standing between the two Pashas, Mehemet Ali and Ibrahim,
a degree of petty jealousy existed between them on the point of their
mutual communications with foreigners; so that if I happened one morning
to attend the divan of the Grand Pasha, as the Franks styled the father,
I was sure, on some excuse or other, of being summoned the next day to
the levee of the son; I was therefore not surprised when, one day, on my
return from paying my respects to the divan at the citadel of Cairo,
I found a Nubian eunuch in attendance at my quarters, telling me that
Ibrahim Pasha was anxious to see me.

I accordingly repaired without loss of time to the sumptuous palace of
that chieftain: and being ushered into his presence, I found the future
conqueror of Syria attended only by his dragoman, his secretary; and an
aide-de-camp.

A pipe was immediately brought me, but Ibrahim himself did not smoke.
After the usual compliments, 'Effendi,' said Ibrahim, 'do you think the
English horses would live in Egypt?'

I was too practised an observer of the Turkish character to suppose that
English horses were really the occasion of my summons. The Turks are
very diplomatic, and are a long time coming to the point. I answered,
however, that, with English grooms, I was of opinion that English horses
would flourish in any climate. A curt, dry, uninteresting conversation
about English horses was succeeded by some queries, which I had answered
fifty times before, about English pistols: and then came a sly joke or
two about English women. At length the point of the interview began to
poke its horns out of this shell of tittle-tattle.

'If you want to go with the army,' said his Highness, ''tis I who am
the person to speak to. They know nothing about those things up there'
(meaning the citadel).

I answered his Highness that I had attended the divan merely as a matter
of ceremony, and that I had not interchanged a word with the Grand Pasha
on the subject of the expedition.

'I suppose you talked with Boghaz?' said Ibrahim.

Boghaz was the favourite of Mehemet Ali.

'Neither with Boghaz nor any one else. Your Highness having once
graciously promised me that I should attend you, I should have thought
it both impertinent and unnecessary to apply to any other person
whatever.'

'Tahib!' exclaimed his Highness, which meant that he was satisfied.
'After all, I do not know whether the army will march at all. You have
been in Syria?'

I answered, in