Had there been a word
spoken that night when she and David and Nahoum met which had not bitten
into her soul! That David had done so much in Egypt without ruin or death
was a tribute to his power. Nevertheless, though Nahoum had not struck
yet, she was certain he would one day. All that David now told her of the
vicissitudes of his plans, and Nahoum's sympathy and help, only deepened
this conviction. She could well believe that Nahoum gave David money from
his own pocket, which he replaced by extortion from other sources, while
gaining credit with David for co-operation. Armenian Christian Nahoum
might be, but he was ranged with the East against the West, with the
reactionary and corrupt against advance, against civilisation and freedom
and equality. Nahoum's Christianity was permeated with Orientalism, the
Christian belief obscured by the theism of the Muslim. David was in a
deadlier struggle than he knew. Yet it could serve no good end to attempt
to warn him now. He had outlived peril so far; might it not be that,
after all, he would win?
So far she had avoided Nahoum's name in talks with David.
Pages:
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379