secret and important information; "you see, if
we don't help the Armenians the Russians would; and we," said Peter,
looking exceedingly knowing, "we've got to prevent that: they'd get
the land; and it's on the road to India. And we don't mean them to. I
suppose you don't know much about politics in Palestine?" said Peter,
looking kindly and patronisingly at the stranger.

"If these men," said the stranger, "would rather be free, or be under
the British Government, than under the Chartered Company, why, when they
resist the Chartered Company, are they more rebels than the Armenians
when they resist the Turk? Is the Chartered Company God, that every knee
should bow before it, and before it every head be bent? Would you, the
white men of England, submit to its rule for one day?"

"Ah," said Peter, "no, of course we shouldn't, but we are white men, and
so are the Armenians--almost--" Then he glanced at the stranger's dark
face, and added quickly, "At least, it's not the colour that matters,
you know. I rather like a dark face, my mother's eyes are brown--but the
Armenians, you know, they've got long hair like us."

"Oh, it is the hair, then, that matters," said the stranger softly.

"Oh, well," said Peter, "it's not altogether, of course. But it's quite
a different thing, the Armenians wanting to get rid of the Turks,
and these bloody niggers wanting to get rid of the Chartered Company.
Besides, the Armenians are Christians, like us!"

"Are YOU Christians?" A strange storm broke across the stranger's
features; he rose to his feet.

"Why, of course, we are!" said Peter. "We're all Christians, we English.
Perhaps you don't like Christians, though? Some Jews don't, I know,"
said Peter, looking up soothingly at him.

"I neither love nor hate any man for that which he is called," said the
stranger; "the name boots nothing."

The stranger sat down again beside the fire, and folded his hands.

"Is the Chartered Company Christian also?" he asked.

"Yes, oh yes," said Peter.

"What is a Christian?" asked the stranger.

"Well, now, you really do ask such curious questions. A Christian is a
man who believes in Heaven and Hell, and God and the Bible, and in Jesus
Christ, that he'll save him from going to Hell, and if he believes he'll
be saved, he will be saved."

"But here, in this world, what is a Christian?"

"Why," said Peter, "I'm a Christian--we're all Christians."

The stranger looked into the fire; and Peter th