The Result Was That He Abhorred And
Despised The Mahometan Faith And All Who Clung To It.
And this
hate was not of the dry, dull, and inactive sort.
Dthemetri was in
his sphere a true Crusader, and whenever there appeared a fair
opening in the defences of Islam, he was ready and eager to make
the assault. These sentiments, backed by a consciousness of
understanding the people with whom he had to do, made Dthemetri not
only firm and resolute in his constant interviews with men in
authority, but sometimes also (as you may know already) very
violent and even insulting. This tone, which I always disliked,
though I was fain to profit by it, invariably succeeded. It swept
away all resistance; there was nothing in the then depressed and
succumbing mind of the Mussulman that could oppose a zeal so warm
and fierce.
As for me, I of course stood aloof from Dthemetri's crusades, and
did not even render him any active assistance when he was striving
(as he almost always was, poor fellow) on my behalf; I was only the
death's head and white sheet with which he scared the enemy. I
think, however, that I played this spectral part exceedingly well,
for I seldom appeared at all in any discussion, and whenever I did,
I was sure to be white and calm.
The event which induced the Christians of Nablus to seek for my
assistance was this. A beautiful young Christian, between fifteen
and sixteen years old, had lately been married to a man of her own
creed. About the same time (probably on the occasion of her
wedding) she was accidentally seen by a Mussulman Sheik of great
wealth and local influence, who instantly became madly enamoured of
her. The strict morality which so generally prevails where the
Mussulmans have complete ascendency prevented the Sheik from
entertaining any such sinful hopes as an European might have
ventured to cherish under the like circumstances, and he saw no
chance of gratifying his love except by inducing the girl to
embrace his own creed. If he could induce her to take this step,
her marriage with the Christian would be dissolved, and then there
would be nothing to prevent him from making her the last and
brightest of his wives. The Sheik was a practical man, and quickly
began his attack upon the theological opinions of the bride. He
did not assail her with the eloquence of any imaums or Mussulman
saints; he did not press upon her the eternal truths of the "Cow,"
{41} or the beautiful morality of "the Table"; {42} he sent her no
tracts, not even a copy of the holy Koran. An old woman acted as
missionary. She brought with her a whole basketful of arguments -
jewels and shawls and scarfs and all kinds of persuasive finery.
Poor Mariam! she put on the jewels and took a calm view of the
Mahometan religion in a little hand-mirror; she could not be deaf
to such eloquent earrings, and the great truths of Islam came home
to her young bosom in the delicate folds of the cashmere; she was
ready to abandon her faith.
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