--"Power is
in the hand of God," he said, all animation dying out of his face, and
paused to wait for Lingard's "Very true," then continued with a fine
smile, "but He apportions it according to His will for His own purposes,
even to those that are not of the Faith."
"Such being the will of God you should harbour no bitterness against
them in your heart."
The low exclamation, "Against those!" and a slight dismissing gesture
of a meagre dark hand out of the folds of the cloak were almost
understandable to Mrs. Travers in the perfection of their melancholy
contempt, and gave Lingard a further insight into the character of
the ally secured to him by the diplomacy of Belarab. He was only half
reassured by this assumption of superior detachment. He trusted to the
man's self-interest more; for Daman no doubt looked to the reconquered
kingdom for the reward of dignity and ease. His father and grandfather
(the men of whom Jorgenson had written as having been hanged for an
example twelve years before) had been friends of Sultans, advisers of
Rulers, wealthy financiers of the great raiding expeditions of the
past. It was hatred that had turned Daman into a self-made outcast,
till Belarab's diplomacy had drawn him out from some obscure and uneasy
retreat.
In a few words Lingard assured Daman of the complete safety of his
followers as long as they themselves made no attempt to get possession
of the stranded yacht.
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