reach the public ear any time you want to. Deny the
story, and keep on denying it."

"Ah! Who will believe us? To be a Zionist is to be a person
about whom anybody will believe anything; and the more absurd
the lie, the more readily it will be believed! Meanwhile, the
Moslems are sharpening their swords against us from one end of
this land to the other!"

I suppose that what Eisernstein really needed more than anything
was sympathy, not good advice. Grim's deliberate coolness only
irritated the passion of a man, whose whole genius and energy
were bent on realizing the vision of a nation of Jews firmly
established in their ancient home. A people that has been
tortured in turn by all the governments can hardly be expected to
produce un-nervous politicians. He was at the mercy of emotions,
obsessed by one paramount idea. A little praise just then of his
loyalty to an ideal, to which he had sacrificed time, means,
health, energy, everything, would have soothed him and hurt
nobody. But the acidity of his scorn had bitten beneath the
surface of Grim's good humor.

"There'll be no pogrom," Grim said, getting up and lighting a
cigarette. "There'll be nothing resembling one. But that won't
be the fault of you Zionists. You accuse without rime or reason,
but you yell for help the minute you're accused yourselves. I
don't blame the Arabs for not liking you. Nobody expects Arabs
to enjoy having their home invaded by an organization of
foreigners. Yet if this Administration lifts a finger to make
things easier for the Arabs you howl that it's unfair.

"If the Administrator refuses to arrest Arabs for talking a
little wildly, you call him a Nero. I'm neither pro- nor anti-
Zionist myself. You and the Arabs may play the game out between
you for all of me. But I can promise you there'll be no pogrom.
It is my business to know just what precautions have been taken."

"Words! Major Grim. Words!" sneered Eisernstein, getting up to
go. "What do words amount to, when presently throats are to be
cut? If your throat were in danger, I venture to say there would
be something doing, instead of mere talk about precautions! I
hope you will enjoy your little cigarette," he added bitterly.
"Good morning!"

"Talk of fiddling while Rome burns!" Grim laughed as soon as the
Zionist had left the room. "Has it ever occurred to you that
Nero was possibly smothering his feelings? I wonder how long
there'd be one Zionist l