English reforms, Catholicism in agony, and
Protestantism in convulsions, discordant Europe demands the keynote,
which none can sound. If Asia be in decay, Europe is in confusion. Your
repose may be death, but our life is anarchy.'

'I am thinking,' said Fakredeen, thoughtfully, 'how we in Syria could
possibly manage to have faith in anything; I had faith in Mehemet Ali,
but he is a Turk, and that upset him. If, instead of being merely a
rebellious Pasha, he had placed himself at the head of the Arabs, and
revived the Caliphate, you would have seen something. Head the desert
and you may do anything. But it is so difficult. If you can once get
the tribes out of it, they will go anywhere. See what they did when they
last came forth. It is a simoom, a kamsin, fatal, irresistible. They are
as fresh, too, as ever. The Arabs are always young; it is the only race
that never withers. I am an Arab myself; from my ancestor who was the
standard-bearer of the Prophet, the consciousness of race is the only
circumstance that sometimes keeps up my spirit.'

'I am an Arab only in religion,' said Tancred, 'but the consciousness
of creed sustains me. I know well, though born in a distant and northern
isle, that the Creator of the world speaks with man only in this land;
and that is why I am here.'

The young Emir threw an earnest glance at his companion, whose
countenance, though grave, was calm. 'Then you have faith?' said
Fakredeen, inquiringly.

'I have passive faith,' said Tancred. 'I know that there is a Deity who
has revealed his will at intervals during different ages; but of his
present purpose I feel ignorant, and therefore I have not active
faith; I know not what to do, and should be reduced to a mere spiritual
slothfulness, had I not resolved to struggle with this fearful
necessity, and so embarked in this great pilgrimage which has so
strangely brought us together.'

'But you have your sacred books to consult?' said Fakredeen.

'There were sacred books when Jehovah conferred with Solomon; there
was a still greater number of sacred books when Jehovah inspired the
prophets; the sacred writings were yet more voluminous when the Creator
ordained that there should be for human edification a completely new
series of inspired literature. Nearly two thousand years have passed
since the last of those works appeared. It is a greater interval than
elapsed between the writings of Malachi and the writings of Matthew.'

'The prior o