Hereabouts is a man's life held cheap, else
I had not been thy guest to-night; and Kaid's Palace itself would be
empty, if every man in it must be honest. But it is the custom of the
place for political errors to be punished by a hidden hand; we do not
call it murder."

"What is murder, friend?"

"It is such a crime as that of Mahommed yonder, who killed--"

David interposed. "I do not wish to know his crime. That is no affair
between thee and me."

Nahoum fingered his beads meditatively. "It was an affair of the
housetops in his town of Manfaloot. I have only mentioned it because I
know what view the English take of killing, and how set thou art to have
thy household above reproach, as is meet in a Christian home. So, I
took it, would be thy mind--which Heaven fill with light for Egypt's
sake!--that thou wouldst have none about thee who were not above
reproach, neither liars, nor thieves, nor murderers."

"But thee would serve with me, friend," rejoined David quietly. "Thee
has men's lives against thy account."

"Else had mine been against their account."

"Was it not so with Mahommed? If so, according to the custom of the
land, then Mahommed is as immune as thou art."

"Saadat, like thee I am a Christian, yet am I also Oriental, and what
is crime with one race is none with another. At the Palace two days past
thou saidst thou hadst never killed a man; and I know that thy religion
condemns killing even in war. Yet in Egypt thou wilt kill, or thou
shalt thyself be killed, and thy aims will come to naught. When, as thou
wouldst say, thou hast sinned, hast taken a man's life, then thou wilt
understand. Thou wilt keep this fellow Mahommed, then?"

"I understand, and I will keep him."

"Surely thy heart is large and thy mind great. It moveth above small
things. Thou dost not seek riches here?"

"I have enough; my wants are few."

"There is no precedent for one in office to withhold his hand from
profit and backsheesh."

"Shall we not try to make a precedent?"

"Truthfulness will be desolate--like a bird blown to sea, beating
'gainst its doom."

"Truth will find an island in the sea."

"If Egypt is that sea, Saadat, there is no island."

David came over close to Nahoum, and looked him in the eyes.

"Surely I can speak to thee, friend, as to one understanding. Thou art
a Christian--of the ancient fold. Out of the East came the light. Thy
Church has preserved the faith. It is still like a lamp in the mi