go away again;
as an old man, and professionally holy, his good name could hardly
suffer among English people. But the girls would have to live among
the mountaineers, who, knowing of their escapade, would thenceforth
scorn them. And as for me----

'But I proposed a mere excursion,' he interpolated. 'I fail to see why
you should take this tone about it.'

'Well, I have told you what I think,' was my rejoinder. I then went
out and told the story to Rashid, who heartily applauded my decision,
which he had already gathered.

I did not see our simple friend again till after breakfast the next
morning. Then he said to me, in something of a contrite tone:

'I have been thinking over what you said last night. I confess I had
not thought about the native gossip. I have decided to give up the
expedition to Jezzin. And it has occurred to me that, as you are not
going, I could ride your horse. It would save the trouble and expense
of hiring one, if you would kindly lend it.'

Taken fairly by surprise, I answered: 'Certainly,' and then went out
and told Rashid what I had done. He wrung his hands and bitterly
reproached me.

'But there is one good thing,' he said; 'Sheytan will kill him.'

In all the months that we had owned that horse Rashid had never once
before alluded to him by the name which I had chosen. It was
ill-omened, he had often warned me. But nothing could be too
ill-omened for that hypocrite.

'I do not want to lend the horse at all,' I said. 'And I am pretty
sure he could not ride him. But what was I to say? He took me by
surprise.'

'In that case,' said Rashid, 'all is not said. Our darling shall enjoy
his bath to-day.'

The washing of my horse--a coal-black Arab stallion, as playful as a
kitten and as mad--was in the nature of a public festival for all the
neighbours. Sheytan was led down to the spring, where all the
population gathered, the bravest throwing water over him with kerosene
tins, while he plunged and kicked and roused the mountain echoes with
his naughty screaming. On this occasion, for a finish, Rashid let go
his hold upon the head-rope, the people fled in all directions, and
off went our Sheytan with tail erect, scrambling and careering up the
terraces, as nimble as a goat, to take the air before returning to his
stable.

Our reverend guest had watched the whole performance from our balcony,
which, from a height of some three hundred feet, looked down upon the
spring. I was up there