certain dogmas—­and in fact, very little is felt here.  No one attempts to apply different standards of morals or of piety to a Muslim and a Copt.  East and West is the difference, not Muslim and Christian.  As to that difference I could tell volumes.  Are they worse?  Are they better?  Both and neither.  I am, perhaps, not quite impartial, because I am sympathique to the Arabs and they to me, and I am inclined to be ‘kind’ to their virtues if not ‘blind’ to their faults, which are visible to the most inexperienced traveller.  You see all our own familiar ‘bunkum’ (excuse the vulgarity) falls so flat on their ears, bravado about ‘honour,’ ‘veracity,’ etc., etc., they look blank and bored at.  The schoolboy morality as set forth by Maurice is current here among grown men.  Of course we tell lies to Pashas and Beys, why shouldn’t we?  But shall I call in that ragged sailor and give him an order to bring me up 500 pounds in cash from Cairo when he happens to come?  It would not be an unusual proceeding.  I sleep every night in a makaab (sort of verandah) open to all Luxor, and haven’t a door that has a lock.  They bother me for backsheesh; but oh how poor they are, and how rich must be a woman whose very servants drink sugar to their coffee! and who lives in the Kasr (palace) and is respectfully visited by Ali Bey—­and, come to that, Ali Bey would like a present even better than the poorest fellah, who also loves to give one.  When I know, as I now do thoroughly, all Omar’s complete integrity—­without any sort of mention of it—­his self-denial in going ragged and shabby to save his money for his wife and child (a very great trial to a good-looking young Arab), and the equally unostentatious love he has shown to me, and the delicacy and real nobleness of feeling which come out so oddly in the midst of sayings which, to our ideas, seem very shabby and time-serving, very often I wonder if there be anything as good in the civilized West.  And as Sally most justly says, ’All their goodness is quite their own.  God knows there is no one to teach anything but harm!’

Tuesday.—­Two poor fellows have just come home from the Suez Canal work with gastric fever, I think.  I hope it won’t spread.  The wife of one said to me yesterday, ’Are there more Sittat (ladies) like you in your village?’ ‘Wallah,’ said I, ’there are many better, and good doctors, Alhamdullillah!’ ‘Alhamdullillah,’ said she, ’then the poor people don’t want you so much, and by God you must stay here for we can’t do without you, so write to your family to say so, and don’t go away and leave us.’