The Weavers: a tale of England and Egypt of fifty years ago - Volume 1

the massacre of Christians at Damascus. We are full of righteous and passionate indignation. 'Punish-restore the honour of the Christian nations' is the proud appeal of prelate,

l from Exeter Hall. Lord Eglington had been asked

insolent and satiated in its exquisite bloom of pear and nectarine, and the deed itself was fading into that blank past of Eastern life where there "are no birds in last ye

s? Would it bind one broken heart? Would it give light to one darkened home? Let us have care lest we be called a nation of hypocrites. I

suddenly stopped. For a moment there was absolute silence, in which the chairman adjusted his glasses and fumbled with the agenda paper in his confusion, scarcely k

vid, do th

with her father. They had not slept for nights, for the last news they had had of Ben

r's hut on the hill! According to his penalty David had never come to Hamley village, but had lived alone, speaking to no one, avoided by all, working out his punishment. Only the day before the meeting he ha

se upon a new world-a world of freedom, of home-returning, yet a world which, during

ater than that of Luke Claridge, for his mind had been disturbed by frequent premonitions; and those sudden calls in his sleep-his uncle's voice-ever seemed to be waking him at night. He had not meant to speak at the meeting, but the last words of the speaker de

f-approving punishment were familiar to them. He climbed the steps of the platform alertly, and the chairman welcomed him with nervous ple

day's mad doings, fascinated them. They had heard of the liquor he had drunk, of the woman he had kissed at the cross-roads, of the man he had fought, of his discipline and sentence. His clean, shapely figure, and the sof

differ from nearly every sentiment expressed by the Earl of Eg

deeper than the skin. The noble Earl has bidden us to be consistent and reasonable. I have risen here to speak for that to which mere consistency and reason may do cruel violence. I am a man of peace, I am the enemy of war-i

hter, for the late event in his own l

hich alone can set the wrong-doers on the better course. It is not the faith of

rstand; but, friend"-he turned to the young peer-"friend, I cannot understand a defence of him who opens the door upon terms of mutual hospital

ver, but knew of the defection of the Earl's father from the Society of Friends, and they chose to interpret the reference

lay the iron hand of punishment upon this evil city and on the Government in whose orbit it shines with so deathly a light. I fear it is that one of my family and of my humble village lies beaten to death in Damascus. Yet not because of that do I raise my voice here to-day. These many years Benn Claridge carried his life in his hands, and in a good cause it was held like the song of a bird, to be blown from his lips

cheered; the whole meeting rose to it

face unmoved. As David turned to leave the table, however, h

an was about to put the resolution; but a protesting hand from John Fairley stopped him, and in a strange silence the two new-comers mounted the platform. David rose and advanced to meet them. There flashed into his mind that this stranger in Eastern garb was Ebn Ezra Be

. I have a message for thee from the la

vid, adding: "I was thine uncle's friend. He hath put off

e from behind, Davy, so that I was spared temptation-I die as I lived, a man of peace. It is too late to think how it might have gone had we met face to face; but the will of God worketh not according to our will. I can write

called him, his quiet past was infinite leagues away. Already the staff was in his hands and the cross-roads were sinking into the distance behind. He was dimly conscious of the wan, shocked face of Faith in the crowd beneath him, which seemed blurred and swaying, of the bowed head of

ed a grave face u

. "I am an Arab." "Speak-sp

ome, then he would be with the Christians in their peril. At last he saw with me the truth. He had a plan of escape. There was a Christian weaver with his wife in a far quarter-against my entreaty he went to warn them. The storm broke. He was the first to fall, smitten in 'that street called Straight.' I found him soon after. Thus did he speak to me-even in these words: 'The blood of women and children shed here to-day shall cry from the ground. Unprovoked the host has turned wickedly upon his guest.

t the resolution. The Earl of

id kept saying over to himself the words of Benn Claridge: "I have called thee s