would
send a _dellaleh_ (marriage brokeress) to me. Omar told him that would
never do. I had a husband in England; besides, I was not young, had a
married daughter, my hair was gray, etc. The Sheykh swore he didn't
care; I could dye my hair and get a divorce; that I was not like stupid
modern women, but like an ancient Arab _Emeereh_, and worthy of Antar or
Abou Zeyd--a woman for whom men killed each other or themselves--and he
would pay all he could afford as my dowry. Omar came in in fits of
laughter at the idea, and the difficulty he had had in stopping the
_dellaleh's_ visit. He told the Sheykh I should certainly beat her I
should be so offended. The disregard of differences of age here on
marriage is very strange. My adorer was not more than thirty, I am sure.
Don't tell people, my dear Alick; it is so very absurd; I should be
'ashamed before the people.'

_Saturday_, _April_ 23.--_Alhamdulillah_! the sickness is going off. I
have just heard Suleyman's report as follows: Hassan Abou-Achmet kisses
the Emeereh's feet, and the bullets have cleaned his stomach six times,
and he has said the _Fathah_ for the Lady. The two little girls who had
diarrhoea are well. The Christian dyer has vomited his powder and wants
another. The mother of the Christian cook who married the priest's
sister has got dysentery. The hareem of Mustapha Abou-Abeyd has two
children with bad eyes. The Bishop had a quarrel, and scolded and fell
down, and cannot speak or move; I must go to him. The young-deacon's
jaundice is better. The slave girl of Kursheed A'gha is sick, and
Kursheed is sitting at her head in tears; the women say I must go to her,
too. Kursheed is a fine young Turk, and very good to his _Hareemat_.
That is all; Suleyman has nothing on earth to do, and brings me a daily
report; he likes the gossip and the importance.

The reis of a cargo-boat brought me up your Lafontaine, and some papers
and books from Hekekian Bey. Sheykh Yussuf is going down to Cairo, to
try to get back some of the lands which Mahommed Ali took away from the
mosques and the Ulema without compensation. He asked me whether Ross
would speak for him to Effendina! What are the Muslimeen coming to? As
soon as I can read enough he offers to read in the Koran with me--a most
unusual proceeding, as the 'noble Koran' is not generally put into the
hands of heretics; but my 'charity to the people in sickness' is looked
upon by Abd-el-Waris the Imam, an