feats, and no more.  But the captain called out to one Latifeh, an ugly, clumsy-looking wench, to show the Sitt what she could do.  And then it was revealed to me.  The ugly girl started on her feet and became the ’serpent of old Nile,’—­the head, shoulders and arms eagerly bent forward, waist in, and haunches advanced on the bent knees—­the posture of a cobra about to spring.  I could not call it voluptuous any more than Racine’s Phedre.  It is Venus toute entiere a sa proie attachee, and to me seemed tragic.  It is far more realistic than the ‘fandango,’ and far less coquettish, because the thing represented is au grande serieux, not travestied, gaze, or played with; and like all such things, the Arab men don’t think it the least improper.  Of course the girls don’t commit any indecorums before European women, except the dance itself.  Seyyid Achmet would have given me a fantasia, but he feared I might have men with me, and he had had a great annoyance with two Englishmen who wanted to make the girls dance naked, which they objected to, and he had to turn them out of his house after hospitably entertaining them.

Our procession home to the boat was very droll.  Mme. Mounier could not ride an Arab saddle, so I lent her mine and enfourche’d my donkey, and away we went with men running with ‘meshhaals’ (fire-baskets on long poles) and lanterns, and the captain shouting out’ Full speed!’ and such English phrases all the way—­like a regular old salt as he is.  We got here last night, and this morning Mustapha A’gha and the Nazir came down to conduct me up to my palace.  I have such a big rambling house all over the top of the temple of Khem.  How I wish I had you and the chicks to fill it!  We had about twenty fellahs to clean the dust of three years’ accumulation, and my room looks quite handsome with carpets and a divan.  Mustapha’s little girl found her way here when she heard I was come, and it seemed quite pleasant to have her playing on the carpet with a dolly and some sugar-plums, and making a feast for dolly on a saucer, arranging the sugar-plums Arab fashion.  She was monstrously pleased with Rainie’s picture and kissed it.  Such a quiet, nice little brown tot, and curiously like Rainie and walnut-juice.

[Luxor, by Edward Lear, showing Lady Duff Gordon’s house, now destroy:  ill101.jpg]

The view all round my house is magnificent on every side, over the Nile in front facing north-west, and over a splendid range of green and distant orange buff hills to the south-east, where I have a spacious covered terrace.  It is rough and dusty to the extreme, but will be very pleasant.  Mustapha came in just now to offer me the loan of a horse, and to ask me to go to the mosque in a few nights to see the illumination in honour of a great Sheykh, a son of Sidi Hosseyn or Hassan.  I asked whether my presence might not offend any Muslimeen, and he would