o this for me?"

"Speak of the reward, my niece," broke in Joshua in his thick voice
when he saw that we hesitated what to answer, "I have heard that these
Western Gentiles are a very greedy people, who live and die for the gold
which we despise."

"Ask him, Captain," exclaimed Quick, "if they despise land also, since
yesterday afternoon I saw one of them try to cut the throat of another
over a piece not bigger than a large dog-kennel."

"Yes," I added, for I confess that Joshua's remarks nettled me, "and ask
him whether the Jews did not despoil the Egyptians of their ornaments
of gold in the old days, and whether Solomon, whom he claims as a
forefather, did not trade in gold to Ophir, and lastly whether he knows
that most of his kindred in other lands make a very god of gold."

So Orme, as our spokesman, put these questions with great gusto to
Joshua, whom he disliked intensely, whereat some of the Council, those
who were not of the party of the Prince, smiled or even laughed, and the
silvery ornaments upon Maqueda's dress began to shake again as though
she also were laughing behind her veil. Still, she did not seem to think
it wise to allow Joshua to answer--if he could--but did so herself,
saying:

"The truth is, O my friends, that here we set small store by gold
because, being shut in and unable to trade, it is of no use to us save
as an ornament. Were it otherwise, doubtless we should value it as much
as the rest of the world, Jew or Gentile, and shall do so when we are
freed from our foes who hem us in. Therefore, my uncle is wrong to claim
as a virtue that which is only a necessity, especially when, as your
servant says," and she pointed to the Sergeant, "our people make land
their gold and will spend their lives in gaining more of it, even when
they have enough."

"Then do the Gentiles seek no reward for their services?" sneered
Joshua.

"By no means, Prince," answered Oliver, "we are soldiers of fortune,
since otherwise why should we have come here to fight your quarrel"
(laying an unpleasant emphasis on the "your") "against a chief who,
if half savage, to us seems to have some merits, those of honour and
courage, for instance? If we risk our lives and do our work, we are not
too proud to take whatever we can earn. Why should we be, seeing that
some of us need wealth, and that our brother, who is as good as dead
yonder, owing to the treachery of those who were sent to guard him,
has relatives in Englan