A worthy Copt here, one Todorus, took ‘a piece of paper’ for 20 pounds for antiquities sold to an Englishman, and after the Englishman was gone, brought it to me to ask what sort of paper it was, and how he could get it changed, or was he, perhaps, to keep it till the gentleman sent him the money?  It was a circular note, which I had difficulty in explaining, but I offered to send it to Cairo to Brigg’s and get it cashed; as to when he would get the money I could not say, as they must wait for a safe hand to send gold by.  I told him to put his name on the back of the note, and Todorus thought I wanted it as a receipt for the money which was yet to come, and was going cheerfully to write me a receipt for the 20 pounds he was entrusting to me.  Now a Copt is not at all green where his pocket is concerned, but they will take anything from the English.  I do hope no swindler will find it out.  Mr. Close told me that when his boat sank in the Cataract, and he remained half dressed on the rock, without a farthing, four men came and offered to lend him anything.  While I was in England last year an Englishman to whom Omar acted as laquais de place went away owing him 7 pounds for things bought.  Omar had money enough to pay all the tradespeople, and kept it secret for fear any of the other Europeans should say, ‘Shame for the English’ and did not even tell his family.  Luckily, the man sent the money by the next mail from Malta, and the Sheykh of the dragomans proclaimed it, and so Omar got it; but he would never have mentioned it else.  This ‘concealing of evil’ is considered very meritorious, and where women are concerned positively a religious duty. Le scandale est ce qui fait l’offense is very much the notion in Egypt, and I believe that very forgiving husbands are commoner here than elsewhere.  The whole idea is founded on the verse of the Koran, incessantly quoted, ’The woman is made for the man, but the man is made for the woman’; ergo, the obligations to chastity are equal; ergo, as the men find it difficult, they argue that the women do the same.  I have never heard a woman’s misconduct spoken of without a hundred excuses; perhaps her husband had slave girls, perhaps he was old or sick, or she didn’t like him, or she couldn’t help it.  Violent love comes ‘by the visitation of God,’ as our juries say; the man or woman must satisfy it or die.  A poor young fellow is now in the muristan (the madhouse) of Cairo owing to the beauty and sweet tongue of an English lady whose servant he was.  How could he help it?  God sent the calamity.

I often hear of Lady Ellenborough, who is married to the Sheykh-el-Arab of Palmyra, and lives at Damascus.  The Arabs think it inhuman of English ladies to avoid her.  Perhaps she has repented; at all events, she is married and lives with her husband.  I asked Omar if he would tell his brother if he saw his wife do anything wrong. (N.B.—­He can’t endure her.) ‘Certainly not, I must cover her