Christians," said the merchant.

"Christians?" echoed the guide with a contemptuous shrug. "They may
regard themselves as Christians; but I, with every one else great and
small in this land, am of opinion that they have no right whatever to
call themselves our fellow-believers and Christians. They all are and
shall be for ever accursed with their hundreds--nay thousands of devilish
heresies, by which they degrade our God and Redeemer to the level of that
idol on the stone pillar. Half a cow and half a man! Why, what rational
being, I ask you, could pray to such a mongrel thing? We Jacobites or
Monophysites or whatever they choose to call us will not yield a jot or
tittle of the divine nature of our Lord and Saviour; and if the old faith
must die out, I will turn Moslem and be converted to your One Omnipotent
God; for before I confess the heresies of the Melchites I will be hewn in
pieces, and my wife and children with me. Who knows what may be coming
to pass? And there are many advantages in going over to your side: for
the power is in your hands, and long may you keep it! We have got to be
ruled by strangers; and who would not rather pay small tribute to the
wise and healthy Khalif at Medina than a heavy one to the sickly imperial
brood of Melchites at Constantinople. The Mukaukas George, to be sure,
is not a bad sort of man, and as he so soon gave up all idea of resisting
you he was no doubt of my opinion. Regarding you as just and pious
folks, as our next neighbors, and perhaps even of our own race and blood,
he preferred you--my brother told me so--to those Byzantine heretics,
flayers of men and thirsting for blood, but yet, the Mukaukas is as good
a Christian as breathes."

The Arab had listened attentively and with a subtle smile to the
Memphite, whose duties as guide now compelled him to break off. The
Egyptian made the whole caravan turn down an alley that led into a street