The Persians, there appeared a
dark line upon the edge of the forward horizon, and soon the line
deepened into a delicate fringe, that sparkled here and there as
though it were sewn with diamonds. There, then, before me were the
gardens and the minarets of Egypt and the mighty works of the Nile,
and I (the eternal Ego that I am!) - I had lived to see, and I saw
them.
When evening came I was still within the confines of the Desert,
and my tent was pitched as usual; but one of my Arabs stalked away
rapidly towards the west, without telling me of the errand on which
he was bent. After a while he returned; he had toiled on a
graceful service; he had travelled all the way on to the border of
the living world, and brought me back for token an ear of rice,
full, fresh, and green.
The next day I entered upon Egypt, and floated along (for the
delight was as the delight of bathing) through green wavy fields of
rice, and pastures fresh and plentiful, and dived into the cold
verdure of groves and gardens, and quenched my hot eyes in shade,
as though in deep, rushing waters.
CHAPTER XVIII - CAIRO AND THE PLAGUE {30}
Cairo and plague! During the whole time of my stay the plague was
so master of the city, and showed itself so staringly in every
street and every alley, that I can't now affect to dissociate the
two ideas.
When coming from the Desert I rode through a village which lies
near to the city on the eastern side, there approached me with busy
face and earnest gestures a personage in the Turkish dress. His
long flowing beard gave him rather a majestic look, but his
briskness of manner, and his visible anxiety to accost me, seemed
strange in an Oriental. The man in fact was French, or of French
origin, and his object was to warn me of the plague, and prevent me
from entering the city.
"Arretez-vous, monsieur, je vous en prie - arretez-vous; il ne faut
pas entrer dans la ville; la peste y regne partout."
"Oui, je sais,{31} mais - "
"Mais monsieur, je dis la peste - la peste; c'est de LA PESTE, qu'il
est question."
"Oui, je sais, mais - "
"Mais monsieur, je dis encore LA PESTE - LA PESTE. Je vous conjure
de ne pas entrer dans la ville - vous seriez dans une ville
empestee."
"Oui, je sais, mais - "
"Mais monsieur, je dois donc vous avertir tout bonnement que si
vous entrez dans la ville, vous serez - enfin vous serez COMPROMIS!"
{32}
"Oui, je sais, mais - "
The Frenchman was at last convinced that it was vain to reason
with a mere Englishman, who could not understand what it was to be
"compromised." I thanked him most sincerely for his kindly meant
warning; in hot countries it is very unusual indeed for a man to go
out in the glare of the sun and give free advice to a stranger.
