Shrewdest of diplomats, keenest of observers, is there one move of the world’s political chess-board he has not penetrated? Seeing, knowing, judging everything, could he make a mistake? In a State Church he would be a grave danger; but the days of State Churches are almost no more. As the Turkish minister remarked: “A Church needs more than anything a level-headed diplomatist having no connection with politics.” The Cardinal, then, is far too clever a man to undervalue Islam. He has studied the greatest living authorities, in translations when he cannot read the originals, upon all the wonderful books of the East, and listens to men learned in the Koran. In theology, as in politics, none could catch him napping. One may, perhaps, guess something of his opinions by listening carefully to such questions as he may put to you; for he tells you nothing and seems to gather up all you know almost before you are conscious of having spoken. I _do_ remember, however, that he asked me what the Turks proposed to do about the Holy Tomb? To this I answered that Djelaleddini Arif Bey had said: “There could be no decision taken about Palestine without consulting the Turks. This astute lawyer had always bidden the Catholic authorities to remember that Christ, according to the Koran, is of miraculous birth, is one of Islam’s most venerated prophets. For the Moslem to blaspheme the Virgin Mary would be a heinous offence. To hand over the guardianship of the Holy Tomb to the Israelites is, therefore, a direct insult to Islam.” Fethi Bey also said: “We have all our work cut out looking after our own frontiers, yet we have always faithfully guarded the tomb of Christ, our prophet. What can we think, if the Powers now prefer to entrust it to the Jews who crucified Him and still deny Him?” Even as Mecca is to the Moslem, should Calvary be to us. Shall we who are called Christians suffer the Tomb we do not guard ourselves, to be taken from those who have faith in Christ? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER XXIX EN ROUTE FOR CONSTANTINOPLE—A NIGHT AT BILIDJIK UNDER THE FROST-LADEN SKIES ONE does not expect comfort in an unheated railway carriage, with snow a foot and a half deep, and the temperature 15° below zero. As we left Angora we also noticed that one of the carriage windows was missing, and a courteous official kept back the train to insert one from another compartment! We were grateful, indeed, for even then the cold was hard to bear. The little engine is now ploughing its way _downhill_ but still slowly, since halts are needed to renew its strength for the double task of “traction” and sweeping away the snow. We are well supplied with food for a five-days’ journey, so that over a cheerful meal we can almost forget to feel frozen, and soon find we have covered the thirty-five hours to Eski-Chéir.