alone."

Hearing this, and believing it, for, liars and prevaricators as were the
other men about him, Israel had never yet deceived him, Ben Aboo made
what poor shift he could to cover his shame at the sorry weakness he
had just betrayed. And first he gazed in a sort of stupor into Israel's
steadfast face; and then he dropped his evil eyes, and laughed in scorn
of his own words, as if trying to carry them off by a silly show of
braggadocio, and to make believe that they had been no more than a
humorous pretence, and that no man would be so simple as to think he had
truly meant them. But, after this mockery, he turned to Israel again,
and, being relieved of his fears, he fell back to his savage mood once
more, without disguise and without shame.

"And pray, sir," said he, with a ghastly smile, "what riches have you
gathered that you are at last content to hoard no more?"

"None," said Israel shortly.

Ben Aboo laughed lustily, and exchanged looks of obvious meaning with
Katrina.

"And pray, again," he said, with a curl of the lip, "without office and
without riches how may you hope to live?"

"As a poor man among poor men," said Israel, "serving God and trusting
to His mercy."

Again Ben Aboo laughed hoarsely, and Katrina joined him, but Israel
stood quiet and silent, and gave no sign.

"Serving God is hard bread," said Ben Aboo.

"Serving the devil is crust!" said Israel.

At that answer, though neither by look nor gesture had Israel pointed
it, the face of Ben Aboo became suddenly discoloured and stern.

"Allah! What do you mean?" he cried. "Who are you that you dare wag your
insolent tongue at me?"

"I am your scapegoat, Basha," said Israel, with an awful calm--"your
scapegoat, who bears your iniquities before the eyes of your people.
Your scapegoat, who sins against them and oppresses them and brings them
by bitter tortures to the dust and death. That's what I am, Basha, and
have long been, shame upon me! And while I am down yonder in the streets
among your people--hated, reviled, despised, spat upon, cut off--you are
up here in the Kasbah above them, in honour and comfort and wealth, and
the mistaken love of all men."

While Israel said this, Ben Aboo in his fury came down upon him from the
opposite side of the patio with a look of a beast of prey. His swarthy
cheeks were drawn hard, his little bleared eyes flashed, his heavy nose
and thick lips and massive jaw quivered visibly, and from under his