in our markets for twenty…four hours。 If it were made； the freights
would be too heavy to allow of merchandise passing through。 The heavy
goods would all go round； and as for passengers and mails； you don't
expect to get them； I suppose； while there is a railroad ready made to
their hand？〃
〃Ye vill carry all your ships through vidout any transportation。 Think
of that； my friend。〃
〃Pshaw！ You are worse than Ingram。 Of all the plans I ever heard of
it is the most monstrous； the most impracticable； the most〃 But here
he was interrupted by the entreaties of his wife； who had； in absolute
deed and fact； slipped from her donkey； and was now calling lustily for
her husband's aid。 Whereupon Miss Dawkins allied herself to the
Frenchman； and listened with an air of strong conviction to those
arguments which were so weak in the ears of Mr。 Damer。 M。 Delabordeau
was about to ride across the Great Desert to Jerusalem； and it might
perhaps be quite as well to do that with him； as to go up the Nile as
far as the second cataract with the Damers。
〃And so； M。 Delabordeau； you intend really to start for Mount Sinai？〃
〃Yes； mees； ve intend to make one start on Monday week。〃
〃And so on to Jerusalem。 You are quite right。 It would be a thousand
pities to be in these countries； and to return without going over such
ground as that。 I shall certainly go to Jerusalem myself by that
route。〃
〃Vot； mees！ you？ Would you not find it too much fatigante？〃
〃I care nothing for fatigue； if I like the party I am with；nothing at
all； literally。 You will hardly understand me； perhaps； M。
Delabordeau； but I do not see any reason why I； as a young woman；
should not make any journey that is practicable for a young man。〃
〃Ah！ dat is great resolution for you； mees。〃
〃I mean as far as fatigue is concerned。 You are a Frenchman； and
belong to the nation that is at the head of all human civilisation〃
M。 Delabordeau took off his hat and bowed low； to the peak of his
donkey saddle。 He dearly loved to hear his country praised； as Miss
Dawkins was aware。
〃And I am sure you must agree with me；〃 continued Miss Dawkins； 〃that
the time is gone by for women to consider themselves helpless animals；
or to be so considered by others。〃
〃Mees Dawkins vould never be considered； not in any times at all； to be
one helpless animal；〃 said M。 Delabordeau civilly。
〃I do not； at any rate； intend to be so regarded；〃 said she。 〃It suits
me to travel alone； not that I am averse to society； quite the
contrary； if I meet pleasant people I am always ready to join them。
But it suits me to travel without any permanent party； and I do not see
why false shame should prevent my seeing the world as thoroughly as
though I belonged to the other sex。 Why should it； M。 Delabordeau？〃
M。 Delabordeau declared that he did not see any reason why it should。
〃I am passionately anxious to stand upon Mount Sinai；〃 continued Miss
Dawkins； 〃to press with my feet the earliest spot in sacred history； of
the identity of which we are certain； to feel within me the awe…
inspiring thrill of that thrice sacred hour！〃
The Frenchman looked as though he did not quite understand her； but he
said that it would be magnifique。
〃You have already made up your party I suppose； M。 Delabordeau？〃
M。 Delabordeau gave the names of two Frenchmen and one Englishman who
were going with him。
〃Upon my word it is a great temptation to join you；〃 said Miss Dawkins；
〃only for that horrid Englishman。〃
〃Vat； Mr。 Stanley？〃
〃Oh； I don't mean any disrespect to Mr。 Stanley。 The horridness I
speak of does not attach to him personally； but to his stiff；
respectable； ungainly； well…behaved； irrational； and uncivilised
country。 You see I am not very patriotic。〃
〃Not quite so much as my friend； Mr。 Damer。〃
〃Ha！ ha！ ha！ an excellent creature； isn't he？ And so they all are；
dear creatures。 But then they are so backward。 They are most anxious
that I should join them up the Nile； but；〃 and then Miss Dawkins
shrugged her shoulders gracefully； and； as she flattered herself； like
a Frenchwoman。 After that they rode on in silence for a few moments。
〃Yes； I must see Mount Sinai；〃 said Miss Dawkins； and then sighed
deeply。 M。 Delabordeau； notwithstanding that his country does stand at
the head of all human civilisation； was not courteous enough to declare
that if Miss Dawkins would join his party across the desert； nothing
would be wanting to make his beatitude in this world perfect。
Their road from the village of the chicken…batching ovens lay up along
the left bank of the Nile； through an immense grove of lofty palm…
trees； looking out from among which our visitors could ever and anon
see the heads of the two great Pyramids；that is； such of them could
see it as felt any solicitude in the matter。
It is astonishing how such things lose their great charm as men find
themselves in their close neighbourhood。 To one living in New York or
London； how ecstatic is the interest inspired by these huge structures。
One feels that no price would be too high to pay for seeing them as
long as time and distance； and the world's inexorable task…work； forbid
such a visit。 How intense would be the delight of climbing over the
wondrous handiwork of those wondrous architects so long since dead； how
thrilling the awe with which one would penetrate down into their
interior cavesthose caves in which lay buried the bones of ancient
kings； whose very names seem to have come to us almost from another
world！
But all these feelings become strangely dim； their acute edges
wonderfully worn； as the subjects which inspired them are brought near
to us。 〃Ah！ so those are the Pyramids； are they？〃 says the traveller；
when the first glimpse of them is shown to him from the window of a
railway carriage。 〃Dear me； they don't look so very high； do they？
For Heaven's sake put the blind down； or we shall be destroyed by the
dust。〃 And then the ecstasy and keen delight of the Pyramids has
vanished for ever。
Our friends； therefore； who for weeks past had seen from a distance；
though they had not yet visited them； did not seem to have any strong
feeling on the subject as they trotted through the grove of palm…trees。
Mr。 Damer had not yet escaped from his wife； who was still fretful from
the result of her little accident。
〃It was all the chattering of that Miss Dawkins；〃 said Mrs。 Damer。
〃She would not let me attend to what I was doing。〃
〃Miss Dawkins is an ass；〃 said her husband。
〃It is a pity she has no one to look after her；〃 said Mrs。 Damer。 M。
Delabordeau was still listening to Miss Dawkins's raptures about Mount
Sinai。 〃I wonder whether she has got any money；〃 said M。 Delabordeau
to himself。 〃It can't be much；〃 he went on thinking； 〃or she would not
be left in this way by herself。〃 And the result of his thoughts was
that Miss Dawkins； if undertaken； might probably become more plague
than profit。 As to Miss Dawkins herself； though she was ecstatic about
Mount Sinaiwhich was not presentshe seemed to have forgotten the
poor Pyramids； which were then before her nose。
The two lads were riding races along the dusty path； much to the
disgust of their donkey…boys。 Their time for enjoyment was to come。
There were hampers to be opened； and then the absolute climbing of the
Pyramids would actually be a delight to them。
As for Miss Damer and Mr。 Ingram； it was clear that they had forgotten
palm…trees； Pyramids； the Nile； and all Egypt。 They had escaped to a
much fairer paradise。
〃Could I bear to live among Republicans？〃 said Fanny； repeating the
last words of her American lover； and looking down from her donkey to
the ground as she did so。 〃I hardly know what Republicans are； Mr。
Ingram。〃
〃Let me teach you；〃 said he。
〃You do talk such nonsense。 I declare there is that Miss Dawkins
looking at us as though she had twenty eyes。 Could you not teach her；
Mr。 Ingram？〃
And so they emerged from the palm…tree grove； through a village crowded
with dirty； straggling Arab children； on to the cultivated plain；
beyond which the Pyramids stood； now full before them； the two large
Pyramids； a smaller one； and the huge sphynx's head all in a group
together。
〃Fanny；〃 said Bob Damer； riding up to her； 〃mamma wants you； so toddle
back。〃
〃Mamma wants me！ What can she want me for now？〃 said Fanny； with a
look of anything but filial duty in her face。
〃To protect her from Miss Dawkins； I think。 She wants you to ride at
her side； so that Dawkins mayn't get at her。 Now； Mr。 Ingram； I'll bet
you hall…a…crown I'm at the top of the big Pyramid before you。〃
Poor Fanny！ She obeyed； however； doubtless feeling that it would not
do as yet to show too plainly that she preferred Mr。 Ingram to her
mother。 She arrested her donkey； therefore； till Mrs。 Damer overtook
her； and Mr。 Ingram； as he paused for a moment with her while she did
so； fell into the hands of Miss Dawkins。
〃I cannot think； Fanny； how you get on so quick；〃 said Mrs。 Damer。
〃I'm always last； but then my donkey is such a very nasty one。 Look
there； now； he's always trying to get me off。〃
〃We shall soon be at the Pyramids now； mamma。