They are dressed in drapery
like Greek statues, and are as perfect, but have hard, bold faces, and,
though far handsomer, lack the charm of the Arab women; and the men,
except at Kalabshee and those from far up the country, are not such
gentlemen as the Arabs.

Everyone is cursing the French here. Forty thousand men always at work
at the Suez Canal at starvation-point, does not endear them to the Arabs.
There is great excitement as to what the new Pasha will do. If he ceases
to give forced labour, the Canal, I suppose, must be given up. Well, I
must leave off and send my letter to Mustapha Aga to forward. I shall
stay here ten days or so, and then return slowly to Cairo on March 10,
the last day of Ramadan. I will stay a short time at Cairo, and then
take a small boat and drop down to Alexandria and see Janet. How I did
wish for my darling Rainie to play with Achmet in the boat and see the
pretty Nubian boys and girls. I have seen and heard so much, that like
M. de Conti _je voudrais etre leve pour l'aller dire_. I long to bore
you with traveller's tales. Pray write soon.

Omar wanted to hear all that 'the gentleman' said about 'weled and bint'
(boy and girl), and was quite delighted to hear of Maurice's good report
at school, he thinks that the 'Abou el welad' (father of the
children--you, to wit) will send a sheep to the 'fikee' who teaches him.
I have learned a new code of propriety altogether--_cela a du bon et du
mauvais_, like ours. When I said 'my husband' Omar blushed and gently
corrected me; when my donkey fell in the streets he cried with vexation,
and on my mentioning the fall to Hekekian Bey he was quite indignant.
'Why you say it, ma'am? that shame'--a _faux pas_ in fact. On the other
hand they mention all that belongs to the production of children with
perfect satisfaction and pleasure. A very pleasing, modest and handsome
Nubian young woman, wishing to give me the best present she could think
of, brought me a mat of her own making, and which had been her
marriage-bed. It was a gift both friendly and honourable, and I treasure
it accordingly. Omar gave me a description of his own marriage,
appealing to my sympathy about the distress of absence from his wife. I
intimated that English people were not accustomed to some words and might
be shocked, on which he said, 'Of course I not speak of my Hareem to
English gentleman, but to good Lady can speak it.'

Good-bye, dear Alick, no, that is im