Jesus Christ -- Fiction; Religious fiction; United States -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction
He had, the bishop said, brought with Him a heavy whip,
with which He began striking at the committee. Mr. Reginald Moire,
speaking of it afterwards, said that he had seen Dorman-Webster struck
twice across the face. All the time of the attack the Man continued
repeating, "My Father's house is called a house of prayer, but you have
made it a den of thieves."
Gilderman listened intently as the two bowled rapidly along. He felt
very sorry for his father-in-law. The poor bishop was so agitated that
his hands shook and his voice trembled. Gilderman did not like to
look at him in his agitation. "If they make another attack upon the
sacred building," said the bishop, in a straining voice, "there is no
knowing what damage they may not do. Suppose they should take it into
their heads to smash in those beautiful, painted windows or blow up
the chancel. I have suffered enough in spirit over our social riots
of late, but this is the worst of all. To think of the poor, ignorant
creatures attacking the Temple of God itself; it breaks my heart!"
"Oh, well," said Gilderman, comfortingly, "maybe the worst is passed."
But the bishop only shook his head; there was no comfort for him in
Gilderman's words.
The bishop and Gilderman found Pilate at home and alone in his library.
He was smoking a cigar, and he had evidently been reading a book which
he had laid face down upon the table. It was one of the nether sort
of imported novels. Gilderman, from where he stood, could not read
the title of the volume, but there was no mistaking the yellow paper
cover, the sharp type, and the disreputable vignette picture of the two
laughing, black-stockinged women on the cover.
Pilate tried in every way to elude the subject the bishop sought
to force upon him. He tried to talk about the Whitecourt lectures,
the Women's Club, and the street missions, in all of which he knew
the bishop was much interested. But the bishop would not talk about
anything but the riot, and at last the governor had to submit. "My dear
bishop," he said, "you don't understand these affairs. One must act
deliberately and with caution in such a matter as this."
"Act deliberately! Act with caution!" cried the bishop. "In the mean
time, how are we citizens to be protected from such a mob as this,
which may at any moment take it into its head not only to gut the
sacred Temple and to smash its windows, but even to attack our very
homes?"
"My dear bishop," the governor began again, "there is not, in my
estimation, the slightest danger of any attack upon the private or the
public property of this community."
"But, sir," said the bishop, "don't you know that there has already
been an attack made upon the Temple and upon the persons of certain
citizens gathered there?"
"I know," said Pilate, "but I think that comes within the province of
the city authorities rather than under my authority. I do not feel the
riot to be as yet of sufficient magnitude to call out the troops for
active aid in suppressing it."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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