“It doesn't seem obvious, does it?” said he. “But it so happened that the noblest traditions of the Corps of Sappers was maintained by the General at Gib, in my day. He was mad, married, and a Methodist. He had been an intimate friend and comrade of Gordon, and he invited subscriptions from all the garrison for the Palestine Exploration Fund. He gave monthly lectures on the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, and at every recurring Feast of Tabernacles he had the elaborate trellis that compassed about his house, hung with branches of Mosaic trees. That's the connection--as easily obvious as the origin of sin.” [Illustration: 0260] “Just about the same,” said I. “Your chain of sign-posts is complete: Treillage--General--Gibraltar--Gordon--Gospel. That is how you are irresistibly drawn to think of the Bible when you see a clematis climbing up a trellis.” “My dear,” said Dorothy, “you know that I don't approve of any attempt at jesting on the subject of the Bible.” “I wasn't jesting--only alliterative,” said I. “Surely alliteration is not jocular.” “It's on the border,” she replied with a nod. “The Bible is all right if you are only content not to take it too seriously, my dear lady,” said Friswell. “It does not discourage simple humour--on the contrary, it contains many examples of the Oriental idea of fun.” “Oh, Mr. Friswell! You will be saying next that it is full of puns,” said Dorothy. “I know of one, and it served as the foundation of the Christian Church,” said he. “My dear Friswell, are you not going too far?” “Not a step. The choosing of Peter is the foundation of your Church, and the authority assumed by its priests. Simon Barjonah, nicknamed Peter, is one of the most convincingly real characters to be found in any book, sacred or profane. How any one can read his record and doubt the inspiration of the Gospels is beyond me. I have been studying Simon Barjonah for many years--a conceited braggart and a coward--a blasphemer--maudlin! After he had been cursing and swearing in his denial of his Master, he went out and wept bitterly. Yes, but he wasn't man enough to stand by the Son of God--he was not even man enough to go to the nearest tree and hang himself. Judas Iscariot was a nobler character than Simon Barjonah, nicknamed Peter.” “And what does all this mean, Mr. Friswell?” “It means that it's fortunate that Truth is not dependent upon the truth of its exponents or affected by their falseness,” said he, and so took his departure. We went on with our consideration of our Treillage--after a considerable silence. But when a silence comes between Dorothy and me it does not take the form of an impenetrable wall, nor yet that of a yew hedge with gaps in it; but rather that of a grateful screen of sweet-scented honeysuckle. It is the silence within a bower of white clematis--the silence of “heaven's ebon vault studded with stars unutterably bright”--the silence of the stars which is an unheard melody to such as have ears to hear.