When It Was Dark: The Story of a Great ConspiracyThorne, Guy
General
When It Was Dark: The Story of a Great Conspiracy
Thorne, Guy
Christian fiction; Conspiracies -- Fiction; England -- Fiction
"Professor Clermont-Ganneau, the Professor of Biblical Antiquities
at the French University of La Sorbonne, arrived in London
yesterday night. He drove straight to the house of Sir Robert
Llwellyn, the famous archæologist. Early this morning both
gentlemen drove to Downing Street, where they remained closeted
with the Prime Minister for an hour. While there, they were joined
by Dr. Grier, the learned Bishop of Leeds, and Dr. Carr, the Warden
of Wyckham College, Oxford. The four gentlemen were later driven to
Charing Cross Station in a brougham. On the platform from which the
Paris train starts they were met by Major-General Adams, the
Vice-President of the Palestine Exploring Society, and Sir Michael
Manichoe. The distinguished party entered a reserved saloon and
left, _en route_ for Paris, at mid-day. We are able to state on
undeniable authority that the party, which represents all that is
most authoritative in historical research and archæological
knowledge, are a committee from a recent conference at Lambeth, and
are proceeding to Jerusalem to investigate the alleged discovery in
the Holy City."
This was the prominent announcement, made on the afternoon of the third
day, which began to quicken interest and excite the minds of people in
England.
All that evening countless families discussed the information with
curious unrest and foreboding. In all the towns the churches were
exceptionally full at evensong. One fact was more discussed than any
other, more particularly in London.
Although the six men who had left England so suddenly, almost furtively,
were obviously on a mission of the highest importance, no reputable
paper published more than the bare fact of their departure. Comment upon
it, more detailed explanation of it, was sought in the columns of all
the journals in vain.
The next morning was big with shadow and gloom. A shudder passed over
the country. Certain telegrams appeared in all the papers which struck a
chill of fear to the very heart of all who read them, Christian and
indifferent alike.
It was as though a great and ominous bell had begun to toll over the
world.
The faces of people in the streets were universally pale.
It was remarked that the noises of London, the traffic, the movement of
crowds engaged upon their daily business, lost half their noise.
The shops were full of Christmas gifts, but no one seemed to enter them.
In addition to the telegrams a single leading article appeared in the
_Daily Wire_, which burnt itself, as the extremest cold burns, into the
brains of Englishmen.
"(1) TERRIBLE RIOTS IN JERUSALEM
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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