"
"In little schools--in large ones--in little churches, and in
imposing ones, their Faith is taught and preached," Coombe
answered. "Sometimes one cannot believe one's hearing. It is all
so ingenuously and frankly unashamed--the mouthing, boasting, and
threats of their piety. There exists for them no God who is not
the modest henchman of their emperor, and whose attention is not
rivetted on their prowess with admiration and awe. Apparently,
they are His business, and He is well paid by being allowed to
retain their confidence."
"A lack of any sense of humour is a disastrous thing," commented
the Duchess. "The people of other nations may be fools--doubtless
we all are--but there is no other which proclaims the fact abroad
with such guileless outbursts of raucous exultation."
"And even we--you and I who have thought more than others" he
said, restlessly, "even we forget and half smile. There been too
much smiling."
She picked up an illustrated paper and opened it at a page filled
by an ornate picture.
"See!" she said. "It is because he himself has made it so easy,
with his amazing portraits of his big boots, and swords, and
eruption of dangling orders. How can one help but smile when
one finds him glaring at one from a newspaper in his superwarlike
attitude, defying the Universe, with his comic moustachios and their
ferocious waxed and bristling ends.
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