“That is as it should be. The Armenian Christians supply that.”
“But, Sunna, try and imagine to thyself a great military despotic Power seating itself at Constantinople, throwing its right hand over Asia Minor, Syria and Egypt; and its left holding in an iron grip the whole north of two continents; keeping the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus closed whenever it was pleased to do so, and building fleets in Egypt; and in Armenia, commanding the desirable road to India by the Euphrates.”
“Oh, that could not be suffered! Impossible! All the women in Kirkwall would fight against such a condition.”
“Well, so matters stand, and we had been at sword points a year ago but for Lord Aberdeen’s cowardly, pernicious love of peace. But he is always whining about ‘war destroying wealth and commerce’––as if wealth and commerce were of greater worth than national honour and justice and mercy.”
“Yet, one thing is sure, Grandad; war is wasteful and destructive–––”
“And one thing is truer still––it is this––that national wealth is created by peace for the very purpose of defending the nation in war. Bear this in mind. Now, it seems to me we have had enough of war. I see Elga coming with a dish of good Scotch collops, and I give thee my word that I will not spoil their savour by any unpleasant talk.” Then he poured a little fine Glenlivet into a good deal of water and said: “Here’s first to the glory of God! and then to the honour of England!” And Sunna touched his glass with her glass and the little ceremony put both in a very happy mood.
Then Sunna saw that the moment she had 141 waited for had arrived and she said: “I will tell thee a good story of Robert Burns to flavour thy collops. Will that be to thy wish?”
“It is beyond my wish. Thou can not tell me one I do not know.”
“I heard one today from Thora Ragnor that I never heard thee tell.”