e that she should say that it is you, you
must be prepared to bear the burden, whatever may be urged to the
contrary at the vicarage. And now we will retire to roost in this
hole of ours."

Arthur had as yet made no reply to Bertram's question; but as he
crept along the base of the pyramid, feeling his steps among the sand
and loose stones, he did manage to say a word or two of the truth.

"God bless you, George. I do love her--very dearly." And then the two
cousins understood each other.

It has been said that Alexandria has nothing of an Eastern town
but its filth. This cannot at all be said of Cairo. It may be
doubted whether Bagdad itself is more absolutely oriental in its
appurtenances. When once the Englishman has removed himself five
hundred yards from Shepheard's hotel, he begins to feel that he is
really in the East. Within that circle, although it contains one
of the numerous huge buildings appropriated to the viceroy's own
purposes, he is still in Great Britain. The donkey-boys curse in
English, instead of Arabic; the men you meet sauntering about, though
they do wear red caps, have cheeks as red; and the road is broad and
macadamized, and Britannic. But anywhere beyond that circle Lewis
might begin to paint.

Cairo is a beautiful old city; so old in the realities of age that it
is crumbling into dust on every side. From time to time the houses
are patched up, but only patched; and, except on the Britannic soil
above alluded to, no new houses are built. It is full of romance, of
picturesque oriental wonders, of strange sights, strange noises, and
strange smells. When one is well in the town, every little narrow
lane, every turn--and the turns are incessant--every mosque and every
shop creates fresh surprise. But I cannot allow myself to write a
description of Cairo.

How the dervishes there spun and shook, going through their holy
exercises with admirable perseverance, that I must tell. This
occurred towards the latter end of the winter, when Wilkinson and
Bertram had nearly completed their sojourn in Cairo. Not but what the
dervishes had roared out their monotonous prayer to Allah, duly every
Friday, at 1 P.M., with as much precision as a service in one of your
own cathedrals; but our friends had put the thing off, as hardly
being of much interest, and at last went there when they had only one
Friday left for the performance.

I believe that, as a rule, a Mahomedan hates a Christian: regarding
him m