Leone was not sat i sfied. H ad he had h is wi sh , he wou ld have flownthrough the ai r on h i s imperat ive errand . For con

sc i en ce was the spur,—the hOpe of reparat i on

,i n some

degree,where there cou ld be no absol ute reparat ion

no ret r i eval— no atonement, -the unutterably longedfor.

Forward he dashed on Al Borak , The Lightn i ng ;over h i l l

,through val l ey ; t rampl i ng bru sh and plant

and creep ing th ing ; st r ik i ng fi re from the spurnedrocks

,—sparks of el ect r i c scath and wrath from the

fl inty ground that throbbed and palp i tated under h ist read

,—a man prec ip i tat i ng h imse lf i nto the futu re,

—ann ih i lat ing t ime and space, so far as he cou ld doso,—fl ing ing h imself i nto h i s purpose w ithout thought

Of se lf, or fear of personal danger .“Ah ! Great God of H eaven and Earth ! can I get

there i n t ime ? Perm it me to save them ! Accept i tas reparat i on !Th i s was the cry that burst from h is agon i sed heart ;

but on h is fever i sh l ips i t sounded on ly as an inarticul ate moan ,

— the desperate demand of h im who seekswi th tears a place for repentance .

H ow easy to do wrong ! he sa id . H ow d iffi cu l t,imposs ib l e to repai r that wrong


Onward,onward . Cou ld he ever go fast enough ?

Cou ld he get there i n t ime to save them ? M ight henot be too late ? Ah , that was the terr ibl e thought !H e must not th i nk of i t . There must be no such wordas “ fa i l .As he swung forward , he fel t as i f he were dash ing

through infin it e space. Would there never be an end ?Would he n ever reach the po i nt ?Then , aga in , he imag ined he was ru sh ing to a id

Amne and the i r l i tt l e son,wh i l e someth i ng told h im

i t was hopel ess work . And ever i n h is bra in,keep i ng

t ime to the tramp Of the horse ’s feet,rang over and ove r

aga i n,spurr i ng h im , madden i ng h im ,

the word s of thedefiant love-song

,s l ight ly changed for the occas ion

From the desert I come to thee ,On a stall ion shod with fire ,

And the winds are left behindIn the speed ofmydesire .

Throug h the desolate waste I charg e ,And the midnig ht hears my cry;

I love but thee , I love but thee ,With a love that shal l not d ieTill the sun g rows co ld,And the stars are Old ,And the leaves of the Judgment

B ook unfold .

”

But the horse,Al Borak

,he was transformed .

H e was l ike an aveng ing Sp i r it , one on whom thecommand of Al lah i s l a id to execute i t, and who cou ldnot choose ’tw ixt l ife or death

,or aught e l se

,but must

do,i n any case

,even to the ob l i terat i on of death ,

must do,at al l Odds

,in the face of al l cost and couse

q uence , i n desp ite of Death h imse lf.When h i s mas ter cr i ed,

“Al Borak,the horse knew

what was expected of h im . H e must be Al Borak,the L ightn i ng

,—the fi re of God to c l eave c loud and

space,—to flash

,to rend

,to burn ,

— to d iv ide the veryheavens w i th thunderous roar.

H ah ! I am it , the purpose i tse lf, the embod i edvengeance of Al lah ! -What i s the ground to me ? Ispurn it ! Am I not w inged w ith the word that may


not be spoken , - the unu tterab l e command that I knownot but as I execute i t , the decree that is too awfu lto know ?Oh

,he was w i ld w i th the exalted joyof it, the maj esty

of i t !On

,on he tore through everyth ing . Noth i ng cou ld

res i st such determ inat ion . The rocks and the t reesflew by

,and were lost beh i nd, were passed in a flash

,

then,at once

,were i n the d i stance .

H e snuffed out and sme l t from afar, as if by superhuman i nst i nct

,the p lace he was dest i ned for.

“ Al lah ! -Al lah i s everywhere— i s everyth ing ! Iam h i s dem iurgosYe s

,as they advanced

,man and horse

,one power,

the gorge Opened before them,

- the Black Val l ey.

They were rece ived w i th i n its d i refu l depths of mysterious shadow. Was i t not the Val l ey of the Shadow of

Death ?Sw ift ly they came upon that hatefu l group

,—the

men of blood dogged ly carry ing out the i r ev i l w i l l .But what was the i r w i l l before the w i l l of Al lah ?Al Borak was upon them i n an i n stant, as if he had

sudden ly descended out of the seventh heaven amongthem .

There sat H i lwe , i n the m idst, - the grave yawn ingfor her at her feet .She wore the p la in dark-b l ue garment of the count ry

,

and ove r i t the str iped red and b lack outer robe ofcamel ’s ha i r ; al l hand -made, woven by herse lf ; wh i l efrom her head floated the wh i te d rapery

,l i ke a ve i l

,

S imp l e and gracefu l,reach i ng below her wa i st . The

colou rs were those proper ly ascr ibed to and as soc i atedw ith the B l essed V i rg i n

,and for ages worn by the

peasant-women Of Pal est i n e.There she sat, her man-ch i ld i n her arms, the maj

esty of res ignat i on upon her,a person ificat i on of the

Madonna, — the D iv i ne type of Motherhood for al lgenerat i ons, wh i ch shou ld cal l her bl e ssed . Theyoung peasant -woman of Judaea

,scarce ly O ld enough

to bear the respons ib i l i t i es of motherhood , or be amother, w i th her great dark eyes, black ha i r, and


H e yel l ed w i thout words . I t was the outburst Of aman iac . H e was w i l d w i th enthus iasm . H is face hadl ost al l defin ite express ion

,and h i s words art icu lat ion .

H is features were d i storted,— fr ightfu l to look upon .

Al l was frenzy.

H e was i n the m idst of them . The ev i l ones hadrega i ned the i r cou rage . They c losed upon h im . Theycaught h is br id l e to prevent h im i n h is pu rpose andoverwhe lm h im . They made deadly thru sts at h im

,

and tr i ed to drag h im from the horse.The moment had come. Leone l eaned forward and

spoke soft ly in the horse ’s ear the myst i c words wh i chthe B edawe had taught H assan

,and wh i ch he i n tu rn

had conveyed to Leone . They were the words wh ichhad governed a l l the horse ’s t r i be for generat ions .Then the power and the vengeance Of Al Borak

broke loose. H is mouth opened upon the ev i l ones.The screech be em i tted was un l ike the ne igh of ahorse ; i t was blood-cu rd l i ng. I t might be supposed toresembl e the defiant scream of the n ight warlock. Thew i ld breeze of the desert agai n b l ew over h im

,and

fi red h i s blood. H e se i zed the fi rst of the men bythe neck

,and shook h im as though he had been a rat,

throw i ng h im as ide, and cr ippl i ng h im for l i fe. Theothers who stood i n the way he pranced upon

,and

struck down w i th h i s fore-feet,i n i n conce ivab l e fury.

I t was fr ightfu l . I t was l ike the vengeance of God .

The madness of one of the fab l ed centaurs was in h im,

and compe l l ed h im . H e was possessed of the anc i entsources of strength that are h idden i n the immovabl eh i l l s and stubborn rocks , and that have woven theknotted s i news w i th i n the t imbers Of the toughenedoak

,— the i rres ist ib l e sacred force of Nature wh ich she

g ives to the w i ld unspo i l ed creatures that love her andhold by her.H e now was c l ose to H ilwe . With a low wh inny of

affect ionate recogn i t ion he bowed h is head before her ;he rubbed h i s smooth nose aga inst her cheek .

She knew h im,yet She cou ld not understand. I t a l l

was l ike a Vi s i on to her.“ I have come to del iveryou !

” cr ied Leone. Qu i ck !


If you wou ld save your Own l i fe and your ch i ld’s l ife

,

delay not. For the love of God, hasten !H e held out h is hand to her . H e caught hold of

her,draw i ng her to h im . The horse

,at a word

,bent

low to rece ive her , as he had been taught . She p lacedher foot on Leone ’s foot, and w ith l i tt l e effort theyoung man swung her up upon the horse

,beh i nd h im .

Then,l ike a flash Of the l iv id l even for wh i ch he had

been named,that nob l e creatu re shot forward through

that dusky crowd,plung ing upon them , th row ing them

down,trampl i ng them under foot.

F i l l ed with dread,they gave way. In an in stant he

had flashed through them,and was gon e .

H i lwe , c lasp i ng her" ch i ld to her, c l u ng to Leon e.

As he fe l t her arm around h is wai st, i t gave h im freshcourage .Forward

,Al Borak ! Brave , brave one !

But those determ i ned fel laheen were fu l l Of resou rce s,

and were not to be baffled of the i r prey, or c i rcumventedw ithou t a further st ruggl e .

One rushed to where he had l eft h i s r ifle.“What are you about ? Wi l l you l et them g o , nor

put forth a hand to stay them ? ” he cr i ed .

A bal l wh izzed c lose to Leone . Mi ss i ng h im, as he

thought,i t grazed Al Borak ’s glossy shou lder

,and left

a streak of blood on the wh it e ve lvet Of h i s sk i n .

But there was no pause . If poss ib l e,the horse

went al l the sw ifter, more fur i ou s ly tore ahead,

l eav i ng the accursed Black Val l ey beh i nd .

“ Grip fast ! ” Leone cr i ed to H ilwe , not know ingthat , i n thu s encourag i ng her, he spoke the words thati n great emergency the gal lant Les l i e had used to theQueen of Scot land .

On they fled,t i l l A l Borak ’s steam ing flanks

admon i shed Leone to draw re i n,wh i ch he d id

,i n

mercy to the fa i thfu l horse, who would have droppeddead before hal t i ng wi thout the command.

They were save d .

They were wel l beyond pu rsu i t Of the i r enem i es,

even if those enem i es had the l east prospect of successin pursu i ng them .


H ilwe c lasped her ch i ld to her and k i ssed h im .

Snatched out of the very jaws of death,under the

revu l s ion of her fee l i ngs,she cou ld not speak, -no

,

not even to thank Leone. Doubt l ess,too, sh e fe l t that

thanks were pal try render ing for such serv ice as he hadbestowed.

Crosslett was not without hav ing taken part i n theact i on ; but i t was i n such a subord i nate ro

‘

le he fel trathe r hum i l i ated and ashamed of i t.At the cr i t ical moment, when Leone had l ifted

H i lwe and her son beh i nd h im, and Al Borak was

t rampl i ng down and fl i ng i ng to the r ight and l eft thosemen of s in who were attack i ng them

, Cross lett appearedupon the scene. H e came wi th the O ld H ebrew warcry : “ The sword of the Lord and of Gideon ! Thew i nd, a ided by the ve loc i ty w i th wh ich he rode, hadst r ipped from h im

,and l i fted h igh above h i s shou lders

and h i s head, the l ight and scanty p i ece of draperywh ich was h is on ly garment . Rema i n i ng fasten ed ath is neck, i t waved and flapped over h im l ike w ings,g iv i ng h im

,mounted as he was

,an extraord i nary

appearance, and perhaps an add it i onal l ikenes s to one

Of the c lass i c heroes,med iaeva l champions , or anc i ent

sa i nts, or al l of them rol l ed i nto one .

F i l l ed w i th the d iv i n e affiatus and heaven ly ecstasy,

l ike the St. George they had n i cknamed h im , or anaveng ing St . M i chael

,he was utter ly unconsc ious of

the figure he presented,

or Of anyth i ng strange or

improper i n h i s person .

“ F ly, Crosslett, fly, or they w i l l take you !”was al l

that Leone, as he carr i ed Off H i lwe , had t ime or

thought to cal l to h im .

Cross lett’

s sudden arr ival and supernatu ral aspecthad

,doubt l ess

,i n some degree

,contr i buted to the

resu l t,and i nten s ified the superst i t i ou s fears of the

men Of Malha,d ivert ing the i r attent i on . H is appal l

ing shout gave the impress i on that other help wascom ing, and that i t was near at hand . When theSharp report of the r ifle rang out, speed i ng the bal l thatl eft a red fu rrow i n the beaut i fu l sk i n of Al Borak,


places by the winter rains , and by masses ofrock whichhad rolled down into its rough bed , and sometimesblocked the wayNear by was an o ld and origi nally fine ly-ornamented

fountain . The water, at this time i n considerablyreduced volume , gushed out of the side of the terracel ike p lateau

,high above the valley , and close to the

roadway , escap ing through the shattered pi llars andcuriously carved stonework of the fountain, which wasoverhung and shadowed by fig -trees and other trees ,adding to the p icturesqueness of the p lace .

In front, stand ing on end , upright, two great c ircularstones

,the remains of an archaic O il-press , were partly

sunk i n the ground,surrounded with rubb ish , and some

what overgrown with vegetation. A rude stone troughfor the o il lay beside the O i l-press . They appear not tohave been used for generations , and probably belong toa time when the neighbouri ng hi ll s, stil l terraced to thei rsummits

,were covered with vines and ol ives .

H ilwe gave an exclamation of recogni ti on :Ah , i t i s Ain H aniyeh !I t was the Founta in of St. Phili p— the place where

he had baptised the eunuch, the Treasurer o f Candace ,Queen of the Ethiop ians .The water sti ll flows on , though the surrounding s ,

doubtless , are changed s ince that day of grace, so many

hundred years ago , when P hil ip rode wi th the eagerlyi nqu i ri ng eunuch i n hi s chariot, read ing and explainingEsaias the prophet, as told so wel l i n the fasc i nati ng Oldnarrative :

“ And as they went on thei r way , they came unto acertai n water : and the eunuch said , See , here i s water ;what doth hinder me to be baptised ? ’

“ And Phi lip said , ‘ I f thou bel ievest wi th all thineheart, thou mayest.

’

H ow many a summer and winter have passed betweenthat day and this ! Nati ons have ari sen and fallen ;continents have been di scovered and brought into themarvellous l ight out of the misty u nknown in which solong they had slumbered , - though always known toGod ; sixty generations of men have come and gone,


ad tu rned to dust, si nce then ; and sti l l wi th silveryO ice the water calleth out Of the rocky hi llside to theglen

,pouring out and sp il l ing i ts elf i n a sacred l ibati on

a baptismal fountai n of cleansing and of cheer .H ilwe , seeing the water , prepared to al ight,— Leone ,

who had already dismounted , assi sti ng her .Gladly d id they drink of the refreshing stream , that

sang for them a song o f thanksgiving while they and AlBorak satisfied thei r thi rst from it.Leone carefully bathed Al Borak’s wound , washing

the blood-stains from him . That crimson streak the ballhad left was scarcely skin deep .

Fo r the first time , Leone perceived the shot had comecloser to himself than he had suspected . I t had sl i t histrou sers across the thigh , leaving a welt upon the flesh ,but barely drawing the blood . H e now remembered hehad fel t at the time a sti nging sensation there , as thoughh e had rece ived the lash o f a whip .

H e took care to conceal it from H ilwe .

It was closer work than I thought for both of us , AlBorak ,

” he said , addressing the horse.

“ Brave,noble

Al Borak , we owe our l ives and everything to you .

You deserve al l the praise .

”

They had rested but a l i ttle while i n the shadow of

the trees and fountain , when Leone , tu rning to H ilwe ,suggested that i t might be well to proceed on the irjourney .

“ You and your l i ttle Talmai can rest more safely inJerusalem ,

” he said , where you can be protected .

Then H ilwe arose and bowed hersel f before him .

Thou hast saved my l i fe , and the l ife of my child ,She said , “ and what can such an one as I am renderunto my lord for all the benefits he has done unto me ?Nothing that I could say or do would avail to Show mygratitude . Yet now , i f I have found grace i n thy sight,suffer me to depart. H i nder me not, I beseech thee .

Let me go upon my way , and do thou retu rn unto Jerusalem ; and the blessing of heaven be upon thee. Who.

am I that I should trouble thee , or bri ng reproach uponthy name ?

H ilwe , I perceive you di strust me .


Nay ; that be far from me to impute evi l toH ast thou not risked thy life to del iver us ? Yet suit to be as I have said u nto thee .

A pained expression shadowed Leone’s face.

“ I t i s because Of Amne ,” he said .

“ You have no

confidence i n me because of her . And yet I meant noevi l to Amne . I loved her . I would have given my l ifeto save her and the l i ttle ch i ld my beautiful chi ld .

Ihave been unfo rtunate .

”

H ilwe but imperfectly understood the words ; yet sheknew by i ntu i tion the meaning.

Poor Amne ,”she said . They d id unto her as they

would have done to me ; and there was none to pleadher cause—there was none to deliver her .”

H ilwe , you know not what you are exposing yourself to . I t i s far better that I should take you to Jerusalem . I swear to you I shall take you whithersoeveryou wish to any of the convents o f rel igi ous women

,

or to the house of the good Deaconesses Of the Engl i shChu rch

, or to any Moslem family you prefer .”

Partly by s igns, partly by words, he tri ed to conveyh is meaning.

Nay , nay .

H ilwe shook her head .

But you have no food . I have no money with me,

or I would gladly give you . I left i n such haste I didnot bring my pu rse . What wi l l become of you ?Fear not for me , she repl ied .

“ I know the country .

Those who would harm me wil l look forme in Jerusalem ;and I shall make my escape to a place o f safety, wherethey wi ll not th ink of searching for me . GO thy way ;peace be with thee ; and the blessing of the help less,whom thou didst succour, be upon thee .

”

Leone would have further remonstrated with her ;but, repeating her thanks , she bade him good-bye , and atonce departed with her l i ttle one .

It was done so suddenly , he scarcely understood whathad occurred ti l l too late to prevent i t. While he wasoccupied

,a few minutes , with Al Borak , she watched

her opportuni ty , and when he turned to look after her,She had d isappeared .


Brave Al Borak ! H ow can I do enough for you ?H ow noble and kind and w i se you are ! And yet theysay you have no soul .

”

Leone threw himsel f into the saddle , and the horsesoon brought him to a by-path which crossed the ridgei nto the highway lead ing to the c i ty . I t was the roadbetween H ebron , Bethlehem , and Jerusalem . There thepowerfu l stall ion , i n the exuberance of his strength andjoy

,stretched hi s perfect l imbs over the smooth track

with such freshness , ease , and fle etne ss , i t was d iffi cultto bel i eve he had gone through the severe work he thatday had accompl ished . It was as i f he wanted to showwhat was i n him , and that he was far from having exhansted h is re sou

tces .

CH APTER LIII

H E sun had j ust set, and the moon , now at thefu ll , had not yet ri sen high enough to be visible

above the rocky crests of the hi lls forming the heightso f B ettir, and which , i n thei r s ingularly fine shapes, aidedby the solemn hour , assumed in places an aspect almostof grandeur as well as of beauty .

The road winds beneath the c l iffs , which shut out al lview of the vi llage from thi s di recti on . I t was hereH ilwe found herself at the close of the day which hadbeen so eventful to her . Weary as she was , sh e did notturn aside to take the way that led up to the village , butkept right on, and then ascended the connected tel l atthe extreme end of the valley , whose summit ri ses butsl ightly above the rest of the range , yet commands aview of the enti re su rroundings , i ncluding that d istantsweep of the Mediterranean , now a streak ofmisty blue ,i t having lost its cri spy freshness and sunny Sparkle of

the morning.

As she passed beneath the aqueduct that h igh aboveher head spanned the road, She found a tank of water,

H as san : a Fel lah 551

but only waited long enough to quench her own and herchi ld’s thi rst, then hurried on .

She seemed to have no definite plan , only to avoidthose who might prove inimical to her , and to find forthe present a qu iet p lace to rest i n . Perhaps she intended , when it was a l ittle later and had grown dusk, tocome down and beg a morsel o f food from some outlyi nghou se , where she would not be recognised . But her mindd id not seem to be very clear on the subject .The one longing remained , - that She might get asnear as safety permitted to Kadra , that she might haveone sympatheti c breast into which she could pour hersorrows .Near that point which rises a l i ttle higher than therest of the range is a grove which formerly had beenmore extensive , and is not wanting i n certain d istinc tivemarks of antiqu i ty . The O l ive-trees composing it arevery o ld , many of them being so hollow the trunks aremere shells , the centres being bui lt up wi th stone masonryto preserve the trees , which , notwithstand ing thei r venerable age

,are sti l l flouri shing and fru itful .

Groups of the trees , containing four orfive ind ividuals ,might occasionally be seen withi n a radius Of from fiveto ten or more feet . This i nd icates the posi tion andS ize of a single original Ol ive-tree which , from great age,having decayed at the centre , had left certain po ints ofvital i ty i n i ts outer rim that had each grown into a d isti nct tree .

H ere , i nto this peaceful Spot , H ilwe entered , and restedbeneath the trees .The point

,doubtless , i s one of the high places

where the worship of the anc ient gods , Ba'al , Ashtaroth ,

and others,had been carried on by the original i nhabi t

ants of the land , from whom the Israeli tes had learnedto practi se the idolatry which had such fasci nation forthem it drew them from the worship of Jehovah .

The moon was now shining resplendent, and from thisvantage-ground was seen i n all her beau ty. The ruddygleams of the sunset were fading out i n the west , and thecold silvery moonl ight was succeed ing. The pale l ightmade fantasti c shadows under the ancient trees, and one


might easi ly imagine the effect produced by such a sceneupon the c redulous and supersti tious people who camehere to worship in the days of Joshua and Ahab .

I t was impossible that H ilwe should not feel i ntenselythe pecul iar influence of the place . The deep seclusi ono f the grove and the sense of peace and of repose themoonlight almost always brings were to her l ike a bened iction . The walking of God in the Garden ofEden, i nthe cool o f the day , has a sweet s ignificance that weall must acknowledge . The day’s labour done , p oorman has thi s respi te from his to i l , and can communewith his Creator. I t was something of thi s she felt . Itwas the atmosphere of the place .

At first she supposed herself enti rely alone with Talmai,

and felt the rel ief that the sensation brought her . Butsoon she became aware o f the presence of a stranger .Not far from where she sat, she saw the figure o f a

man move across the shaft of moonlight that penetratedthrough the vista formed by a double row of ol ive-trees .At the nearer end was a large block

,

Of stone , beforewhich the man stood . H e had poured out somethingupon the top of the stone after havi ng prostrated himsel f

,and now as he stood with outstretched arms , she

heard the murmu r of a prayer or i nvocation . She saw

not the man’s face . I t was turned towards the moon .

But she caught sight of his snow-white beard , and knewhe was not a young man .

The scene which was enacted before her was not one

to cause her any great surprise . The custom of offeringon some high place at the full of the moon a sacrifice i nthe shape of o il poured out on an al tar-l ike stone , hollowed at the centre , i s sti ll adhered to by the fellaheenof Palestine . It, doubtless , i s a remnant of the anc ientworship ofAshtaroth , which , as they are Mohammedans ,and detest anything l ike idolatry , i s the more remarkable .

When questioned about i t, they simply say i t i s an o ld

custom , and was done by thei r forefathers to bring favourable crops and prosperity.

The sanctity Of high places seems to have been a settled bel ief i n the remote ages . The early books o f theBible have frequent reference to high places as places of

554 H as san a Fellah

out of thei r hand . As to my name I am called H ilwe .

Alas , the name doth mock me , for my l ife hath not beensweet, but very bitter . And the lad thou seest i s Talmai ,the son o f a man of B e ttir even H assan , whom theyhave taken into the army , and sent into a far country,across the sea. And now he i s reported slain i n battle .Wo e is me . Why should I care to l ive were i t not forthe lad ? ”

She l i fted up her voice and wept as one who mournsfor the dead .

The sheik was greatly troubled at her words and herlamentation .

“Arise , my daughter, he said . Thou hast beenkinder than I have been . God forgive me , and do thouforgive me for speaking so harshly to one whom he hathafl‘licted . I might have broken thy heart. As for therumour thou d idst hear , pray God it may not be true .We have heard no such tidings . Would we not haveheard them ? IS not my son, even Chali l , with thyhusband ? ”

H ow sweet the word husband sounded i n H ilwe ’

s

ears,though now i t was chastened by her sorrow . I t

was the fi rst time the word had been addressed to her,when he whom i t named was gone , and her heart b eatfast.I am as one who hath been lost , she said . I have

been wandering these many days , and am full O f trouble .I am as one d i straught, seeking rest and finding none .”

Fear not, my daughter . Let not thy heart faint withinthee . H ere shalt thou and thy son find rest . H ave Inot vowed a vow and sworn to H assan , for myself andmy posteri ty , to keep in remembrance my covenant withh im and with hi s seed , even for generations ? Thoughthere was a time I valued him not at his true worth .

Allah forgive me . Nor Shal l I see even a dog belongingto him want for aught that I and mine can give him .

H ow much more , therefo re , shal l I be good unto h isson ?

The sheik took Talmai i n h is arms and kissed h im .

Blessed be thy father’s son,

” he said . I t was wel lto name him Talmai . I t i s a name honoured among us .


It was H assan’s wish , said H ilwe H e said i t washis father’s and his father’s father’s name.Thou speakest the words of truth . The name hath

been preserved among us for countless generations .Giving the chi ld back to his mother , the sheik con

fi nned :And now, my daughter, hearken unto my voice , that

it may be well with thee and with th ine . The nightcometh on . Thou shalt abide with my daughters i n myown house thi s night , and as long after as thou incline stthereto . But i s not H assan’s house , which was his father

'sbefore him , ready to thy hand ? Why shouldst thou nothave i t ? I t shall be g iven to his son and to thee on themorrow . Also I shal l apport ion his share in the land tothee and thine . It shall be for thy sustenance . Andfear not that the people of B e ttir will l ift a finger againstthee to do evi l to thee , because of the Thar , and that thouart from Malha . They wil l protect thee , and do goodto thee al l the days of thy life , for the love they bear toH assan .

”

H ilwe bowed herself before the sheik and did obeisance .

“ I wil l do all things as thou sayest . And blessed bethou , and prai se be to the God Of our fathers , who hathl ifted me up when I was cast down , and this day broughtme help and strength against the mighty.

”

I t i s time we were retu rn ing,” said the Sheik . Thou

and the lad need food and refreshment. Follow me , andI shal l lead thee by a short and easy way to the vi llage .

It i s bu t a few steps .”

When , the next day , i t was noised abroad throughou tB ettir that H ilwe and Talmai the son of H assan hadcome to reside among them , and that the sheik had giventhem the house of H assan to l ive in , and apportionedthe Share of his ti l lage to be thei rs , nothing could exceedthe enthusiasm and delight of the people . The exampleof the sheik was enough to stimulate them . They viedwith one another i n showing kindness to the strangers .H ilwe had found the house just as H assan and Chalil

had left i t when they were taken by the zaptiehs . I t wasmore than sufli cient for the simple wants of herself andher chi ld . She took a great though melancholy pleasure


i n l ivi ng i n i t and in looking at and touching the various things that i t contained which H assan had ownedand handled .

The day she had entered i t there was , from morningtil l evening , a stream of the women of B e ttir, coming tocongratu late her, and each bore a gift, greater or smaller,accord ing as she could afford . So that soon the housewas stocked with provi si ons , enough to last for many aday .

When sh e thanked them and would have remonstrated ,they would not l i sten to her .It i s as nothing ,

” they insisted , to what H assan hathdone for u s . Did he not even Sell h is horse , descendedof the Prophet’s horse , to save us from the oppressors ?We but give thee back a ti the ofwhat he gave us .”

SO she was obliged to let them have thei r way .

You are better to me than i f you were my own

people ,”She told them .

“Why should i t not be so ? they repl ied . Art thounot now belonging to u s ?Thus H ilwe abode i n the o ld stone house with Talmai ,

as ifShe were H assan’s widow. The days passed unevent

fu lly and peacefully . And though more than one o f theyoung men of B ettir looked longingly upon her , andwould gladly have taken her to wi fe , i nsi sting that H assanwas dead , she gave them no encouragement.Then they spoke to the sheik abou t i t, and said :Surely H assan cannot be al ive orwe should have had

a message from him .

”

But the Old man shook hi s head and repl i edNay

,nay. You bel i eve accord i ng to you r des i re.

Mere wi sh i ng doth not br i ng the harvest to the threshing -floor. We wi l l hope the best for H assan . Evi lt i d i ngs t rave l fast . Are there not ravens enough tocarry them ? Were he dead

,we shou ld have heard .

Let the woman a lone w i th her gr ief. Troubl e hernot.

SO the young men had to be content, and wentaway sorrowfu l .H ilwe remained fa i thfu l to the memory Of H assan,

and t reasu red i n her heart a l l h is say ings . As Often


Peopl e had begun to say that had i t not been for theSphak iots the troub l e wou ld have been over long ag o ;and soon ended w i th say ing that but for the Sphak iotsthere wou ld never have been any t roubl e .In case of fa i l u re there always must be a scapegoat .The powers that be

,even though i nfi rm, r i ckety and

d i sabl ed,as long as they can keep up the mask, and go

through the prescr ibed formu lae Of govern i ng w ith i ntol erab ly decen t l im i t s

,carry w i th them a certa in

prerogat ive and vested r ights wh i ch are usual ly ac

cepted by the major i ty.

The Sphak iots,those brave mounta i neers, though far

from be i ng conquered , had been dr iven i nto the i r moreremote fastn esses, where, t i red of fight i ng, and hav i ngtemporar i ly exhausted the i r resources

,it was sa id they

were w i l l i ng to rest for the present .The last confl i ct s w i th them had been sharply con

t ested . In one Of these they had drawn the Pal est ineso ld i ers i nto an ambush wh ich had resu l ted i n greatloss of l i fe . I t was the part of the reg iment to wh ichH assan , Chali l and Murad belonged.

The Turk i sh Officer i n command,contrary to the

warn i ng Of H assan,had fo l lowed up too confident ly the

retreat i ng Sphak iot s, and was one Of the fi rst k i l l ed i nthe s laughter that ensued .

I t was Open ly acknowledged that,but for the cool ness

and bravery d i splayed by H assan at the cr i t i cal moment,

the ent i re troop wou ld have been cut to p ieces .Murad , the easy-go ing, pl easure- lov i ng Murad , whose

ch i ef Obj ect i n l ife was to get al l the sensua l g ratificat ion he cou ld extract from i t

,and knew no better

he, the warm-hearted son of Mars,was desperately

wounded, and wou ld have been l eft upon the fie ld,i n

the en emy ’s hands , had not H assan,at the r i sk of h i s

own l i fe, under a deadly fi re,i n wh ich he was tw i ce

struck,carr i ed h im Off on h i s shoulders

, to a place Ofsafety.

I t was an i nstance of such br i l l iant act ion and unusua lvalour i n the field , that i t cou ld not be overlooked.

H assan rece ived a decorat ion,the meda l for bravery in

batt l e,and a further promot i on .


Though h is wounds were pa infu l , they we re not

dangerous .With Mu rad the case was ser ious . The fu l l -blooded

body,made for pl easure, accu s tomed to be grat ified ,

and to be pandered to by its i nhab i tant, had now to

take a very d ifferent med i c i ne . I t was drenched wi thpa in . H is wounds , dangerous to beg i n w i th , unde rthe treatment of i ncompetent su rgeon s brought h im to

death ’s door.H e had been g iven up to d i e ; and as he lay pal e and

reduced to the last degree,under the gnaw i ngs of

remorse he sent for H as san— the man who had doneso much for h im .

“ Thou hast snatched me from the jaws of death ,though al l for naught . I wou ld confess the wrong Ihave done thee before I d i e .

”

H e spoke w ith d iffi cu l ty ; but , w ith the desperat i onof one i n extrem i ty, he to ld the story. The presenceOf H assan

,whom now he real ly loved

,rev ived h im ;

and as he went on he gathered st rength . H e drew forththe l i tt l e amu l et of pearl

,wh ich had caused so much

troubl e, and gave i t to H as san .

“ I found i t after thou d idst l eave,that day of our

quarre l . When thou d id st dash it from thee , i t re

bounded , and lodged i n a cobweb , i n a corner of theroom

,whence I took i t ; and I have s i nce preserved i t ,

see i ng there was some mystery about i t . There wasno truth i n a s i ngl e word I to ld thee of my i ntr igueconnected w i th i t . I n ever had it of any damse lmuch les s he r of whom I boasted .

H assan had l i stened pat i en t ly ; but now—h i s facea lmost as pal e as Murad

’

s—he blurted out, throughcompressed l ips

,an express ion Of m i ngled sorrow and

contempt .“ Th i ne i ntent ion s

,doubt less

,are good

,Murad . B ut

there i s no use i n dece iv i ng me . The cad i doth nothear den ia l after confess ion .

“ I am not dece iv ing thee l ” cr i ed Murad,i n despa i r.

Wi l t thou not bel ieve a dyi ng man ? Let me swearto thee !There, there ! DO not exc i t e thyse lf. It i s too late.


H as san shook h is head sorrowfu l ly .

“ I t is not too l ate ! By heaven s I wi l l make theeunderstand and be l i eve me ! ”

Ah ! D idst thou not descr ibe h er part i cu larly,

and g ive me her name ? ”

Murad, se i z i ng the amu let, po inted out the nameH ilwe ,

"now near ly obl i terated .

I t was the re I found the name. I t was p la i nerwhen fi rst I g ot the pear l d i sc, but now is a lmost wornaway. When thou d idst ask me the damsel ’s name

,the

word l eaped to my l ips , and I spoke i t, not know ingthe m i sch i ef I was do i ng. And afterwards

,when I

perce ived a mystery and a gr i ef l ay beh ind i t a l l that Icou ld not fathom , my pr ide wou ld not l et me confess.Was I not ever g iven to boast of my amours ? D id Inot te l l thee of a score of them ? Why Shou ld th i s oneaffect thee more than another -th i s one that neveroccu rred , that was al l a l i e ? I t was thu s I argued .

And i n my obst i nacy,I cou ld not br i ng myself to Show

thee how i t was .

”

H assan seemed beyond mov ing— as if i t was now

imposs ibl e for h im to change the bel i ef i nto wh i ch hehad hardened. I t was pathet i c to hear h im murmu r toh imself

“ I tr i ed to forget he r ; but I cou ld not. I shou ldhave had to tear out my heart for that. With al l

,i n

sp i t e of al l,I loved her. As much a s at the first

yea,a thousand t imes more ! I was ashamed of myse lf

because Of i t . ”

SO spoke H assan , in agony of Sp ir i t i n brokennessof heart .But Murad

,s ee ing he rema ined unconv i nced, cr i ed

out : DO they not l oad a came l even wh i l e he grumbles ?So, i n sp i te of thee, I w i l l make thee bel i eve !H e ra i sed h imse lf i n the bed

,and

,plac ing h is hand

upon h is head,swore by Mohammed the so l emn and

t err ib l e oath, so reverenced by al l Mos l ems, and espe

cial ly by the fel laheen .

“ I d id not th ink thou wast so obdu rate, he sa id ,and that thou wou ld st have dr iven me to i t to per

suade thee. Wi l t thou not now bel i eve ? ”


o f both the men on account Of Murad’

s c ri tical stateand the unmeasured contrition they expressed for whatthey had done .

“ I now shall d ie contented , said Murad , since thouhast forgiven me , and S i nce I have done al l i n my powerto repai r the evi l I unwi ttingly was the cause of.”

“ Thou wi lt not die ,” repl ied H assan . H ave I not

brought thee some dittany , fresh from Mount Ida ? Iwould rather have i t than all the drugs and nostrums of

thy hakim .

Whether it was the effect of the anc ient c lassic vulnerary, or his resp ite from the treatment of the stup id andignorant su rgeon , o r the rel ief to his mind afforded byhis confession to H assan , o r the resu lt o f al l these combined , certain i t was that Murad soon began to ShowS igns of improvement, which continued , with S l ightrelapses due to his own i nd i scretions , ti ll he slowlyrecovered .

Every one said i t was next to a miracle . The nativesascribed hi s cu re to the vi rtues of the d i ttany ; and Vi rgi l was quoted afresh , and hi s mention of the woundedwi ld goats having recourse to the plant was repeatedlydi lated on .

But the gay Murad was not cu red of his sel f-i ndulgentl ife or hi s gasconad ing ways .In after years , referri ng to thi s severe experience , he

was fond Of slapp ing his thigh and boasting,I am

none the worse fo r i t. I am as sound as ever. I ambetter than ever !And so he appeared to be , from his standpoint .At times , when under the weather and a fit Of remorse

seized him , he would admit he was not reposing on a bedof roses , and confess that he had not done right. But hewould wind up with sayi ng, Where is the person whohas not d i rtied his garment ? Where wil l you find a manfree from si n ? In which there was no one to contrad ict h im .

One , i ndeed , was not sati sfied with si lent acqu iescence ,but added , Yes , they are al l al ike ; whether brought upon the wild Judae an hil l s , the snow-clad plains ofRussia ,i n the South Sea i slands , or amid the artificial l ife of


the most cultu red c ity in the world , man has at bo ttomthe same nature , the same procl ivi ti es , and they willcome to the su rface , and crop out, sooner or later , sometime or other , as su re as he l ives .But long before Murad

’

s complete restoration , the report had spread that the wounded who were able tobe moved would be sent home . Then followed rumoursthat at least one i f not both of the Palesti ne regimentswere to accompany the wounded .

The reduction of the insurrection had been a costlymatter , more than the depleted condition o f the Turkishtreasu ry could . ve ry well sustain wi thout complaint.True , most o f the debt could be raised by increasedtaxation , farmed out through the extortionate pashasand kaimakams . But that would take more or lesstime ; and there were pressi ng wants which must bemet withou t delay . There was an evident anxiety to

reduce expenses as much as possible ; and , i n the present condition of Crete , there seemed no necess i ty forretaining any longer more than the usual force in theisland .

CH APTER LV

H EN the news that the regiments were returning from Crete reached Palestine , unbounded

was the agi tation . The hi ll-country had been SO largelydrawn on i n the formati on of the regiments, that therenatural ly the feel ing was at its h ighest . All sorts of

rumours were in ci rculation long before the day on whichthe soldiers were expected to arrive in Jerusalem , wherethe regiments were to be d i sbanded .

I t was not to be all rej oic ing . Alas , no ! Many whohad gone out would never return . They fi l led unknowngraves i n that far-Off country,— d ireful ly far-Off to thepoor fellaheen . H ave they not passed the dread interrogation of the black and terrible angels , Monker andNaku, and can never be recalled ? O thers would come


back , but not they . Some would return wounded anddisabled . A few of the younger men would be restoredto the bosoms of thei r famil i es, to express i t in the wordsofMurad , as sound as ever, o r better than ever .They are coming, H ilwe , I know they are coming,

said the old sheik .

“ Chal i l and H assan wi ll soon behere .

“ God grant it, said H ilwe . I dreamt of H assanlast night . I could see him very clearly . H ow big andstalwart he looked . But he seemed d ifferent ; and whenI drew near to him , and he spoke sweet words to me , i twas as though I could n’

t touch him . I dread to thinkwhat i t might mean . I try to hope that al l Shall yet bewell . For I cannot bel ieve that love such as ou rs shouldbe blotted out and be forever lost.”

Yea , and after al l thou hast endured . Thou artright, my daughter . Allah will not forget thee, butwi ll recompense thee fourfold .

”

Thus they rambled on, i n thei r simple peasant talksometimes speaking the wisdom that God gives to thesuckl ing.

So far as mere speech i s concerned , these peopl e, aswe have seen and said , are a good deal l ike chi ldren .

But speech , even with cu ltured people , i s rarely a measure of thought ; and who can tel l what thoughts aresti rring i n the mind of a child or of a peasant ?In the unlettered fel lah of Palesti ne one does not ex

pe ct to find a Platonic philosopher , or to hear from himphilological deductions , or d iscu ssi ons of the d ifferentialcalcu lu s , or di scourses on Greek part icles . Yet, doubtless, al l this i s i n him , i n embryo , as the chi ld contai nsal l the elements o f the man , or the acorn i ncloses theoak o f a thousand years . The possib il ity of i t all i s i nthe most uncouth peasant ; though we would as soonexpect a dog to quote H orace as to find the vi llagefellah do so .

But when the day came on which i t was known theregiments Should arrive at Jerusalem , what language candescribe the i ntense feel ing of the people ! They wentwild with exci tement . All Jerusalem , as wel l as thecountry round about, beyond H ebron , Lifta, B e ttir and


The expression of her face was now almost one ofterro r .

“0 Allah be good to me !As the last sold ier passed inside the battlemented

wall s of Jerusalem , through the anc ient Jaffa Gate , therewas a deafening shout, and a tremendous rush of thepeople to follow them . H ow sternly the tower-l ikegateway frowned with its battl ements and machicolationsfor pouring down boi l i ng pi tch , molten lead , or otheroffensive miss i les upon the heads of assai lants , lookingas i f i t sti l l might be capable O f mi schief. H ilwe andTalmai were among the struggl ing mass that pushed in

,

and could scarcely keep thei r feet i n the su rging o f thecrowd .

Thou wi lt get trampled under foot ! a pol icemancalled to her.But she heeded not she heard not

She was murmuring i n a low voice to hersel f many ani ncoherent utterance , as i f demented , and hardly conscious of what she said .

“ Ye s , he i s here , he i s here ! were her more frequent words . And Chalil i s here too ,

”she would add ,

remembering the aged sheik, and al l i t meant to him .

“ Praise be to Al lah !The crowd pressed forward to the entrance of the barracks . The square was fi l led .

Presently many o f the Officers and the men came o uto f the barracks , on variou s duties ; and some of themwalked about

,i n front of the Tower of David, mingl ing

with the people . H assan was among them .

H ilwe saw him . She d id not dare go near him , butkept very sti l l , and apart .She soon perceived he was looking around , as i f

seeking some one .

The next moment he was walking towards her . Withwhat haughty masterful strides he came —stepp ing l ikea general ! H e stood before her .As she beheld th is grand stately man i n h is officer’s

u niform , as magnificent as the p roudest O smanl i , and of

mightier bu i ld than any of them , she recalled her d ream ,

and her courage fai led her.


I t d id not seem to her right that she Should love aman such as thi s one . H ow was she to mate with thisglorious being, th is p roud and distingu ished hero , thisman of arms and of valou r, exalted on high , clothed i nsuch fine raiment, ornamented with gold lace , and decorated with medals of honour ?No wonder i f a l i ttle d istant feel ing a touch of

strangeness should l ie between them . The glad streamo f love had not yet leaped the barriers which thei r separation had erected had not yet made its way back tothe old and pleasant .courses where , aforetime , swiftlyand joyously , i t had gone singi ng , and found comfortand happ iness .Yet under the gl i ttering trappings and martial equ ipment was the same H assan . Beneath the proud panoply , the great heart of the peasant and shepherd of thehi l l-country beat warmly for her, and for her only .

And all this time , while I have been away from thee ,how hast thou fared , H ilwe ?H assan Spoke with the simpl ic ity of the fel lah . But

how strange and hollow and different his voice sounded !Ah , were i t not for the goodness of the noble sheik ,

Abou Chali l , i t would have gone hard with me ! H e

se t apart thy inheri tance, even the dwell ing and thy po rtion of the land , to thy son Talmai and his mother. ”

Thus humbly did H ilwe speak o f herself.And the lad Talmai — where i s he ? Where doth

he abide ?Now Talmai had hidden beh ind his mother’s ski rts

,

and was stealthi ly peeping with widely staring eyes atthe great man who was his father .

H e i s even here , nigh at hand , answered H ilwe .

Thereupon she reached behind her, and drew the boyforth into view.

Be not afraid , she said to him . H e i s thyfather."

As H assan’s eyes fell upon Talmai , a glad , proudglance flashed from them . H is heart beat fast, and hevisib ly trembled . All the force of the father's natu rewas moved within him , and he yearned towards his son.

H is own image in miniature was before him .


Allah be prai sed , he is indeed my son ! he said .

H e stretched out his arms .ComeLooking hal f steadfastly, hal f questioningly, i n hi s

face , the boy went to him .

H assan caught him to him , and kissed him ; and ,l ifti ng him on high , set him astride his shoulder .H e passed hi s hand over the boy’s hair and face , and

down his l imbs , feel ing him , as one who loved him ; buthe u ttered not a syllable , though he strove to speak ;for he could not for h is emotion .

As for Talmai,he made free with him , clutched him

round the neck, and tugged at his moustache , now grownto formidable d imensions .Poor, patient H ilwe , i n her pai nfu l gladness , choked

back a sob and smiled .

Just then a soldier of H assan’s regiment came up . I twas the fai thful Chalil .H assan turned towards him .

Behold my son !” he said .

H e i s thy l iving image ,” exclaimed his fri end .

Yea . It is the face I saw i n the water , when , as alad , I bathed in the ‘great pools ’ of Suleyman theWise .

And so , fo r awhi le , they talked together of the timesthat were gone .

I have seen my father, said Chalil , wi th gladvo ice .

“ Thou sayest ! exclaimed H assan .

“ And how i sthe honoured sheik ? ”

H e i s well , and inq uire th for thee .

Make my salaams to him . I shall see him soon .

Then , as Chal i l l eft, H ilwe went to take the boy ; butH assan would not give him up

,and playfully resi sted .

“ Nay, give him to me , sh e said .

IS he not the son of my strength ? was his exultant speech .

I s he not the son ofmy sorrow ? she said H aveI not wel l-nigh given my life for him ? ”

H assan l istened attentively while she told of i t, andher sad experience ; but he spoke not a word , good or


we go on our way , loving and loved , marchi ng to thesweet and holy music Of the spheres , all l ife a light anda j oy.

The l ife at B ettir—how s impl e it was !— in somerespects

,s impl e almost to savagery i n its natural ness !

But i t i s the s impl e th i ngs that make fool i sh and confound the w i sdom of the great .H ow proud ly the Old she ik Abou Chal i l gave H assan

and H ilwe h is b l es s i ng ! And the long-deferred marriag e

-feast wa s he ld w i th al l the v i l lage pomp and

an c i en t ceremon i es and cu stoms , dear to th e peasantheart ; and there was much rejo icing as they broughtthe man and woman home.

CH APTER LV I

IAMIL AGA ,that wayward and flagran t offi cer

of the zapt i ehs, d id not aga i n t roubl e B ettir or

the h i l l-country,to wh ich he had been as an aveng i ng

ang eL

Th i s was not due to any change Of heart on his part,

but to the fact that he had obta i ned an appo i ntment i nConstant i nopl e

,wh ither he removed .

Whatever marks and d isfig urements he bore on h isel egant and we l l -nurtu red body, the resu l t of h i shum i l i at i ng and d i sgracefu l fa l l at H i lwe ’

s hands,he

carefu l ly conceal ed from every eye,so far as was pos

s ib l e. H e h imself hated to l ook at them, and he

wou ld gnash h is teeth and rage when he happened tosee them . Fortunate ly for h im , the great er part ofthese bl em ishes were concea l ed beneath h is c lothes .A deep scar across h is cheek, thos e who knew nobetter gave h im the cred i t Of hav i ng rece ived i n batt l e .

The s l ight l imp,h i s ch i ef mort ification ,

he learnedto manage w i th great Sk i l l , so that i t was bare lypercept ibl e .

I t was sa id h is general heal th had been pe rmanent ly


i n j ured. But,if so

,there certa i n ly was no marked

ev idence Of i t apparent after the fi rst year of h is

conval escence.For a t ime he went about w ith a rather subdued a i r ;

but i nward ly the fires of wrath con sumed h im ; and i twas certa i n h i s unfortunate exper i ence had far otherthan a ho ly i nfluence upon h im .

H is removal to Constan t i nopl e, however, preventedany Open demonstrat i on of h is fee l ings i n the shape of

what m ight be con s idered revenge .

Once i n the C i ty Of the Su l tan,he gave loose to the

pu rsu i t s and pl easures congen ia l to such a nature as

h is,consort i ng w i th a class of young men who were

notor iou s for the i r free l iv ing. H e con s idered he hadnever before known what l ife rea l ly was worth

,and

counted h is prev iou s years , i n compar i son , as wasted .

In an ev i l hou r he was l ed i nto one of tho se palacei ntr igues wh ich have cost so many men the i r l i berty or

the i r l ives . H is S i n was an unforg ivab l e one . Be i ngd i scovered

,h is on ly safety lay i n fl ight ; and he bare ly

succeeded in escap i ng across the front i er.H e had thu s reape d the l eg i t imate conseq uences Of

h i s act s. For a momentary grat ificat ion , he had dest royed a l l h is prospects of success under the Ottomangovernment .After th i s he l ed a desu l tory l ife in some of the

ch i ef c i t i es of Europe . H is downward course was

rap id . But even i n Constant i nopl e he had made h imse l f scandalou s long before h is fina l escapade .

There goes the lasc iv iou s Turk i n al l h i s uncon

sc ious enorm ity,

” sa id an Engl i sh gent l eman,one day

,

on see i ng K iami l pass, and speak i ng gener i ca l ly as

wel l as i nd iv idual ly. Poor fel low,he i s made out to

be far worse than he is ; and , God knows , he has s i n senough and to spare. But g ive a dog a bad name, andyou know how i t is . No one has a good word to sayfor h im . Batten i ng in lust

,and knowing no ev i l i n

it—yea, rather the supreme good, for he makes h isheaven of it— the accusat i on is , not that th e Turk issensua l and that he i s l i cent i ou s

, for that can be sa id ofmany other peopl es

,but that he professedly l ives i n


th i s cond it i on ,does not r i se above i t , i s subord i nated

to i t , and, w i th h is pecu l i ar i nept i tude, can find no

de l iverance from i t. There are phys i cal reason s connected wi th th i s . I t cou ld not be otherw i se than as i tis, they say. H e general ly is wel l made and

,so far as

the an imal goes,a man i n the fu l l es t sen se . Nor is

he want ing i n courage . Often handsome,he i s not

se ldom agreeabl e and even attract ive i n a certa i n way.

But the way is not an exal ted one . With al l th i s,i t

wou ld be strange how much h e makes you l ike h im ,

d id we not know that , i n secret, most men have l eani ngs that make them pal l iat e the natu ral S i n s

,and g ive

them a fe l low-fee l i ng for the s i nner.T o th i s m ight be added , en passmzt, that, natu ral ly

pol i te h imse lf, courtesy and pol i tenes s g o a great wayw i th the Turk . But in pol i t i cal and d ip lomat i c affa i rs

,

the hand of i ron i n the g love of velvet that the EmperorChar l es V . was so fond of recommend ing, seems to bethe exact th i ng to meet the case .

The most easy peopl e i n the world to manage arethe Turks ; and . therefore you must take al l the morecare that somebody el se is not manag i ng them

,wh i l e

you th ink you are do i ng so .

In the cou rse of h i s wander i ngs, Kiamil had dr iftedinto the great c i ty of Vienna, where he cont i nued tol ead the gay l ife he had known e l sewhere , though now

da i ly becom i ng more restr i cted from h i s reduced c i rcumstance s . H is hea l th , too, began to be ser i ous lyimpa i red . The wonder was that i t had w ithstood so

long the ravages of h is w i ld career.H e had never done any hard work . H is del i cate

hands showed that . H ow cou ld he tu rn to l abour fora l iv i ng ? Bes ides, h i s nature revol ted from i t.L ike al l men of an ardent temperament

,he had h is

react ive spe l l s of melancho ly and sadness ; and somet imes

,even in other days and i n the m idst of h is happy

thoughts,a touch of th i s m ight have been seen . But

on the whol e he bore h i s m i sfortunes pat i ent ly.

H e final ly had been obl iged to take a room i n one Ofthe poores t quarters of the c i ty—a wretched cage forso gay a b i rd . Everyth i ng of its fu rn i sh i ng was Of the


th ink it to accept the dreadfu l asse rt ion that Natu rehad made in such b lunt unvarn ished terms. Yet i t wastoo tru e . Not all the warm love-breath i n the worldcould agai n kindle the dying embers to thei r wontedglow, or satisfy the most moderate demand of theretrenching spendthrift - the once prod igal votary ofpleasure . Soon the last remnant of heat would depart,and nothing but a p itiful handfu l o f cold , bitter, grayashes upon the high altar would be left to denote thespot where passi on’s fi res had bu rned—where suchlavish sacrifices to Eros had been Offered ,H e was poverty-stricken . The authorities , havi ng

had the case brought to the ir noti ce , investigated i t, andhad him removed to the great and celebrated hosp ital ,with i ts thousands of beds , and obl iteration Of the

i nd ividual,—SO long the pride of the fai r metropol i s .

H ow Often , i n passing, he had noticed the quaint O ldfashioned p ile of bu i ld ings with i ts multitudi nous windows

,l ittle thinking , i n his day of strength , that he ever

should be an inmate of i t !H ere be completely lost h is identity. H e had long

passed under an assumed name , and now, being removedi n the absence of the girl who , from loving devotion ,had done what sh e could for him , he d isappeared fromsight, as i f al ready entombed . The girl’s own i l lnesshad prevented her vis iting h im for several days ; andhe lay helpless i n a m iserable state of neglect and wantwhen the Offi cers appeared upon the scene .

“ Pleasu re and suffering— suffering and pleasurethey are all one ,

” he said .

“ Life becomes so mauledand beaten out, i t is numb to any ord inary sensation .

I do not know whether i t i s more pain to experi encepleasu re, than pleasu re to endure pain . I t has cometo that wi th me . I get qu ite confused about i t. There ,too , i s such a thing as one kind o f pain being a rel ieffrom another kind from which we have long suffered .

But I bel ieve I have passed beyond that.”

H is l ife was ebbing fast . H e now knew he had not

long to l ive . Without , the daylight was dying upon thehi lls he never more shou ld se e . H e was going out withthe day . H is feet should never again carry him into


the places they had been wont to frequent. All thatwas over with him. The night was coming on . Thestrong, arrogant young man was weak and helplessenough now. The proud head was laid low ; theeagerly respons ive pulses were qu ieted

,and presently

wou ld be sti l led forever . I t was d ifficult to bel ieve thatone lately so fu l l of warm l ife and intense feel ing wouldsoon be no better than a clod of the valley .

I t happened that, the very next day , the Engl i shmanwho , several months before , had made the remarksabout Kiamil and the Turks , and who was sti l l soj ou rni ng in Vienna , was taken by a med ical friend to see theg reat hosp ital , which , with certain restri cti ons , i s one of

the show places of the c i ty. As an unusual privi lege ,he was admitted to the vaults beneath , where theunclaimed dead bodies , rese rved for d issection sub

j ects who had just d ied in the hosp ital are al l laid out,

naked as they were born , upon the broad range of stoneS labs that occupy one side of the space . The bod iesare nameless , each only designated by a number, or assuch or such a case , referr ing to the d isease of whichhe had died . Kiamil was among them .

The water slowly and no iselessly trickles over theslanting slabs . The atmosphere is sepulchral . Alllanguage is frozen to s i lence in the place .Poor humanity

,everyth ing that once made it desi r

able and beautiful , gone, thought the healthy Engl ishman . And as he tu rned away he could not escape theimpress ion the grim scene conveyed . H e carried i twith him . It was photographed i n his m ind .

As he reached the street, and was once more lavedby the sunshine and the wholesome ai r, what a rel iefand comfort he felt i t. I t was l ike a purification .

To-day I have seen the end of man and h is history,written in some of the most revolting forms ,

” he mused .

“ Knowing what poor man is , and knowing , even in our

feebl e way,the ete rnal and almighty majesty of God ,

I can but say : H ow can H e be angry with H is creatu re that he has made ? I have heard with the inner earthe poor dead l ips that can nevermore speak , but arefast turn ing to corruption - I have heard them cry out :

576 I-Iassan‘

: a Fe l lah

My punishment i s greater than I can bear .’ Wherei s the room for vengeance ? Poor fel lows , laid out,

cold and passionless enough now, ready for the d issecti ng knife , the pl easu re , such as they knew i t, all takenout of them .

And yet once a mother and a sister bentabove and kissed those l ips , and a dearer one sti l lpressed them i n heart-expand iu g love . But thei r smi le i sgone forever ; and they have become repu ls ive to all ,no matter how warm with l ife and fascination they oncewere. Ah , how pitiful l

— In the presence of all this ,how strangely cruel sounds After death the j udg

By one of those co inc idences wh ich we cal l strangeonly because we do not hear of them oftener, at themoment when the hapless sou l of the Osmanl i wasscou rged from the body in which he had done his su ltrywil l

, so far as he could , i n a qu iet rectory in England ,an o ld mansion with ivied walls and ch imneys , sur

rou nded with sweet-scented slop ing lawns , smooth andpleasant

,and embosomed in umbrageous fol iage of trees

many centu ries O ld , and within sound of the cathedralbell s beneath which he had so long min i stered

,Canon

Stanhope was breathing hi s last. The coo ing of dovesand cawing o f rooks gave a pens ive flavou r to theatmosphere of the place . Al l was peace , peace , as itcan be i n no other country i n the world i n no othercountry this s ide of heaven .

Except for the change wrought by his i l lness,the re

vered ecclesiasti c was not greatly altered i n his generalappearance , but looked very much as he had done thatday in Jerusalem , when he and hi s daughter pu rchasedthe flowers from H ilwe and Amne , and the vai n youngcaptai n of zaptiehs acted as i nterpreter for them . I twas the one point—the only one i n their l ives— wherethat son of passion and the saintly Angl ican had metand touched . Never again ; as never before , had the i reyes met, the i r hands clasped , or the ir voices soundedi n each other’s ears . And now they were giving up theghost at the same moment o f time . Such i s fate .

The peace that passeth understand ing fi l led the can


H e had repeated the “Te Deum so Often , theheavenly grace and beauty o f i t had passed into him

,

h is people said , and had moulded the li nes of his countenance , and breathed out of h is every feature

,ti l l h is

face was a sermon .

I t was well with h im .

CH APTER LVI I

ONE of H ilwe’

5 fri ends were more del ighted ather good fortune and her del iverance from the

hands of those that hated her than was Kadra , the wisewoman ofMalha .

“ Thou hast been highly favoured, H ilwe , was her

salutation , on fi rst meeting her, after H assan’s return .

It will be better i n the end for thee than at the beginn ing . Did we not know that good luck is not sold i nthe market, we might i nqu i re o f thee as to the c ity inwhich thou hast pu rchased the rare commodity

,and

the merchant who keeps such a stock-in-trade,that we

might get a supply .

”

H ilwe u nderstood Kadra too well not to know thatth is sal ly of hers was intended simply to draw a returni n kind .

Ah ! Indeed , Kadra , i s i t no t rather to thee wemust go for such information ? H ave I not heard of allthe wonderfu l th ings which have happened to thee ?But we desi re to know them from thine own l ips.”

This was suffi cient to open the mouth Of the wi sewoman ; and a flood of personal relation fo llowed .

Yet she commenced i n a deprecatory tone .Doubtless they have told thee more than the truth ,

she said .

“ They have made much out of a small th ing.

In the ant’5 house a l i ttle dew makes a deluge . Whati s my good fortune to th ine ? Is i t not as an acorn toan oak ? Yet, though the cook i s not to be mentionedi n the same breath with the master, and i s not thoughtof by the guests at the great feast, and is excused frompaying compl iments and respects to them , does not that


same cook get the first taste of everything ? Mayhapi t i s so with me . I will not deny the benefi ts that havecome to me . I t is they who cannot dance complainthat the floor is uneven .

”

NO doubt she had much to tel l of, and that of a surprisi ng nature . And who could tel l i t to equal her ?H assan and H ilwe had heard the various rumours as

they went flying, hither and thither, with the usualembell ishments of the natives ,— but to have the full andtrue account from Kadra , the chief personage in thedrama , was something worth boasting of.The sum and substance of the highly-wrought narra

tive amounted to th is : Kadra had made her th irdmatrimonial ventu re . She was now the fou rth l ivingwife of no less a man than Abd—cl-nour.This had been brought abou t by much diplomacyn ice and cunni ng work , such as the native is an adeptin , and necessary to be doubly skilfu l when employedi n such a case , with so o ld a bi rd as Abd-e l-nou r, whosecommon vaunt was that he was not to be caught wi thchaff.Kadra

’

s house was fi l led with valuables lent by relatives and friends who were i n the plot , and di rectly orind irectly interested . Abd—e l-nou r, with the greatestsecrecy and caution , was allowed to get a furtive peepat th is goodly store . H e was also informed of animmense bu ried treasu re in silver, belonging to thewidow, the accumulation of many years , and the resu ltof her former marriages . All this , and much moreunnecessary to describe , set the ball roll ing. Not aword hinting at matr imony was mentioned . Othersu itors , younger men than Abd—cl-nou r, were introducedupon the scene , to stimu late him . I t was enough . H is

cupid ity was exc ited . The necessary “

g o-between

”

finished the business , Kadra hold ing off and not con

senting till She had everyth ing as she wished it.Besides a large sum paid down by the bridegroom ,

there was from the friends on both sides a handsomedisplay Of bridal gi fts i nclud ing money. The amountscalled out by the crier

’

or announcer at the marriage werefraudulently quadrupled by him , so that Abd-e l-nour


congratu lated h imself as having done an uncommonlygood thing

,even better than he expected . Most of the

gifts p resented by Kadra’

s relatives were , accord ing toprivate agreement, well understood , carefully retu rnedafter the ceremony . But Kadra managed eve rything,i nclud ing Abd—e l—nour, so well , nothing wrong was

imagined by him .

In considerat ion of the suppos itious wealth she

brought him , She was advanced to be h is favourite wife ;and

,presently

, she succeeded i n getting h im so com

ple te ly i n hand that her word was law with him . H e

fel t a pressu re somewhere , but hardly knew what i tmeant. The other wives saw thei r i nterest lay in unitingwith her against one who had been a tyrant to them .

Among the fou r confederate women he was helpless ;and when he awoke to the recogn ition o f the s ituation

,

he found he was too o ld and feeble to del iver himself.H e had earned the hatred and contempt of the vi llage .

The comb i nation , within and without, was too strong forhim. It was useless to fight against i t .Kadra used her power j ud ic iously , i f not merci ful ly.

She especial ly espoused the cause of poor desp isedNigme , who had been the wife of Abd-e l-nour

’

s youth,and the mother of his chi ld ren . The latter had died inthei r infancy

,which was one reason for h is cruel i ll

treatment o f her. But the chief cau se o f his resentmentagainst her was that N igme , who , i n sp ite o f everythi ng,had continued to love him from the fi rst, i n order togain h is affection had recou rse to the use of the loveph i ltre .

The black stone , regarded as so effectual i n the caseof unrequ ited love , i s also considered , i n some degree ,poisonous . Such stones are exceed ingly rare . Theo ne i n question was kept by an o ld woman , who gaineda good l ivel ihood from it . I t was highly valued , andonly lent o n the deposi t of a round sum of money.

On procu ring the potent antidote , which was to re

store to her the love of her youth , Nigme , gri nd ing thestone on a p iece o f pottery

,mixed the resu ltant powder

i n milk , and gave it to Abd-e l-nou r to drink.

It almost k i lled him , but seemed to produce the


a more aggressive sp irit in h is proselytizi ng efforts ,and , i f poss ible, was more eccentri c in his dress andmanners ; though , as h itherto , i n general h is demeanourwas calm and qu iet. But there were occas ions whenhe cou ld thunder l ike an El ij ah, though there was novis ible answer by fire .H e finally was drawn i nto trouble with the local

authorities, through his d istributing bibles i n the Arabiclanguage among Moslems , which is contrary to theTurkish law. As an Ameri can , the Turks had no powerto arrest and try him . H e had the privi lege of be ingarrested

,tri ed and sentenced by his consu l , before whom

he was summoned on the Turkish charges being du lypresented .

I t happened to be i n the winter— bitter stormyweather , and Crosslett appeared at the consu late , i n h isscanty att ire, wi th no covering for head , l egs and feet.H e was p ierced with the cold , h is l ips blu e, h is fleshashy pale. H is poor cotton robe , wet with the rain ,and stained with the clay of the fields i n which he hadbeen abid i ng , was scarcely sufli cient to cover h is nud ity,and not at al l suffici ent to protect h im from the cold .

H e was truly a sorry-looking fig ure—a s ight to drawp ity from a stone .

The consu l was greatly shocked .

Cro ssle tt , you are ki l l ing yourself, he said .

But Crossle tt did not look at it in this l ight.H e that loseth his l i fe shal l find it,

” he said .

You know how anxiou s you r friends in the UnitedStates are that you Should retu rn to them ,

” u rged theconsuL

“ I have left all that behind , was the answer . Arethey not a froward and perverse generation

,who have

made fi lthy lucre the i r god ?When the charges were read to him

, Cro ss lett ad

mitted they were true . But when it was agreed towithdraw the complaint on his p romising to complywith the law in fu tu re , he refused to make such a compact, declaring it was against h is conscience .

H is defence was :I am only bringing back to you the book you gave


to us. I twas written in th is country . The voice is yourFather’s voice . I am returning to you the sacred writings which we had of you , and am determined topreach to you The Christ.”

H e spoke so beautifu lly, the holy fire bu rni ng upon,

his l ips , that al l who heard him were moved wi th compass ion for him , and deeply impressed .

Is he not‘

l ike the Master ? sa id one , with tears i nh is eyes .The sympathies of the consu l were with him ; andhe d ischarged him under su spended sentence ; but hefelt i t necessary to privately admonish him to be morecarefu l in the future.Shortly afterwards , Cross lett suddenly d isappeared ,

and nothing was heard of him for more than a year .Then a letter was rece ived from him by the consul

,

stating that he was i n Ind ia, where , i n connection withthe missionaries , he had done some work which hadbeen blessed to the natives .As no fu rther was heard of him , i t was thought the

earnest and gu i leless man met with his death at thehands of some of the fanatic tribesmen , with whom hehad been seen . Thus he probably d ied a martyr to thecause .

The venerable Anselmo Jacobin i is no more . H e

succumbed to a severe attack o fJeru salem fever , shortlyafter the retu rn of H assan . The murder Of Amne andher son , which terribl e act , with Leone

’s i ndi rect conne ction with i t, coming to h is knowledge , affected himmost d istress ingly , i t was thought, hastened h is end .

But , as his death occu rred so long afterward , surely theexhausting fever at h is advanced age shou ld suffi c ientlyaccou nt for h is sudden taking off.

The noble o ld Jew l ies bu ried in that anc ient necrOpol is of his race, on the Mount of O l ives , the searedunlovely place where every orthodox Jew hankers tobe buried ,— of wh ich he had once spoken so patheti cally to the Rabb i Sloman , and which his windows , fromthe opposite heights , on the Slopes of Mount Zion , complete ly overlooked , the abrupt gorge of the Valley of


the Cedron , l ike the Val ley of the Shadow,running

between . Latte rly he had continually kept it in sight,

expecting to be laid there .

I t cannot be thought that the Old Venetian Jew,i n

his desire to be interred in th is most d i smal o f cemeter

i es had any of the superstitious dread which possessesso many of the H ebrews : that the Jew who is not

buried there will , at the last day, be dragged beneaththe earth, with fearfu l mauling s and beatings , to theMount of O l ives . But hi s father had come here

, to dieand be bu ried on the Mount, and i t i s the un iversallonging of h is people to be gathered there, i n s ight ofthe ancient H oly Place , with the i r ancestors .That he had been di sappointed with certain features

of his people i n the H oly C ity i t would be u seless todeny . Thei r obstructive fanatic ism had been as provoking and inj u riou s in the case of his benevolentintenti ons as i t had been in that of Sir Moses Montefiore

and others l ike him . Yet he d id not forget J erusalemor her people . Oh no !

“ I f I forget thee , O Jerusalem , let my right handforget her cunning. I f I do not remember thee , let mytongue cleave to the roof of my mouth ; i f I prefer notJ eru salem above my chief j oy.

”

With what a pass ion of regretfu l love he repeatedthose words, again and again , always ending with :Pray for the peace of Jeru salem : they shal l p rosperthat love thee H is great disappo intment had beenh is fai lu re to bring abundant water into the c ity— a

beneficence to whi ch he had been so strongly u rged bythe American Consu l . Though wil l ing to subscribemunificently to th is , he had not received the responsehis l iberal i ty and the importance of the design meri ted .

Besides the large amounts ofmoney he had expendedfor variou s benevolent obj ects during his res idence inthe c ity , he bequeathed generous sums to be devoted tothe elevation of the Jews in Palestine through the establishment of i ndu strial enterpri ses , and the pu rchase of

land for colon is ing pu rposes and the encouragement ofagricu ltu ral pu rsu its . But the bulk of his wealth , whi chproved to be far beyond anything those best acquainted


the fellaheen who, resid ing i n the i r strong point,evas ion , would not tell the truth , o r testify against oneof themselves , no matter what the consequences.I t was a s im ilar case to that o f the lower order of the

Iri sh, so l ike the peasantry o fPalesti ne in many respects— yes , in a hundred characteri sti cs and hab its andways : no matter how vile the crim inal , they brandedh im with the honou r-mark o f the i r pseudo-patrioti sm ;when , forthwith , he was a marytr to the cause, and theywou ld d ie sooner than del iver h im up to j ustice. To

them,j u stice meant government ; and order, law and

government they hated and were against by thei rnatural i nstincts .Thinking that personal i nvestigatio n might avai l

where other methods had fai led , perhaps through thewant of i nterest on the part of those intru sted with thecase

,Leone vis ited the accu sed i n the Turkish prison

in Jerusalem, determined to se e for h imself.H e was sati sfied ! —yes , sati sfied of the diffi cu lties i n

the case.Oh that most unique o f j ai ls ! ” he said, recall i ng

the s ight.I t seemed a p i le of ancient ru ins. The gate of i ron

bars was i n an archway a shal low recess , but sl ightly o ffthe street ; and on each s ide was a smal l guardhouse ,not much larger than a sentry-box , bu ilt i n the stonewall.Approaching the gate , accompanied by his d ragoman

or i nterpreter , he stood and looked i n. No Obj ectionwas made. H e saw the wide Open cou rt o r space inthe centre of the ru ins, i n which every prisoner was atlarge : the murderer i n chains , the thief with ballattached to his l eg, the petty offender, the d isobedientson put i n on the simple complaint of his father, al lloose together, all i n the one uncovered space— notthe least attempt at separate or sol i ta ry confinement,scarcely an approach to class ification of the criminal .H e saw the prisoners from Malha ; he saw those i n

charge of them . H is questions were answered pol itely ,with the ease of accompl ished prevaricators , and withsuch wonderfu l semblance to tru th , though at total


variance to all he knew of the facts , that i t staggeredhim .

H e felt l ike a fool an imbecile walking i n a dream .

H e had not stood long at the gate before he was perce ived by the mass o f the incarcerated . There was animmediate rush to the spot by the miserable wretches.Backsheesh BacksheeshWhat a clamou r they raised ! What a deafening d i n

- an unholy yelp ing, as of mangy pariah dogs . Somebegged for tobacco, others requested food, but themajori ty implored a l ittle money . Even the smallestTurki sh coi n would be acceptable . It was l ike pandemoniummade vocal , ora glimpse into Dante

’s hell . H e

was glad to escape it by beating a hasty retreat , thoughhe could not blot from his memory the sights he hadbeheld .

After th i s h is deal ings with the Turkish court hadplainly reached a further u nfavou rable stage . H is visitto the j ai l , and ineffectual efforts , 1 1 0 doubt had been dulyreported. And though he was courteously received , hefel t the wind had changed dec idedly, and now blewfrom the Opposite quarter.H e was suavely informed he had no rel iable evidence .

I n Tu rkey you must not only provide wi tnesses i n you rlaw su i t , but others who swear to the good characterand cred ibil i ty of the former : thus seeming to admitthe frequency o f perj u ry . Those wil l ing to stoop to i tcan procure all these upon the street , with l i ttle trouble ,for a comparatively small amount ofmoney. The moredoubtfu l the case , the more numerous the witnesses, andthe more skil fu l are they i n lying .

F i nally he was told that not only could he not provethe murder of the supposed vi ctims, but he could notestabl ish the fact of thei r death . H e had not been ableto find the i r bod ies . H ow could he tel l that they werenot l iving, h idden away somewhere ?H e was qu ietly advised to let the matter drop . But

th is he refu sed to do .

A few days after, when walking in the street, he wassurprised to se e two of the Malha prisoners accompanied by a notorious murderer who had been poi nted out


to him on his visi t to the j ai l . They were unguarded ,and were evidently walking about at their own free will .On hi s expressi ng his astonishment at th is , he was

i nformed that i t was no uncommon sight . And whenhe inqu i red why the murderer had not been executed ,i t was explained that i n such cases cap ital punishmentwas not infl i cted unless the criminal confessed to havingcommitted the murder, no matter how conclus ive theevidence against h im might be. A term of imprisonment was usually the punishment imposed . In thiscase the gu i lty man had been condemned to thi rteenyears’ confinement

,which was the ordinary sentence .

I t i s scarcely necessary to add that Leone lost h iscase. In fact, i t was thrown out, and the Malha p risoners were at once l iberated .

Before passi ng from the subj ect, i t would be unfai r notto give the Turkish government cred it for do ing much ,o f late , to put a stop to the more barbarous methods ofthe Fellaheen and Bedawi n i n taki ng the law into thei rown hands espec ial ly in such cases as that ofAmne ,and the scarcely less fearfu l crimes connected with retaliation,

and known as the Thar or blood- feud . On learning of the l ikel ihood of there being any such acts of

violence at a place , the authori ties see that troops aresent to the spot, arrests made, and the people impressedwith the fact that the power of i nfl icting “puni shment of

the sort referred to i s the prerogative of the government ,and the usurpation of i t a serious offence against the law.

Leone had done what he cou ld to bring the mu rderersto j ustice . H e was told on all s ides that further attemptson his part would be u seless . With the attitude of thepeasantry upon the subj ect, conviction of the actors inthe bloody crime would be impossible .

Now that his uncle was dead and h is affai rs i n theH oly C ity wound up , Leone had no further cause fordetention in Jerusalem , which had grown more andmore d istastefu l to him . I t was with a sense of rel i ef hetook his departure from it.Sel im had expressed a strong desi re to accompany

h im,as body se rvant, or i n any other capacity . But

Leone resi sted the warm appeal of the subtl e Oriental .


gale . I t was one of those terrific storms which,l ike

a rampant dragon Of the deep , haunt the Engl ish coast,and render so formidable the approaches, and the navig ation Of the seas su rrounding the fortunate island .

”

The vessel went lumbering onward uneas ily through th edarkness that gathered with the tempest , and now wasi n great dange r, as the gu iding and warn ing l ights on

shore had been blotted out.

All the night long the heavy seas broke upon thei sland beaches with su llen steady moan

,shaking the

bastion rocks to the i r foundations . The stars were exting uished ; and there was a horrible impenetrable blackness upon the waste o f waters , as i f the sp iri t of Godhad never moved upon the face of the deep . The sharprain , with the h iss of a demon , swept headlong throughthe boundless spaces of the chaos to mingle with thebriny spray hu rled from the half-formed crests of thetoppl ing waves that continually l ifted themselves withangry menace . One wou ld say that nothing could l ivebefore them , they would overwhelm the stoutest craft,and all the power o fman be but weakness in thei r presence l ike a p igmy contending with a giant . At timesthe force of the gale gave i t the character ofa hu rricane .A bl ind relentless power, yet with the determ ination of

fate , what might not be poss ible to it ? Men’s heartsfailed them as they ploughed through the turbulentvortex the hel l-broth , knowing not what wou ld comenext, and expecting to be swallowed up the succeed ingmoment. Out in the Channel there were many d isasters and wrecks ; and many a brave sou l was stri ckenfrom the body that n ight.

,While i t was yet dark , the news flashed from a smal l

fish ing vi llage to a near l ife- station that a large steamerwas ashore upon the rocks and was fast breaking up .

I t was the vessel upon which Leone was travell ing .

This i s a time when money avai ls but l ittle ,” he said .

All my wealth i s as noth ing i n such a cris i s !I f we can only hold together t il l help comes ! was

the captain’s constant thought.I t was an experience to try men ’s sou ls, —that long

anxiou s waiting i n the darkness and the storm . But


with the fi rst streak of dawn the l ifeboat was alongs ide . Communication had been establ ished with theshore

,and the work of rescue commenced , Leone being

among those on board who rendered the most valuableassi stance. Perfect order prevai led ; and not a man leftthe Ship til l every woman was safely landed .

It is unnecessary to enter in to detai ls . Though not al ife was lost , scarcely anything else was saved . Theprecious coffer containing the Jacobin i rel ics was sunki n the bottom of the Channel , that vast treasure-houseo f untold loss ,—never to be recovered.

Leone recalled the words Of his uncle Anselmo as tothe fatal ity pertain ing to the David ic dynasty and al lconnected with i t. And though he spent much timeand money in attempts to recover the coffer, which wereunsuccessfu l , he comfo rted himsel f with the thoughtthat , perhaps , i t was as well that it was lost, as i t mighthave proved a fatal gift. Men less superstitiou s than hemight have bel ieved its unhappy influence was manife sted i n the shipwreck . And though he d id not goqu ite so far as that, yet his feel ing s on the subject certainly lessened h is regret at a loss which , well-nigh ,would have broken the heart of Anselmo Jacobin i .Leone gave expression to his better feel i ngs in a more

wholesome way— ia the bestowal of a generou s donation upon those who had lost thei r al l i n the d isaster .The varied experiences through which lately he had

passed could not bu t impress him deeply . They hadleft an indel ible mark upon him for the rest of his l ife .Those who knew him intimately said he was a sadderman , more thoughtfu l and more ki nd .

I t would have cost h im much to have spoken theword “ Amne .

” But he cou ld not help th inking allthat word meant. That was his bu rden .

It was a happy day fo r Leone , when he once morestood with in the home of his boyhood ,

- his u ncleGiovanni ’s house , which some wou ld call a palace , i nhis beloved Naples .I t was with d iffi cu lty he made the grand O ld count

comprehend the immense value of the Jacobin i estate,

59 2 Hassan : a Fel lah

of which he , Leone , had now become possessed . H is

uncle had told h im with heartfelt pride that,at last

,

through much exertion and carefu l saving,togeth er

with a fortunate investment, he had been able, i n somedegree , to attain the great obj ect of his latter yearsto restore the former honou r and stand i ng of the OldSpo llato fami ly.

Even now,

” he said , “ you would be able to keepyou r own carriage and horses on the Corso

,equal to

any of them . Doubtless the Jacobin i money wil l go tohelp a l ittle, he suggested i ndifferently .

“ All myhope is i n you, Leone , to bu ild up the family name,he resumed with warmth . And I look to you r making a d isti ngu ished all iance . You must ! Indeed youmust !Leone , at fi rst, could not bear to explain all ,— the

proud Old man was so exu ltant over what he hadachieved . The young count gently chided him for h isself-sacrifice , tell ing h im that h is beloved nephew wastotal ly u nworthy of the least part of his goodness .

“ Nay, nay ; i t i s as nothing, repl ied his u ncle .Do I not know there are many noble famil i es , th isday

,i n I taly

.

who rent the front o f thei r palaces , andl ive i n the rear rooms on polenta and macaroni , thatthey may be able to keep thei r carriage and horses onthe Corso ?When

,at last

,Leone told him all , great was his

u ncle’s amazement and del ight.“ Who cou ld imagine i t ? he exclaimed . The

Jacobinis always l ived so modestly so pla inly. H ow

could they have accumulated so qu ietly all th is wealth ?But remember, Leone ,

” he added , “ i t carri es with i t agreat obl igation .

During the fash ionable season , the Spo llato carriage ,the family arms surmounted with a coronet upon thepanels

, was , once more , a wel l-known object upon theCorso Vittori o Emanuele i n Naples , one of the mostenchantingly beautiful d rives i n the world . Within thecarriage generally might be seen uncle and nephew, i naffectionate companionship .


The days and .the years pass swiftly yet qu ietly, andfree from exciting events , at B ettir. Chali l , who , withthe veneration o f the true worshipper, always h id in hisheart h is great and hopeless love for H ilwe , at last satisfied the sheik, and comforted h imself by taking to wi feone of the fai rest maidens of B ettir. She was chosenfor him by his father , who longed to see his son

’s chi ldrenbefore he d ied

,i n which the o ld man , i n due time , was

fu l ly gratified . But the love of H assan and Chal i l remained

,the love pass ing the love ofwomen .

H assan , who is now the father o f a second son , i s thescribe and learned man Of the vi llage, who keeps theaccounts

,and so well , that the oppress ive tax collectors

cannot impose upon the people . All who have anygrievance or d ispute come to him to settl e the trouble ,o r to get hi s advi ce . Occas ionally even some one fromMalha comes . And this du ty he freely renders. Onlythat he always , i n anything of importance , refers thematter to the venerable she ik, duly honouring him .

When the day’s labou r i s done , the favouri te placeof meeting for social converse i s before H assan’s house .

H ere the Sheik and Chali l , with the women and children ,Often come .

Frequently, at the peacefu l hou r, H assan reads fromsome book to the vi llagers , or tells them some flowerystory of ancient times o r out of his own experience , thanwhich nothing gives them greater del ight

The evening of a bright day is closing down upon thefamily group gathered before H assan’s door. H ilwe ,patient, sweet and beauti fu l as ever, and her chi ldren arethere ; and the sheik , with Chali l and h is wife and firstchild , are given the places o f honou r. H assan, again i nthe garments of the country, i s entertaining them as host.Through the Open doorway a gl impse of the interior ofthe house i s had , showing the famous leopard-sk inSpread upon the floor. H ilwe takes good care of thatskin . No boot or shoe treads upon it—only the uncovered foot tou ches i t. The soft violet tones that pensive Nature loves so well are moderating and subduingthe colou rs of tree and earth , sky and water, and multi


plying shadows and picturesque effects . Back of all , i nmagnificent contrast, high against the firmame nt Of fad ingblue

,a mass offlame -coloured cloud , l ike a vast mountain

range , i s catching the last gold-and-crimson glory of thesunset, hold ing itsel f proudly aloft, l ike a H imalayansummit. The gray and brown rocky tells of B e ttir arel i fted high against i t as i f trying to scale the greatereminence ; but they sti l l are far below, wrapped inshade .

I n the midst H assan sits and reads . And as he rollsOff the Arabic , i n h is deep voice , he reverently bows h ishead , almost at every word , after the habit Of the country when any sacred writing i s read . H ow musicallysonorous

, so different from the ordinary reader, pou rthe tones from that rich bass throat. I t is the vo ice ofa whole-sou led man .

These are the translated words“ And he shewed me a pure river of water of l ife ,clear as crystal , proceed ing out of the throne of God

and of the Lamb . In the midst of the street of i t , andon either s ide of the river, was there the tree of l i fe ,which bare twelve manner of fru its , and yielded her fru i tevery month : and the leaves of the tree were for theheal ing of the nations .”

H assan paused ; he knew the passage wel l ; and thesheik , who was l isten ing intently, leaned fo rward to

speak .

The words are pleasant and good , he said . Readi t again , H assan .

”

And H assan read i t agai n.

Read it the thi rd time .

”

H assan read it the third time . And ever the wordssounded grander, and sweeter, and more blessed . H ad

he read i t a hundred times , i t wou ld have been the same .

“ I s it not l ike unto B e ttir? said the sheik .

Yea , i t i s l ike unto B ettir, only i t i s far better thanB ettir. I t i s the heavenly Paradise .”

H assan , thu s replying , read on fu rther :“ There shal l be no more cu rse. They shall se e

h is face . There shall be no night there . Andthey shal l reign for ever and ever.

”


H e ended with the impress ive bless ing.

I t was the utterance of a banished man,shu t out from

the world and hi s k ind , and face to face wi th hi s Makerthe testimony of the beloved d isc ip le J ohn

,who had

leaned on the bosom of Jesus . It was the anc ient insp iration— the voice of the land . H ow could i t helpbut touch the people of the land ?

“ Now praise be to Allah that I have heard thosegloriou s words ! ” said the sheik. They are a comfortto my sou l against the day , which is n igh at hand , whenI shal l be gathered to my fathers .The twi l ight was deepening . H assan had closed the

book . But the Sheik pondered . H e had many questions to ask . So had the others .Where d idst thou get the precious writing

, H assan ?inqu i red the she ik. H ow d idst thou come by i t ?Ah ! quoth H assan meditatively , I shal l tel l thee

I have had the book a long time . I kept it h idden i n aspace between the stones i n the wall of the house. I twas there when they made sold iers ofChali l and me

,and

carried u s out of the country . And I found it,on my

retu rn,even as I had left i t . When I was a lad

,and

went as dragoman to Jaffa , i t was given me by an Engl ishlady from Ireland— at least she spoke Engl ish . Shehealed the S i ck , helped the needy , and brought to all i nJaffa words of peace— ‘glad tid ings of great j oy ’

she

called them . H e r name ? Ah, do I not remember it !It was Mangan . She was l ike an angel . They calledher, as wel l they might, Our bright-faced lady .

’ Oh ,was sh e not a graciou s lady ! H er face was as the sun

sh ine OfGod .

And so the voices ran on , i n murmu rou s parley, su i tedto the darkening hour, and mingl ing dreamily in one

harmonious melody with the cr isp ing rush of the wateri n the near-by aqueduct. Fo r, as H assan had sa id ,“ there i s much water at B e ttir. Thou hast not to gofar to draw it.”

Thus H assan sat beneath his own vine and fig -treeu nashamed , contented , happy with H ilwe and his children . Little d id he reck that he was a descendant of

Hassan: A Fellah - Forgotten Books

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