England -- Fiction; Love stories; Scholars -- Fiction
Entering the church with a quick step, she took up a position as
though she had selected a special stone on which to stand. There,
with head erect, but bowing between each ceremony, she crossed
herself three times; then sinking on her knees, thrice she pressed
her forehead to the floor; then rising again, again she crossed
herself. Having so done somewhat to the right of the church, but near
the altar-screen, she did the same on the corresponding stone towards
the left, and then again the same on a stone behind the others, but
in the centre. After this she retreated further back, and did three
more such worshippings, always choosing her stone with an eye to
architectural regularity; then again, getting to the backward, she
did three more, thus completing her appointed task, having crossed
herself thirty-six times, and pressed her head with twenty-seven
pressures upon the floor. And so, having finished, she quickly
withdrew. Did any slightest prayer, any idea of praying, any thought
of a God giving grace and pardon if only asked to give, once enter
that bowing bosom?
"Why do those Turks sit there?" said Bertram, as he left the
building. Why, indeed? It was strange to see five or six stately
Turks, strict children of the Prophet doubtless, sitting there within
the door of this temple dedicated to the Nazarene God, sitting there
and looking as though they of all men had the most right so to sit,
and were most at home in so sitting; nay, they had a divan there,
were drinking coffee there out of little double cups, as is the
manner of these people; were not smoking, certainly, as is their
manner also in all other places.
"Dem guard de keys," said the dragoman.
"Guard the keys!"
"Yes, yes; open de lock, and not let de Christian fight."
So it is. In such manner is proper, fitting, peaceable conduct
maintained within the thrice Christian walls of the Church of the
Holy Sepulchre.
On his return to the hotel, Bertram accepted an invitation to join
Miss Todd's picnic in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and then towards
evening strolled up alone on to the Mount of Olives.
CHAPTER VII.
THE MOUNT OF OLIVES.
If there be one place told of in holy writ, the name of which gives
rise to more sacred feelings than any other, it is that of the Mount
of Olives; and if there be a spot in that land of wondrous memories
which does bring home to the believer in Christ some individualized
remembrance of his Saviour's earthly pilgrimage, that certainly is
it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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