ould not go to wreck and ruin, and the business be
entirely lost.

"I don't think the French occupation would be likely to last very many
months. You may be sure that there would be great efforts made at home.
A tremendous fleet would be sent out here, and the difficulties of
bringing in stores and reinforcements for the army would be enormous.
Possibly we too may land an army. Certainly we could nowhere fight the
French so advantageously as here; it would be the case of India over
again, as long as we are superior at sea, as we could bring troops here
more safely and more expeditiously than they could. However, that seems
to me the best arrangement we can make if the French land. To me it
would make no great difference, for, as you know, I had arranged to sail
in three weeks for England.

"The only alteration would be that you must accompany me instead of
staying here. Even putting aside the fact that you would be made a
prisoner, you would, if you stayed here, be a hindrance rather than a
help to the business. Muller would carry it on as a purely German firm,
while if you were here it would be evident that I had merely left
temporarily, and that you were my representative. That would be fatal to
Muller doing business with the French."

"I see that, father, although I must say that I would rather stop to see
the fun."

Mr. Blagrove smiled.

"I don't suppose you would see much of it in any case, Edgar. However,
that is out of the question. I daresay my correspondents in London will
be able to take you into their office, or get you a situation of the
same kind elsewhere, so that if you stop in England a year you will not
be wasting your time. However, the French have not come yet, and I can
hardly think that they can intend to undertake an expedition, where,
even if our fleet is not strong enough to do so at once, it will ere
long certainly be raised to a point when it will completely cut them off
from France."

"But even if they come, father, they may not succeed in conquering
Egypt. Don't you think that the Mamelukes will be able to make head
against them?"

"We don't know how strong the French are, but even if they come in great
force, if the Mamelukes were well handled, Edgar, they ought to be able
to prevent them from advancing far inland. They ought to hang in clouds
round them, driving in their cavalry whenever they ventured to leave the
shelter of their infantry fire. They ought to harass them night and