jects? They were both deified: who burns incense to them now? Their
descendants, both Greek and Roman, bow before the altars of the house of
David. The house of David is worshipped at Rome itself, at every seat of
great and growing empire in the world, at London, at St. Petersburg,
at New York. Asia alone is faithless to the Asian; but Asia has been
overrun by Turks and Tatars. For nearly five hundred years the true
Oriental mind has been enthralled. Arabia alone has remained free and
faithful to the divine tradition. From its bosom we shall go forth and
sweep away the moulding remnants of the Tataric system; and then,
when the East has resumed its indigenous intelligence, when angels and
prophets again mingle with humanity, the sacred quarter of the globe
will recover its primeval and divine supremacy; it will act upon the
modern empires, and the faint-hearted faith of Europe, which is but
the shadow of a shade, will become as vigorous as befits men who are in
sustained communication with the Creator.'

'But suppose,' said Fakredeen, in a captious tone that was unusual with
him, 'suppose, when the Tataric system is swept away, Asia reverts to
those beautiful divinities that we beheld this morning?'

More than once, since they quitted the presence of Astarte, had
Fakredeen harped upon this idea. From that interview the companions
had returned moody and unusually silent. Strange to say, there seemed
a tacit understanding between them to converse little on that subject
which mainly engrossed their minds. Their mutual remarks on Astarte
were few and constrained; a little more diffused upon the visit to the
temple; but they chiefly kept up the conventional chat of companionship
by rather commonplace observations on Keferinis and other incidents and
persons comparatively of little interest and importance.

After their audience, they dined with the minister, not exactly in
the manner of Downing Street, nor even with the comparative luxury of
Canobia; but the meal was an incident, and therefore agreeable. A good
pilaff was more acceptable than some partridges dressed with oil and
honey: but all Easterns are temperate, and travel teaches abstinence
to the Franks. Neither Fakredeen nor Tancred were men who criticised a
meal: bread, rice, and coffee, a bird or a fish, easily satisfied them.
The Emir affected the Moslem when the minister offered him the wine of
the mountains, which was harsh and rough after the delicious Vino d'O