d lost forty men. I
would not have left Luxor, but there were no new cases for four days
before, and the worst had been over for full ten days. Two or three poor
people brought me new bread and vegetables to the boat when they saw me
going, and Yussuf came down and sat with us all the evening, and looked
quite sad. Omar asked him why, and he said it made him think how it
would seem when '_Inshallah_ should be well and should leave my place
empty at Luxor and go back with the blessing of God to my own place and
to my own people.' Whereupon Omar grew quite sentimental too, and nearly
cried. I don't know how Arthur would have managed without us, for he had
come with two Frenchmen who had proper servants and who left the boat at
Girgeh, and he has a wretched little dirty idiotic Coptic tailor as a
servant, who can't even sew on a button. It is becoming quite a calamity
about servants here. Arthur tells me that men, not fit to light Omar's
pipe, asked him 10 pounds a month in Cairo and would not take less, and
he gives his Copt 4 pounds. I really feel as if I were cheating Omar to
let him stay on for 3 pounds; but if I say anything he kisses my hand and
tells me 'not to be cross.'

I have letters from Yussuf to people at Assouan. If I want anything I am
to call on the Kadee. We have a very excellent boat and a good crew, and
are very comfortable. When the Luxor folk heard the 'son of my uncle'
was come, they thought it must be my husband. I was diverted at Omar's
propriety. He pointed out to Mustapha and Yussuf how _he_ was to sleep
in the cabin between Arthur's and mine, which was considered quite
satisfactory apparently, and it was looked upon as very proper of Omar to
have arranged it so, as he had been sent to put the boat in order.
Arthur has been all along the Suez Canal, and seen a great many curious
things. The Delta must be very unlike Upper Egypt from all he tells me.
The little troop of pilgrims for Mecca left Luxor about ten days ago. It
was a pretty and touching sight. Three camels, five donkeys, and about
thirty men and women, several with babies on their shoulders, all
uttering the _zaghareet_ (cry of joy). They were to walk to Koseir
(eight days' journey with good camels), babies and all. It is the
happiest day of their lives, they say, when they have scraped together
money enough to make the _hajj_.

This minute a poor man is weeping beside our boat over a pretty heifer
decked with many _h