The shuffling sounds which usually followed the moment when the preacher paused were beginning to make themselves heard when, unexpectedly, he raised his voice, making as if to put himself in his hearers’ place and ask what then was the proper course to follow. He made no doubt that the ugly word “fatalism” would be applied to what he said. Well, he would not boggle at the word, provided he were allowed to qualify it with the adjective “active.” Needless to say, there was no question of imitating the Abyssinian Christians of whom he had spoken previously. Nor should one even think of acting like those Persians who in time of plague threw their infected garments on the Christian sanitary workers and loudly called on Heaven to give the plague to these infidels.
The priest continued, there w
