M. de Rouge, the great Egyptologue, came here one evening; he speaks Arabic perfectly, and delighted Sheykh Yussuf, who was much interested in the translations of the hieroglyphics and anxious to know if he had found anything about Moussa (Moses) or Yussuf (Joseph).  He looked pleased and grateful to be treated like a ‘gentleman and scholar’ by such an Alim as M. de Rouge and such a Sheykhah as myself.  As he acts as clerk to Mustapha, our consular agent, and wears a shabby old brown shirt, or gown, and speaks no English, I dare say he not seldom encounters great slights (from sheer ignorance).  He produced a bit of old Cufic MS. and consulted M. de R. as to its meaning—­a pretty little bit of flattery in an Arab Alim to a Frenchman, to which the latter was not insensible, I saw.  In answer to the invariable questions about all my family I once told him my father had been a great Alim of the Law, and that my mother had got ready his written books and put some lectures in order to be printed.  He was amazed—­first that I had a mother, as he told me he thought I was fifty or sixty, and immensely delighted at the idea.  ’God has favoured your family with understanding and knowledge; I wish I could kiss the Sheykhah your mother’s hand.  May God favour her!’ Maurice’s portrait (as usual) he admired fervently, and said one saw his good qualities in his face—­a compliment I could have fully returned, as he sat looking at the picture with affectionate eyes and praying, sotto voce, for el gedda, el gemeel (the youth, the beautiful), in the words of the Fathah, ’O give him guidance and let him not stray into the paths of the rejected!’ Altogether, something in Sheykh Yussuf reminds me of Worsley:  there is the same look of Seelen reinheit, with far less thought and intelligence; indeed little thought, of course, and an additional childlike innocence.  I suppose some medieval monks may have had the same look, but no Catholic I have ever seen looks so peaceful or so unpretending.  I see in him, like in all people who don’t know what doubt means, that easy familiarity with religion.  I hear him joke with Omar about Ramadan, and even about Omar’s assiduous prayers, and he is a frequent and hearty laugher.  I wonder whether this gives you any idea of a character new to you.  It is so impossible to describe manner, which gives so much of the impression of novelty.  My conclusion is the heretical one:  that to dream of converting here is absurd, and, I will add, wrong.  All that is wanted is general knowledge and education, and the religion will clear and develop itself.  The elements are identical with those of Christianity, encumbered, as that has been, with asceticism and intolerance.  On the other hand, the creed is simple and there are no priests, a decided advantage.  I think the faith has remained wonderfully rational considering the extreme ignorance of those who hold it.  I will add Sally’s practical remark, that ’The prayers are a fine thing for lazy people; they must wash first, and the prayer is a capital drill.’