e best son, the best
brother, and the truest staunchest friend."

The bystanders were moved according to their temperaments and religious
views, but all were touched by the tempestuousness of Lady Burton's
grief. She seemed as "one of the Eumenides." To some the pomp and scenic
effects were gratifying. Others were affected by the reflection that the
great traveller, after roaming through almost every known land, had at
last been laid in a quiet nook in an English graveyard. Others who were
familiar with Burton's religious views considered "the whole ceremony an
impertinence." All, however, whatever their opinions, were united in the
desire to honour the great Englishman whose motto had been "Honour not
Honours." So at last, after four funerals, Sir Richard Burton was left
in peace.

The interior of the tomb remains much as it did on that day. Facing
the entrance is an altar with pictures, vases and the other customary
appurtenances. Sir Richard's sarcophagus lies to one's left, and on the
right has since been placed the coffin of Lady Burton, while over all
hang ropes of camel bells, which when struck give out the old metallic
sound that Sir Richard heard so often in the desert.

The ceremony over, Lady Burton went to spend ten days in the convent of
the canonesses of the Holy Sepulchre at Chelmsford--"my convent," as she
called it, because she was educated there. She then hired longing at No.
5, Baker Street, London, until a house--No. 67--in the same street could
be made ready for her. By the kindness of Queen Victoria she was allowed
a pension of L150 a year.

179. The Scented Garden Storm, June 1891.

In the meantime, the fifteen hundred subscribers to The Scented Garden
kept writing to Lady Burton to ask when the promised work was to be in
their hands. As she could not possibly reply to so many persons, and
as the nature of some of the letters cast her into a state of wild
perturbation, there seemed only one course open to her--namely, to write
to the press. So she sent to The Morning Post the well-known letter
which appeared 19th June, 1891, mentioning some of her reasons for
destroying the manuscript, the principal being her belief that out of
fifteen hundred men, fifteen would probably read it in the spirit
of science in which it was written, the other fourteen hundred and
eighty-five would read it "for filth's sake." The principal cause, the
apparition of her husband, she did not mention. [674]