two days later willard bent sat in the shade of a ruined tomb outside the gate of the graves, and watched the people streaming in to eloued. it was the eve of the feast of the local saint, sidi oman, who slept in a corner of the great mosque, under a segment of green-tiled cupola, and was held in deep reverence by the country people, many of whom belonged to the powerful fraternity founded in his name.
the ruin stood on a hillock beyond the outer wall. from where the missionary sat he overlooked the fortified gate and the irregular expanse of the potters’ field, with its primitive furnaces built into hollows of the ground, between ridges shaded by stunted olive-trees. on the farther side of the trail which the pilgrims followed on entering the gate lay a sun-blistered expanse dotted with crooked grave-stones, where hucksters traded, and the humblest caravans camped in a waste of refuse, offal and stripped date-branches. a cloud of dust, perpetually subsiding and gathering again, hid these sordid details from bent’s eyes, but not from his imagination.
“nowhere in eloued,” he thought with a shudder, “are the flies as fat and blue as they are inside that gate.”
but this was a fugitive reflection: his mind was wholly absorbed in what had happened in the last forty-eight hours, and what was likely to happen in the next.
“to think,” he mused, “that after ten years i don’t really know him . . . a labourer in the lord’s vineyard — shows how much good i am!”
his thoughts were moody and oppressed with fear. never, since his first meeting with mr. blandhorn, had he pondered so deeply the problem of his superior’s character. he tried to deduce from the past some inference as to what mr. blandhorn was likely to do next; but, as far as he knew, there was nothing in the old man’s previous history resembling the midnight scene on the mission terrace.
that scene had already had its repercussion.
on the following morning, willard, drifting as usual about the bazaar, had met a friendly french official, who, taking him aside, had told him there were strange reports abroad — which he hoped mr. bent would be able to deny . . . in short, as it had never been mr. blandhorn’s policy to offend the native population, or insult their religion, the administration was confident that . . .
surprised by willard’s silence, and visibly annoyed at being obliged to pursue the subject, the friendly official, growing graver, had then asked what had really occurred; and, on willard’s replying, had charged him with an earnest recommendation to his superior — a warning, if necessary — that the government would not, under any circumstances, tolerate a repetition . . . “but i daresay it was the heat?” he concluded; and willard weakly acquiesced.
he was ashamed now of having done so; yet, after all, how did he know it was not the heat? a heavy sanguine man like mr. blandhorn would probably never quite accustom himself to the long strain of the african summer. “or his wife’s death — ” he had murmured to the sympathetic official, who smiled with relief at the suggestion.
and now he sat overlooking the enigmatic city, and asking himself again what he really knew of his superior. mr. blandhorn had come to eloued as a young man, extremely poor, and dependent on the pittance which the missionary society at that time gave to its representatives. to ingratiate himself among the people (the expression was his own), and also to earn a few pesetas, he had worked as a carpenter in the bazaar, first in the soukh of the ploughshares and then in that of the cabinet-makers. his skill in carpentry had not been great, for his large eloquent hands were meant to wave from a pulpit, and not to use the adze or the chisel; but he had picked up a little arabic (willard always marvelled that it remained so little), and had made many acquaintances — and, as he thought, some converts. at any rate, no one, either then or later, appeared to wish him ill, and during the massacre his house had been respected, and the insurgents had even winked at the aid he had courageously given to the french.
yes — he had certainly been courageous. there was in him, in spite of his weaknesses and his vacillations, a streak of moral heroism that perhaps only waited its hour . . . but hitherto his principle had always been that the missionary must win converts by kindness, by tolerance, and by the example of a blameless life.
could it really be harry spink’s question that had shaken him in this belief? or was it the long-accumulated sense of inefficiency that so often weighed on his disciple? or was it simply the call — did it just mean that their hour had come?
shivering a little in spite of the heat, willard pulled himself together and descended into the city. he had been seized with a sudden desire to know what mr. blandhorn was about, and avoiding the crowd he hurried back by circuitous lanes to the mission. on the way he paused at a certain corner and looked into a court full of the murmur of water. beyond it was an arcade detached against depths of shadow, in which a few lights glimmered. white figures, all facing one way, crouched and touched their foreheads to the tiles, the soles of their bare feet, wet with recent ablutions, turning up as their bodies swayed forward. willard caught the scowl of a beggar on the threshold, and hurried past the forbidden scene.
he found mr. blandhorn in the meeting-room, tying up ayoub’s head.
“i do it awkwardly,” the missionary mumbled, a safety-pin between his teeth. “alas, my hands are not hers.”
“what’s he done to himself?” willard growled; and above the bandaged head mr. blandhorn’s expressive eyebrows answered.
there was a dark stain on the back of ayoub’s faded shirt, and another on the blue scarf he wore about his head.
“ugh — it’s like cats slinking back after a gutter-fight,” the young man muttered.
ayoub wound his scarf over the bandages, shambled back to the doorway, and squatted down to watch the fig-tree.
the missionaries looked at each other across the empty room.
“what’s the use, sir?” was on willard’s lips; but instead of speaking he threw himself down on the divan. there was to be no prayer-meeting that afternoon, and the two men sat silent, gazing at the back of ayoub’s head. a smell of disinfectants hung in the heavy air . . .
“where’s myriem?” willard asked, to say something.
“i believe she had a ceremony of some sort . . . a family affair . . . ”
“a circumcision, i suppose?”
mr. blandhorn did not answer, and willard was sorry he had made the suggestion. it would simply serve as another reminder of their failure . . .
he stole a furtive glance at mr. bland-horn, nervously wondering if the time had come to speak of the french official’s warning. he had put off doing so, half-hoping it would not be necessary. the old man seemed so calm, so like his usual self, that it might be wiser to let the matter drop. perhaps he had already forgotten the scene on the terrace; or perhaps he thought he had sufficiently witnessed for the lord in shouting his insult to the muezzin. but willard did not really believe this: he remembered the tremor which had shaken mr. blandhorn after the challenge, and he felt sure it was not a retrospective fear.
“our friend spink has been with me,” said mr. blandhorn suddenly. “he came in soon after you left.”
“ah? i’m sorry i missed him. i thought he’d gone, from his not coming in yesterday.”
“no; he leaves tomorrow morning for mogador.” mr blandhorn paused, still absently staring at the back of ayoub’s neck; then he added: “i have asked him to take you with him.”
“to take me — harry spink? in his automobile?” willard gasped. his heart began to beat excitedly.
“yes. you’ll enjoy the ride. it’s a long time since you’ve been away, and you’re looking a little pulled down.”
“you’re very kind, sir: so is harry.” he paused. “but i’d rather not.”
mr. blandhorn, turning slightly, examined him between half-dropped lids.
“i have business for you — with the consul,” he said with a certain sternness. “i don’t suppose you will object — ”
“oh, of course not.” there was another pause. “could you tell me — give me an idea — of what the business is, sir?”
it was mr. blandhorn’s turn to appear perturbed. he coughed, passed his hand once or twice over his beard, and again fixed his gaze on ayoub’s inscrutable nape.
“i wish to send a letter to the consul.”
“a letter? if it’s only a letter, couldn’t spink take it?”
“undoubtedly. i might also send it by post — if i cared to transmit it in that manner. i presumed,” added mr. blandhorn with threatening brows, “that you would understand i had my reasons — ”
“oh, in that case, of course, sir — ” willard hesitated, and then spoke with a rush. “i saw lieutenant lourdenay in the bazaar yesterday — ” he began.
when he had finished his tale mr. bland-horn meditated for a long time in silence. at length he spoke in a calm voice. “and what did you answer, willard?”
“i— i said i’d tell you — ”
“nothing more?”
“no. nothing.”
“very well. we’ll talk of all this more fully . . . when you get back from mogador. remember that mr. spink will be here before sunrise. i advised him to get away as early as possible on account of the feast of sidi oman. it’s always a poor day for foreigners to be seen about the streets.”
