nst him. In the Council Chamber he was in a
minority because he spoke his mind; but this was not so with
other Ministers, whose antecedents were dubious. Had his advice
been taken, Ismail would have now been Khedive of Egypt. Any one
who knows Cherif will agree to this account of him, and will rate
him as infinitely superior to his other colleagues. He is
essentially not an intriguer.

"To return, immediately after the promulgation of the Firman on
August 16, Tewfik dismisses suddenly Cherif, and the European
Press considers he has done a bold thing, and, misjudging Cherif,
praise him for having broken with the advisers who caused the
ruin of Ismail. My opinion is that Tewfik feared Cherif's
proposition as being likely to curtail his power as absolute
ruler, and that he judged that he would by this dismissal gain
_kudos_ in Europe, and protect his absolute power.

"After a time Riaz is appointed in Cherif's place, and then
Tewfik begins his career. He concedes this and that to European
desires, but in so doing claims for his youth and inexperience
exemption from any reform which would take from his absolute
power. Knowing that it was the bondholders who upset his father
he conciliates them; they in their turn leave him to act as he
wished with regard to the internal government of the country.
Riaz was so placed as to be between two influences--one, the
bondholders seeking their advantages; the other, Tewfik, seeking
to retain all power. Riaz of course wavers. Knowing better than
Tewfik the feeling of Europe, he inclines more to the bondholders
than to Tewfik, to whom, however, he is bound to give some sops,
such as the Universal Military Service Bill, which the
bondholders let pass without a word, and which is the root of the
present troubles. After a time Tewfik finds that Riaz will give
no more sops, for the simple reason he dares not. Then Tewfik
finds him _de trop_, and by working up the military element
endeavours to counterbalance him. The European Powers manage to
keep the peace for a time, but eventually the military become too
strong for even Tewfik, who had conjured them up, and taking
things into their own hands upset Riaz, which Tewfik is glad of,
and demand a Constitution, which Tewfik is not glad of. Cherif
then returns, a