“One day, long, long ago,” related Melek, “when the followers of Christ had left their church, Osman entered and broke all the sacred images except one. Then when he had finished his work of destruction, he placed his axe at the foot of the figure he had left intact.
“The next day, the Christians discovering what had happened, tried to find the guilty person. Osman’s air of calm triumph betrayed him.
“‘What have you done?’ they cried, rushing towards him.
“‘Nothing,’ he answered, ‘I am innocent; it is your Divinity who has destroyed everything.’
“‘Our Divinity cannot move.’
“‘If your Divinity is lifeless,’ answered Osman, ‘why do you pray to a God of stone?’[7]
*****
“In the Meandre valley in Asia,” went on Melek, “the sculptured heads on the tombs are cursed. At Ephesus and Herapolis the Turcomans turn away in horror from the faces that are engraven in marble; and never are to be seen these Western pictures in stone, and statues erected to the immortal memory of heroes.”
*****
The two Hanoums left for Switzerland.