I
think Rainie will like her very much.

I am going to visit an old Muslim French painter's family. He has an
Arab wife and grown-up daughters, and is a very agreeable old man with a
store of Arab legends; I am going to persuade him to write them and let
me translate them into English. The Sultan goes away to-day. Even water
to drink has been brought from Constantinople; I heard that from Hekekian
Bey, who formerly owned the eunuch who is now Kislar Aghasy to the Sultan
himself. Hekekian had the honour of kissing his old slave's hand. If
anyone tries to make you believe any bosh about civilization in Egypt,
laugh at it. The real life and the real people are exactly as described
in the most veracious of books, the 'Thousand and One Nights'; the
tyranny is the same, the people are not altered--and very charming people
they are. If I could but speak the language I could get into Arab
society here through two or three different people, and see more than
many Europeans who have lived here all their lives. The Arabs are keenly
alive to the least prejudice against them, but when they feel quite safe
on that point they rather like the amusement of a stranger.

Omar devised a glorious scheme, if I were only well and strong, of
putting me in a takterrawan and taking me to Mecca in the character of
his mother, supposed to be a Turk. To a European man, of course, it
would be impossible, but an enterprising woman might do it easily with a
Muslim confederate. Fancy seeing the pilgrimage! In a few days I shall
go down to Alexandria, if it makes me ill again I must return to Europe
or go to Beyrout. I can't get a boat under 12 pounds; thus do the Arabs
understand competition; the owner of boats said so few were wanted, times
were bad on account of the railway, etc., he must have double what he
used to charge. In vain Omar argued that that was not the way to get
employment. 'Maleesh!' (Never mind!), and so I must go by rail. Is not
that Eastern? Up the river, where there is no railroad, I might have had
it at half that rate. All you have ever told me as most Spanish in Spain
is in full vigour here, and also I am reminded of Ireland at every turn;
the same causes produce the same effects.

To-day the Khamseen is blowing and it is decidedly hot, quite unlike the
heat at the Cape; this is close and gloomy, no sunshine. Altogether the
climate is far less bright than I expected, very, very inferior to the
Cape. Neverthe