es with the water-jars
poised on their heads. If only we were back in the days when there were
no steamers and the Nile must have been like a perpetual dream! But
never mind. At least we refused Baroudi's steam-tug. So we shall just go
up with the wind, or be poled up when there is none, if we aren't tied
up under the bank. That's the only way to travel on the Nile, but of
course Baroudi uses it, as one uses the railway, to go to business."

He stopped, as if his mind had taken a turn towards some other line of
thought; then he said:

"Isn't it odd that you and I should be established in Baroudi's boat,
when we've never seen him again since the day we had tea on it? I almost
thought--"

"What?"

"I almost thought perhaps he'd run up by train to give us a sort of
send-off."

"Why should he?"

"Of course it wasn't necessary. Still, it would have been an act of
pretty politeness to you."

"Oh, I think the less pretty politeness European women have from these
Orientals the better!" she said, almost with a sneer.

"You're thinking of that horrible German woman in the Fayyum. But
Baroudi's very well looked on by the English in Egypt. I found that out
in Cairo, when I left you to go to the Fayyum. He's quite a _persona
grata_ for an Egyptian. Everybody seems ready to do him a good turn.
That's partly why he's been so successful in all he's undertaken."

"I dare say he's not bad in his way, but as long as we've got his lovely
boat I can do quite well without him" she said, smiling. "Where are we
going to tie up tonight, and when?"

"When it gets dark. The Reis knows where. Isn't it glorious to be quite
free and independent? We can stop wherever we like, in the lonely
places, where there'll be no tourists to bother us."

"Yes," she said, echoing his enthusiasm, while she looked at him with
smiling eyes. "Let's avoid the tourists and stop in the lonely places.
Well, I'm going down now."

"Why? What are you going to do? The sun will soon be setting. We ought
to see the first afterglow from the _Loulia_ together."

"Call me, then, when it comes. But I'm going to take a lesson in
coffee-making as they do it out here. It will amuse me to make our
coffee after lunch. Besides, it will be something to do. And I want to
take an interest in everything, in all the trifles of this odd new
life."

He put his arm around her shoulder.

"Splendid!" he said.

His hand tightened upon her.

"But you must come for the afterg