mage of the true God in their hearts, there will be no
dividing barriers. True patriots will be the obedient children of God,
the banner of Islam the universal banner of mankind. Farewell, my son,
God be with you."

His gate was shut behind Michael; the lean figure hastened to obey the
call to prayer.

As Michael hurried to the outer gate and crossed the thronged courts of
el-Azhar, he meditated on the old man's words. What did they mean?
What had his eyes seen? Locked away in his obscure cell in the centre
of the Moslem university-mosque, how could he know what was going to
happen in the great countries of Europe? He would find it difficult,
no doubt, to assign to England her correct position on the map. And
yet his warnings were strangely intense. Had they any connection with
the tales of political sedition of which the _Omdeh_ had so often
spoken? Nothing belonging to the present seemed to matter to him now;
his thoughts and visualizing were riveted on the agony of the world
which he foretold. His prayers were for this new agony and world-wide
disaster which had been revealed to him.

It was strangely perplexing. Michael felt great pity for him, that his
last few weeks on earth should be so saddened; even though he was
convinced that this agony was to be for the final triumph of Islam, it
was tearing at his bowels of compassion. His gentle nature was
suffering for the children whom Allah now saw fit to punish.

PART III

CHAPTER I

The war was six months old and Margaret was still a pantry-maid in the
private hospital in St. Alphege's Square. She was to be promoted to
the wards in a few weeks' time, to fill the place of a V.A.D. who was
going out to France. Before taking up her more interesting work, she
had been granted a fortnight's leave; the exacting matron realized that
the willing horse which works its hardest is one which will eventually
collapse under its burden.

Margaret was now visiting an aunt in a northern town, drinking in the
keen air of the winter hills and the resin of the pine-woods. She was
conscientiously building up her tired system, fitting herself for fresh
endeavours; she considered that her brief holiday had been given her
for this purpose. Her health and capacity for work were the two assets
which she could give to the war; it was as much a matter of duty to
nurse that capital and increase it as it was the duty of the engineers
on a ship to keep the driving po