ge done to complexion and wardrobe by the sizzling, salt-laden
wind which had tortured them since Colombo had been left behind.

Two daughters and a mother stood aloofly in the shade thrown by the
indescribable waiting-room; the mother still labouring under the
delusion that if you can't afford to send your girls properly wardrobed
on a visit to relations in India, the next best method of annexing
husbands for them is to take them hacking on a long sea voyage. For
has it not been known that many a man driven to the verge of madness by
the everlasting sight of flying fish, and the as enduring sound of the
soft plop of the little bull-board sandbag, has become engaged to "a
perfectly im-_poss_-ible person in the second class, you know," so as
to break the deadly monotony of his surroundings.

They did not want to see Cairo or any other part of Egypt, for the East
said nothing to them, even a rush view of the Pyramids failing to stir
their shallow hearts; but they knew to a shade the effect on their less
fortunate friends when in course of time they should murmur, "You
remember, dear, the winter we were in Cairo."

Added to these there were raucous Australians, clumsily built guttural
Germans, in fact the usual omnium gatherum, unavoidable, alas! on a sea
voyage, clothed in short skirts, shirt waists, squash hats, and thick
boots as "they were going tramping about the sands," and each, of
_course_, loaded with the inevitable camera which gives dire offence to
many an eastern of higher rank, who hates being photographed
willy-nilly along with all the other "only a native" habits of the
westerner, who with the one word "nigger" describes the Rajah of India,
the Sheik of Arabia, the Hottentot and the Christy Minstrel.

Free for one day from the restraining manners of those others who at
that very moment were doubtless returning thanks on deck to Allah for
his manifold blessings in the shape of some few hours of perfect peace,
a few men of different nationalities were either boisterously chaffing
the less plain of their companions, or ogling the shrinking Eastern
women, crouching on the edge of the platform. Mr. Billings in fact, in
unclean canvas shoes and a frantic endeavour to find favour in the
bistre enlarged eyes of a certain slim black figure, was executing the
very double shuffle which had "brought down" the second class dining
saloon honoured for the nonce by the presence of the first class, on
the occasion of on