No wonder a most pious old Scotchman told me that the truth which undeniably existed in the Mussulman faith was the work of Satan and the Ulema his meenesters.  My dear saint of a Yussuf a meenester of Satan!  I really think I have learnt some ‘Muslim humility’ in that I endured the harangue, and accepted a two-penny tract quite mildly and politely and didn’t argue at all.  As his friend ‘Satan’ would have it, the Fikees were reading the Koran in the hall at Omar’s expense who gave a Khatmeh that day, and Omar came in and politely offered him some sweet prepared for the occasion.  I have been really amazed at several instances of English fanaticism this year.  Why do people come to a Mussulman country with such bitter hatred ‘in their stomachs’ as I have seen three or four times.  I feel quite hurt often at the way the people here thank me for what the poor at home would turn up their noses at.  I think hardly a dragoman has been up the river since Rashedee died but has come to thank me as warmly as if I had done himself some great service—­and many to give some little present.  While the man was ill numbers of the fellaheen brought eggs, pigeons, etc. etc. even a turkey, and food is worth money now, not as it used to be.  I am quite weary too of hearing ‘Of all the Frangee I never saw one like thee.’  Was no one ever at all humane before?  For remember I give no money—­only a little physic and civility.  How the British cottagers would ’thank ye for nothing’—­and how I wish my neighbours here could afford to do the same.

After much wrangling Mustapha has got back my boy Yussuf but the Christian Sheykh-el-Hara has made his brother pay 2 pounds whereat Mohammed looks very rueful.  Two hundred men are gone out of our village to the works and of course the poor Hareem have not bread to eat as the men had to take all they had with them.  I send you a very pretty story like Tannhauser.

There was once a man who loved a woman that lived in the same quarter.  But she was true to her husband, and his love was hopeless, and he suffered greatly.  One day as he lay on his carpet sick with love, one came to him and said, O, such-a-one, thy beloved has died even now, and they are carrying her out to the tomb.  So the lover arose and followed the funeral, and hid himself near the tomb, and when all were gone he broke it open, and uncovered the face of his beloved, and looked upon her, and passion overcame him, and he took from the dead that which when living she had ever denied him.

But he went back to the city and to his house in great grief and anguish of mind, and his sin troubled him.  So he went to a Kadee, very pious and learned in the noble Koran, and told him his case, and said, ’Oh my master the Kadee, can such a one as I obtain salvation and the forgiveness of God?  I fear not.’  And the Kadee gave him a staff of polished wood which he held in his hand, and said ’Who knoweth the mercy of God and his justice, but God alone—­take then this staff and stick it in the sand beside the tomb where thou didst sin and leave it the night, and go next morning and come and tell me what thou shalt find, and may the Lord pardon thee, for thy sin is great.’