“It is altogether more likely that I shall do nothing at all.”

“Out of the question,” he said, with a grave smile.  “Either for or against, every life must be, whether we will it or not.  ’He that is not with me is against me,’ was the word of the Master himself, and as long as eternity lasts the fruit of the sowing will last.”

“That is a fearfully solemn thought,” Flossy said, earnestly.

Mr. Roberts turned toward her a face aglow with smiles now.

“And a wondrously precious one,” he said, and Flossy answered him in a low tone: 

“Yes, I can see that it might be.”

Now, the actual fact is, that those three people wandered around that far-away land until the morning vanished and the loud peal of the Chautauqua bells announced the fact that the feast of intellect was over, and it was time for dinner They went from Bethany to Bethel, and from Bethel to Shechem, and they even climbed Mount Hermon’s snowy peak, and looked about on the lovely plain below.  In every place there was Bible reading, and Eurie was the reader, and it was such a morning that she will remember for all time.

“Pray, who is this Mr. Roberts?” she asked, as they parted company at the foot of the hill.  “Where did you make his acquaintance?”

“He is Mrs. Smythe’s nephew,” Flossy said.  “She introduced me to him the other evening.”

“The other evening!  You seemed to be as well acquainted as though you had spent the summer together.”

“Some people have a way of seeming like friends on short acquaintance,” Flossy said, with grave face and smiling eyes.

“You two missed a good deal by your folly this morning,” Ruth said, as they met at dinner.  “We had a grand lecture.”

“So had we,” answered Eurie, significantly, and that was every word she vouchsafed concerning the trip to Palestine.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

MENTAL PROBLEMS.

“Dr. Deems,” said Ruth, looking up from her programme with a thoughtful air.  “I wonder if he is a man whom I have any special desire to hear?”

You must constantly remember the entire ignorance of these girls on all names and topics that pertained to the religious world.  Ruth knew indeed that the gentleman in question was a New York clergyman; that was as far as her knowledge extended.

“His subject is interesting,” Flossy said.

“I don’t think it is,” said Eurie.  “Not to me, anyhow.  Nature and I have nothing in common, except to have a good time together if we can get it.  She is a miserably disappointed jade, I know.  What has she done for us since we have been here except to arrange rainy weather?  I’m going to visit his honor the mummy this morning, and from there I am going to the old pyramid; and I advise you to go with me, all of you.  Talk about nature when there is an old fellow to see who was acquainted with it thousands of years ago.  Nature is too common an affair to be interested in.”