acknowledging thy fault, and exonerating all others. Else, how many of
thy dupes shall die! Thy choice is not life or death, but how thou shalt
die, and what thou shalt do for Egypt as thou diest. Thou didst love
Egypt, Eminence?"

David's voice dropped low, and his last words had a suggestion which went
like an arrow to the source of all Harrik's crimes, and that also which
redeemed him in a little. It got into his inner being. He roused
himself and spoke, but at first his speech was broken and smothered.

"Day by day I saw Egypt given over to the Christians," he said. "The
Greek, the Italian, the Frenchman, the Englishman, everywhere they
reached out, their hands and took from us our own. They defiled our
mosques; they corrupted our life; they ravaged our trade, they stole our
customers, they crowded us from the streets where once the faithful lived
alone. Such as thou had the ear of the Prince, and such as Nahoum, also
an infidel, who favoured the infidels of Europe. And now thou hast come,
the most dangerous of them all! Day by day the Muslim has loosed his
hold on Cairo, and Alexandria, and the cities of Egypt. Street upon
street knows him no more. My heart burned within me. I conspired for
Egypt's sake. I would have made her Muslim once again. I would have
fought the Turk and the Frank, as did Mehemet Ali; and if the infidels
came, I would have turned them back; or if they would not go, I would
have destroyed them here. Such as thou should have been stayed at the
door. In my own house I would have been master. We seek not to take up
our abode in other nations and in the cities of the infidel. Shall we
give place to them on our own mastaba, in our own court-yard--hand to
them the keys of our harems? I would have raised the Jehad if they vexed
me with their envoys and their armies." He paused, panting.