It was the same about the Deluge, continued Bastin, although naturally Oro spoke falsely, or, at any rate, grossly exaggerated, when he declared that he had caused this catastrophe, unless indeed he was talking about a totally different deluge, though even then he could not have brought it about.  It was curious, however, that the people drowned were said to have been wicked, and Oro had the same opinion about those whom he claimed to have drowned, though for the matter of that, he could not conceive anyone more wicked than Oro himself.  On his own showing he was a most revengeful person and one who declined to agree to a quite suitable alliance, apparently desired by both parties, merely because it offended his family pride.  No, on reflection he might be unjust to Oro in this particular, since he never told that story; it was only shown in some pictures which very likely were just made up to astonish us.  Meanwhile, it was his business to preach to this old sinner down in that hole, and he confessed honestly that he did not like the job.  Still, it must be done, so with our leave he would go apart and seek inspiration, which at present seemed to be quite lacking.

Thus declaimed Bastin and departed.

“Don’t you tell your opinion about the Deluge or he may cause another just to show that you are wrong,” called Bickley after him.

“I can’t help that,” answered Bastin.  “Certainly I shall not hide the truth to save Oro’s feelings, if he has got any.  If he revenges himself upon us in any way, we must just put up with it like other martyrs.”

“I haven’t the slightest ambition to be a martyr,” said Bickley.

“No,” shouted Bastin from a little distance, “I am quite aware of that, as you have often said so before.  Therefore, if you become one, I am sorry to say that I do not see how you can expect any benefit.  You would only be like a man who puts a sovereign into the offertory bag in mistake for a shilling.  The extra nineteen shillings will do him no good at all, since in his heart he regrets the error and wishes that he could have them back.”

Then he departed, leaving me laughing.  But Bickley did not laugh.

“Arbuthnot,” he said, “I have come to the conclusion that I have gone quite mad.  I beg you if I should show signs of homicidal mania, which I feel developing in me where Bastin is concerned, or of other abnormal violence, that you will take whatever steps you consider necessary, even to putting me out of the way if that is imperative.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.  “You seem sane enough.”

“Sane, when I believe that I have seen and experienced a great number of things which I know it to be quite impossible that I should have seen or experienced.  The only explanation is that I am suffering from delusions.”

“Then is Bastin suffering from delusions, too?”

“Certainly, but that is nothing new in his case.”

“I don’t agree with you, Bickley—­about Bastin, I mean.  I am by no means certain that he is not the wisest of the three of us.  He has a faith and he sticks to it, as millions have done before him, and that is better than making spiritual experiments, as I am sorry to say I do, or rejecting things because one cannot understand them, as you do, which is only a form of intellectual vanity.”