"Oh, I don't know," said Alice, laughing. "I have not been much impressed by it. You see, we have become quite accustomed now to Eastern manners and customs—we saw plenty of them in Cairo; and as for the old ruins and buildings here, they are not nearly so ancient as the Pyramids. And there is really very little to be seen, after all, except by those people who believe the lies that are told them about the holy sepulchre, and the tomb of the Virgin, and the manger at Bethlehem. Why actually, in one street, in quite a new wall, our dragoman pointed out to us a stone which is believed to be the stone that 'would have cried out' if the children had held their peace! Such nonsense! I have no patience with it!" said Alice, scornfully.
"Oh yes," said Evelyn, "I quite agree with you about all those absurd tales. I would not walk a hundred yards to see one of those wonderful shrines; but, after all, this is Jerusalem, and it was here," she added in a lower voice, "that our Lord walked, and preached, and died, and was buried, and rose again!"
"Oh yes, of course," said Alice, carelessly, as if that fact was but of small importance to her.
"And if we really love Him," said Evelyn, "if He is dearer to us than any one else, don't you think we must look upon Jerusalem, and those places He lived in, with a very strange and wonderful feeling?"
Alice looked at Evelyn in astonishment; she had never heard her speak in that way before, and had no idea how much Evelyn was changed since she had seen her last. She made no answer, and I think would have turned the conversation to some other subject if Evelyn had not spoken first.
"You look surprised, Alice," she said; "you did not expect me to say that, did you?"
"No, indeed," said Alice, laughing; "I thought that both you and I were quite free from all sentimental nonsense. I am afraid Miss Lindsay has been talking you over to her way of thinking."
"Is it nonsense?" said Evelyn, gravely, passing over Alice's last words. "Because if it is not nonsense, surely it is a great reality!"
"Oh, I don't know," said Alice, lightly; "Claude says the greater part of religion is nonsense, and I suppose he ought to know; he has studied the matter, and I have not."
"Oh, Alice," said Evelyn, with tears in her eyes, "if you only knew how very, very happy I have been lately! I never knew before that it was possible to be as happy as I am now!"