eet kindly gave them
to Omar, who wanted to make calves' foot jelly for me. I had a sort of
profane feeling, as if I were eating a descendant of the bull Apis.

I am reading Mme. du Deffand's letters. What a repulsive picture of a
woman. I don't know which I dislike most, Horace Walpole or herself: the
conflict of selfishness, vanity and _ennui_ disguised as sentiment is
quite hateful: to her Turgot was _un sot animal_,--so much for her great
gifts.

Remember me kindly to William and tell him how much I wish I could see
his 'improvements,' Omar also desires his salaam to him, having a sort of
fellow feeling for your faithful henchman. I need not say he kisses your
hand most dutifully.

January 22, 1867: Sir Alexander Duff Gordon

_To Sir Alexander Duff Gordon_.

LUXOR,
_January_ 22, 1867.

DEAREST ALICK,

The weather has been lovely, for the last week, and I am therefore
somewhat better. My boat arrived to-day, with all the men in high
good-humour, and Omar tells me all is in good order, only the people in
Cairo gave her the evil eye, and broke the iron part of the rudder which
had to be repaired at Benisouef. Mr. Lear has been here the last few
days, and is just going up to the second cataract; he has done a little
drawing of my house for you--a new view of it. He is a pleasant man and
I was glad to see him.

[Picture: Lady Duff Gordon, from oil portrait by Henry W. Phillips, about
1851]

Such a queer fellow came here the other day--a tall stalwart Holsteiner,
I should think a man of fifty, who has been four years up in the Soudan
and Sennaar, and being penniless, had walked all through Nubia begging
his way. He was not the least 'down upon his luck' and spoke with
enthusiasm of the hospitality and kindness of Sir Samuel Baker's
'tigers.' _Ja, das sind die rechten Kerls, dass ist das gluckliche
Leben_. His account is that if you go with an armed party, the blacks
naturally show fight, as men with guns, in their eyes, are always slave
hunters; but if you go alone and poor, they kill an ox for you, unless
you prefer a sheep, give you a hut, and generally anything they have to
offer, _merissey_ (beer) to make you as drunk as a lord, and young ladies
to pour it out for you--and--you need not wear any clothes. If you had