ice died in the disconsolate and empty
spaces.... But when I came out, there in an open space were massed
thousands of men, and the air throbbed with vitality as they listened
to an orator denouncing capital and proclaiming the coming of the new
day when every man could have his heart's desire--money and more
money.... Eighteen at the church where the salt had lost its savour,
and thousands where the chaff of worldliness was the only bread served
to perishing souls.'

'But you must remember that there were some churches quite full in the
city that evening,' I interjected.

'Quite so,' resumed the bald man, 'but who were they that filled them?
Only the one class that has still kept its hold on the seriousness and
the duty of life--the middle class--the one layer of health in the
nation.'

'You forget,' I protested, 'that the other two classes have proved that
they know how to die.'

He came to a sudden halt, and his tripping sentences suddenly stopped.

'Yes,' he answered, 'they know how to die; but what is the use of
knowing how to die if they do not know how to live?'

IV

'What is the use of facing death,' went on the bald man, resuming his
walk up and down, and pointing now and again an accusing finger, 'if
death does not teach the way of life? Through death we conquered the
greatest tyranny that ever threatened the world, but the enemy has
really been the victor, for the spirit of the enemy has now conquered
us. That spirit is the covetousness that knows no law but force. It
does not matter whether the goal aimed at be the hegemony of the world
or more and more of gold--the spirit is the same. And now it has
seized us. There is the profiteer living on the results of other men's
industry and fattening on the plunder of the public--his god is
covetousness. There are the millions who are ready to march over the
ruins of the Empire, careless of the sufferings of others if only they
will get their demands on the world. Nobody realises the futility of
gaining the world and losing the life. Eighteen in church and
thousands out for their share of the world.... It is covetousness
triumphant.'

The old man came to a halt and began to speak as one weighing his
words. 'We are just sinking into savagery,' he went on. 'The savage
knows no weapon but force--and Christianity knows no weapon but
love--but we have chosen force. We have, in truth, abolished the
bludgeon of force as between man and man, but p