'Et factum est; cum consummasset Jesus verba haec,--And it came to
pass when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at
his doctrine.'

"I shall now tell you of the life and death of the Lord Jesus..."

He told them of the birth in Bethlehem, and of the teaching on the
hills, and the poets nodded their heads; and he told them of the
cleansing of the lepers and of the casting out of devils and the
raising of Lazarus from the dead, and the magicians wondered; and he
told them of the betrayal by Judas with a kiss, and the
captains-at-arms shuffled in their seats; and he told them of the
scourging, and of the crowning with thorns, and the great Khan snicked
his dagger in and out of the sheath. And a mist of tears came into the
eyes of Golden Bells.

And he told them of the crucifixion between two thieves, and a great
oath ripped from the beard of Kubla Khan, and the silver tears ran from
the eyes of Golden Bells.

"'And on the third day He arose from the dead...'"

And a great shout came from the throat of Kubla Khan, and he stood up.

"He arose from among the dead men, I'll warrant; He showed himself to
the Roman Pilate in all His power and majesty--"

"No," said Marco Palo.

"Then He showed himself to the thousands who had seen him die upon the
gallows tree!"

"No," said Marco Polo.

"Who saw Him, then?"

"His twelve Apostles and they in a little room!"

And Kubla Khan sat down suddenly and said no more. There was a
moment's murmur of wonder among the assembly, and then silence. And
Marco's heart fell. And he was aware of two things, of the great
politeness of the Chinese people and of Golden Bell's pitying eyes...

CHAPTER XV

When Kubla Khan dismissed the assembly, and he took Marco Polo into a
sitting-room, and Golden Bells came with them.

"And what did you think, sir, of what I said? And can you not see,
sir, the truth that's in me?"

"Well, now, laddie," said the great Khan, "when we come to examine this
sermon you quoted to us, what is there in it but the rule of the
righteous man? We've had a great thinker and pious man of our own,
Confucius. I'm not a reading man," says he, "but I've got an idea,"
says he, "that there isn't a thing you said but is embraced in the
Analects. And if it isn't it'll be in the teachings of the Lord
Buddha."

"Ah, but, sir," Marco Polo said, "You'll have to admit that He of Whom
I speak was the true God made man."

"Now, laddie, reme