"
"Well, they won't come here."
"They won't find the way, unless there are traitors."
"Moslems or Christians, they are all alike, but Moslems could be our
friends, because they are of Abraham's seed. 'God is One!' Had their
Prophet stood by that, there would have been nothing between us, but
he fell through pride and coupling his own name with that of the
Highest--'Muhammed is His Prophet.' Perhaps, but he should not be
named in the same breath with the Eternal. The Christians call him a
'false prophet,' but that he was not."
"The Christians could rather...."
"The Christians are misguided, and their doctrine is folly. They
believe the Messiah has come, although the world is like a hell, and
men resemble devils! And it ever gets worse...."
Then the door was flung open, and on the threshold appeared a little
man, emaciated as a skeleton, with burning eyes. He was clothed in
rags, carried a cross in his hand, and bore a red cross-shaped sign
on his shoulder.
"Are you Christians?" he asked, "since you drink of the cup and eat
the bread, as our Lord Jesus Christ did on the night of his
betrayal?"
"No," answered Eleazar, "we are of Israel."
"Then you have eaten and drunk your own damnation, and misused the
Holy Sacrament for purposes of witchcraft! Out with you!--down to
the lake and be baptized, or you will die the death!"
Then Eleazar turned to the Hermit, and cried "No! I and my house
will serve the Lord, as we have done this holy evening according to
the law of our fathers.
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