rmed a tarbooshed individual that it was a fine
day. Unfortunately this conversation did not prove fruitful, for,
besides the fact that the subject of the weather in Egypt is a quickly
exhausted topic, the gentleman to whom the remark had been addressed
soon made it evident that he failed to comprehend. However, the
trooper soon unearthed a magnificently emblazoned official from the
Sudan, who happened to be English, and struck up an acquaintance with
him.

A nervous plucking of garments on the part of some of the company
indicated that the prelude was near an end. Slowly the assembly was
ushered from the room, along a hall, up a wonderful staircase, and at
last into the august presence of His Serene Highness. Mac took note of
the contortions through which his predecessors passed, made his bow and
shook hands with becoming dignity, muttered once more that the day was
fine, and backed across the room. All stood round the chamber, and
talked about nothing to no one. Others entered and did their
gymnastics, until the room contained the whole Cabinet, all portly
persons in tarbooshes, the afore-mentioned Sudan gentleman, and a few
British people, one in khaki. Now came the real thing. All in order,
according to their great greatness or their lesser greatness, filed
from the room, Mac bringing up the rear. The dining-room was an
apartment of a gorgeousness, the like of which he had not seen before.
He was accorded the gentleman from the Sudan on one side, and a Cabinet
Minister with an unpronounceable name on the other. The table was oval
and loaded with a munificence of delicacies on dishes of gold and
silver and a riot of strange exotic flowers.

The epidemic of servants in post-impressionist attire had spread to the
dining-hall. Savoury dishes of rare and exceeding excellence appeared
and disappeared in rapid procession. Dusky men switched one dish
silently away before Mac had half tasted its delights and promptly
replaced it by another. Breakfast was some distance in the rear and
this food of kings was more to his palate than sand stew "_a la_
Zeitun," and the wine stood high in comparison to the watered beer of
Ind, Coope. So all went well. The gentleman from the Sudan talked of
many things, and Mac told him nearly all about God's own country. The
Cabinet Minister chipped in occasionally, but scarcely seemed to
comprehend the vastness of a sheep station with 200,000 sheep and only
a score of shepherds