‘I have understood very orthodox.’ ‘Go to Armenia, and you will not find an Armenian. They, too, are an expatriated nation, like the Hebrews. The Persians conquered their land, and drove out the people. The Armenian has a proverb: “In every city of the East I find a home.” They are everywhere; the rivals of my people, for they are one of the great races, and little degenerated: with all our industry, and much of our energy; I would say, with all our human virtues, though it cannot be expected that they should possess our divine qualities; they have not produced Gods and prophets, and are proud that they can trace up their faith to one of the obscurest of the Hebrew apostles, and who never knew his great master.’
‘But the Armenians are found only in the East,’ said Tancred.
‘Ah!’ said the lady, with a sarcastic smile; ‘it is exile to Europe, then, that is the curse: well, I think you have some reason. I do not know much of your quarter of the globe: Europe is to Asia what America is to Europe. But I have felt the winds of the Exuine blowing up the Bosphorus; and, when the Sultan was once going to cut off our heads for helping the Egyptians, I passed some months at Vienna. Oh! how I sighed for my beautiful Damascus!’
‘And for your garden at Bethany?’ said Tancred.
‘It did not exist then. This is a recent creation,’ said the lady. ‘I have built a nest in the chink of the hills, that I might look upon Arabia; and the palm tree that invited you to honour my domain was the contribution of my Arab grandfather to the only garden near Jerusalem. But I want to ask you another question. What, on the whole, is the thing most valued in Europe?’
Tancred pondered; and, after a slight pause, said, ‘I think I know what ought to be most valued in Europe; it is something very different from what I fear I must confess is most valued there. My cheek burns while I say it; but I think, in Europe, what is most valued is money.’
‘On the whole,’ said the lady, ‘he that has most money there is most honoured?’
‘Practically, I apprehend so.’
‘Which is the greatest city in Europe?’
‘Without doubt, the capital of my country, London.’