govern themselves and rejoice in the grand and God-less Light of
Universal Liberty?"

Somewhat heated by the fervor of his declamatory utterance, he
passed his hand among his straight locks, whether to cool his
forehead, or to show off the numerous jewelled rings on his
fingers, it was difficult to say, and continued more calmly:

"No, young sir!--the color of this river,--a color which, I
willingly admit, resembles the tint of flowing human blood,--has
naught to do with foolish omens and forecasts of evil,--'tis
simply caused by the influx of some foreign alluvial matter,
probably washed down by storm from, the sides of the distant
mountains whence these waters have their rising,--see you not how
the tide is thick and heavy with an unfloatable cargo of red sand?
Some sudden disturbance of the soil,--or a volcanic movement
underneath the ocean,--or even a distant earthquake, . . any of
these may be the reason."...

"May be?--why not say MUST be," observed Theos half ironically,
"since learning makes you sure!"

His companion pressed the tips of his fingers delicately together,
as though blandly deprecating this observation.

"Nay, nay!--none of us, however wise, can say 'MUST BE'"--he
argued suavely--"It is not,--strictly speaking,--possible in this
world to pronounce an incontestable certainty."

"Not even that two and two are four?" suggested Theos, smiling.