want is to penetrate the great Asian mystery.'

'You have touched my inmost thought,' said Tancred, eagerly.

At this moment there entered the room, from the glass door, the same
young man who had ushered Tancred into the apartment. He brought a
letter to Sidonia. Lord Montacute felt confused; his shyness returned to
him; he deplored the unfortunate interruption, but he felt he was in
the way. He rose, and began to say good-morning, when Sidonia, without
taking his eyes off the letter, saw him, and waving his hand, stopped
him, saying, 'I settled with Lord Eskdale that you were not to go away
if anything occurred which required my momentary attention. So pray sit
down, unless you have engagements.' And Tancred again seated himself.

'Write,' continued Sidonia to the clerk, 'that my letters are twelve
hours later than the despatches, and that the City continued quite
tranquil. Let the extract from the Berlin letter be left at the same
time at the Treasury. The last bulletin?'

'Consols drooping at half-past two; all the foreign funds lower; shares
very active.'

They were once more alone. 'When do you propose going?' 'I hope in a
week.' 'Alone?'

'I fear I shall have many attendants.' 'That is a pity. Well, when
you arrive at Jerusalem, you will naturally go to the convent of Terra
Santa. You will make there the acquaintance of the Spanish prior, Alonzo
Lara. He calls me cousin; he is a Nuevo of the fourteenth century. Very
orthodox; but the love of the old land and the old language have come
out in him, as they will, though his blood is no longer clear, but has
been modified by many Gothic intermarriages, which was never our case.
We are pure Sephardim. Lara thoroughly comprehends Palestine and all
that pertains to it. He has been there a quarter of a century, and might
have been Archbishop of Seville. You see, he is master of the old as
well as the new learning; this is very important; they often explain
each other. Your bishops here know nothing about these things. How
can they? A few centuries back they were tattooed savages. This is the
advantage which Rome has over you, and which you never can understand.
That Church was founded by a Hebrew, and the magnetic influence
lingers. But you will go to the fountain head. Theology requires an
apprenticeship of some thousand years at least; to say nothing of clime
and race. You cannot get on with theology as you do with chemistry and
mechanics. Trust me, there is some