I write to be ready for the last _down_ steamer which will be here in a
few days. Mr. and Miss North are here working hard at sketching, and M.
Brune will take a place in their Dahabieh (my old Zint el Bahreyn), and
leave me in six or seven days. I shall quite grieve to lose his company.
If ever you or yours fall in with him, pray cultivate his acquaintance,
he is very clever, very hard working, and a 'thorough-bred gentleman' as
Omar declares. We are quite low-spirited at parting after a month spent
together at Thebes.
I hear that Olagnier has a big house in Old Cairo and will lodge me. The
Norths go to-day (Thursday) and M. Brune does not go with them as he
intended, but will stay on and finish a good stroke of work and take his
chance of a conveyance.
I spent yesterday out in Mustapha's tent among the bean gatherers, and
will go again. I think it does me good and is not too long a ride. The
weather has set in suddenly very hot, which rather tries everybody, but
gloriously fine clear air. I hope you will get this, as old fat Hassan
will take it to the office in Cairo himself--for the post is very
insecure indeed. I have written very often, if you don't get my letters
I suppose they interest the court of Pharaoh.