“Yes⁠—that means to say, then⁠—that Cain was not at all wicked? And the whole story in the Bible isn’t really true?”

“Yes and no. Such ancient, primitive stories are always true, but they have not always been recorded and explained in the proper manner. In short, I mean that Cain was a thundering good fellow, and this story got attached to his name simply because people were afraid of him. The story was merely a report, something people might have set going in a gossiping way, and it was true in so far as Cain and his children did actually wear a sort of ‘sign’ and were different from most people.”

I was much astonished.

“And do you believe then, that the affair of the murder is absolutely untrue?” I asked, much impressed.