any idea of praying, any thought
of a God giving grace and pardon if only asked to give, once enter
that bowing bosom?

"Why do those Turks sit there?" said Bertram, as he left the
building. Why, indeed? It was strange to see five or six stately
Turks, strict children of the Prophet doubtless, sitting there within
the door of this temple dedicated to the Nazarene God, sitting there
and looking as though they of all men had the most right so to sit,
and were most at home in so sitting; nay, they had a divan there,
were drinking coffee there out of little double cups, as is the
manner of these people; were not smoking, certainly, as is their
manner also in all other places.

"Dem guard de keys," said the dragoman.

"Guard the keys!"

"Yes, yes; open de lock, and not let de Christian fight."

So it is. In such manner is proper, fitting, peaceable conduct
maintained within the thrice Christian walls of the Church of the
Holy Sepulchre.

On his return to the hotel, Bertram accepted an invitation to join
Miss Todd's picnic in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and then towards
evening strolled up alone on to the Mount of Olives.

CHAPTER VII.

THE MOUNT OF OLIVES.

If there be one place told of in holy writ, the name of which gives
rise to more sacred feelings than any other, it is that of the Mount
of Olives; and if there be a spot in that land of wondrous memories
which does bring home to the believer in Christ some individualized
remembrance of his Saviour's earthly pilgrimage, that certainly is
it.

There is no doubting there, no question there whether or no the
ground on which you tread was not first called "the mount" by some
Byzantine Sophia; whether tradition respecting it can go back further
than Constantine; whether, in real truth, that was the hill over
which Jesus walked when he travelled from the house of Lazarus at
Bethany to fulfil his mission in the temple. No: let me take any
ordinary believing Protestant Christian to that spot, and I will as
broadly defy him to doubt there as I will defy him to believe in that
filthy church of the holy places.

The garden of Gethsemane near the city, "over the brook Cedron,"
where he left his disciples resting while he went yonder to pray; the
hill-side on which the angel appeared unto him, strengthening him,
and whither Judas and the multitude came out to take him; Bethany,
the town of Mary and Martha, "fifteen furlongs from Jerusalem," where
Lazarus was r