sh?"

"Yes, it is very like Arabic. All the officials and upper classes in
Egypt are Turks, and one hears more Turkish than Arabic, except among
the Bedouin tribes."

While they were talking they were leisurely descending the shrouds side
by side. As soon as they gained the deck, the captain's steward came up
to Edgar, and said that Sir Sidney Smith would be glad to see him and
Mr. Wilkinson to dinner that evening. The captain had abstained from
inviting him until he should have got his uniform, thinking that he
would find it uncomfortable sitting down in civilian dress. The fact
that he was going to dine late in no way interfered with Edgar's
enjoyment of his mid-day meal. During the two days he had been on board,
he had got on friendly terms with all his messmates excepting Condor,
who studiously abstained from noticing him in any way. The younger
midshipmen he bullied unmercifully, and had a general dictatorial way
with the others that made Edgar frequently long for the opportunity of
giving him a lesson.

He had no doubt that Condor had determined to postpone the occasion
until they had left the Pireus, at which point they were to call, as his
service might be required there to interpret. Once away from the island,
he would not be likely to be called upon to translate until they arrived
at Constantinople.

It was a pleasant dinner in Sir Sidney Smith's cabin. There were present
the first and third lieutenants, the captain of the marines, the doctor,
Wilkinson, and Edgar. Sir Sidney Smith was a delightful host; he
possessed a remarkable charm of manner, was most thoughtful and kind to
all his subordinates, and, though strict in all matters of discipline,
treated his officers as gentlemen and on terms of equality in his own
cabin. He had already accomplished many dashing exploits in the Baltic
and elsewhere, and was beloved both by the sailors and officers. It was
a time when life in the navy was very rough, when the lash was
unsparingly used for the smallest offences, and when too many ships were
made floating hells by the tyranny of their commanders.

"I should have asked you to dinner on the day that you came on board,
Mr. Blagrove," Sir Sidney said kindly, as the two midshipmen entered,
"but I thought that you might prefer my not doing so until you got your
uniform. It has been some privation for myself, for I am anxious to hear
from you some details as to what has been doing in Egypt, of which, of
course, w