"He has seen a crocodile, perhaps, in Masr," Yuhanna laughingly suggested, with a hand on the shoulder of the visionary. But Elias protested vehemently, swearing by Allah that he knew a crocodile when he saw one. The monster in dispute had been no crocodile, as witness its possession of two wings, like the wings of a bat, only fifty times larger, and a voice which could be heard for many miles. There was one blessing, however, about all such creatures; that they had power only over unbaptized people. This last touch pleased the majority of his audience, causing them to praise Allah, and inclining them to accept the truth of the whole story on religious grounds. Elias was preparing to support it with some cognate marvel, when Mîtri announced that the procession was being formed. At the same moment, a few prelusory notes of the concertina were heard without. The house soon emptied.
Out in the heavy sunlight, hens fled clucking from the sudden tumult, pigeons circled overhead and cooed distractedly, children were driving dogs away with stones and curses. Khalîl, the musician, stood to lead the way, making his concertina speak occasionally as a protest against further waiting. Iskender was to follow next to him as donor of the honoured picture; then the males of the congregation by twos and threes, many of them carrying lighted tapers; and, last of all, the priest fully robed, bearing the sacred picture at his breast. Groups of white-veiled women, mere spectators, waited in the shadow of the hovels, or beneath the oak-tree.
"Play that tune that thou didst play at our wedding, O Khalîl," cried Nesîbeh to the musician, who was chafing for the start.
"Which tune may that be of all tunes, O lady? I played you all I knew on that most blessed day!" Khalîl was very grave and ceremonious, this being the greatest hour of all his life. "Is it this?" He broke into "God save the Queen."
"No, no; it goes like this!" Nesîbeh strove to shadow forth the Frankish air. Do what she would, she could not keep from smiling, for pleasure in her husband's great success.
"Ah, yes, I know thy meaning now. That is a tune indeed--a tune of playful triumph without arrogance, well suited to the occasion. It was taught to me by an English mariner in Bûr' Saïd, and is entitled 'Bob gûs the wîssal.'"