no Harrison's Novel "Thcofand" [1904 



with Anne thirty years ago. Both are interesting men. I told Button 

 the story of the Gorst intrigue at Cairo, and he gave me in return the 

 latest Egyptian news which he got from a friend in the War Office, 

 namely, that Cromer has been in correspondence as to the withdrawal 

 of the Army of Occupation. Cromer has declared himself ready to do 

 without any English regiment beyond a Corporal's guard at Alexandria. 

 He says he can rely absolutely on the Egyptian troops, that the English 

 garrison is not wanted, and that he declines to pay for it. The London 

 War Office, however, insists on keeping it on in Egypt, as they thus 

 make a saving of English expense, the cost of the army being put upon 

 Egypt. 



" 28th Nov. — After a stormy passage I find myself once more at 

 Alexandria and Sheykh Obeyd. During the voyage I read Frederick 

 Harrison's novel which he has just published, a strange mixture of 

 historic fact of the most interesting kind, and melodrama of the most 

 conventional. The romantic episodes will not, I think, redound to 

 Harrison's philosophic fame, for it is naively unreal, but these take up 

 but a few pages, and might as well have been omitted altogether, while 

 the historic background is vigorous and well told, only, as in every 

 historical novel, the parts that are true ought to be printed in sober 

 type, the parts untrue in red. As it is we don't know what to make 

 of the cream-coloured Arabs and the coal-black Barbs, which would 

 seem to have been borrowed from Disraeli. I must write to him about 

 it. The Creevy Papers is another volume of good gossiping value. 



" Here at Sheykh Obeyd things change slowly. The city creeps 

 gradually nearer us, and the old distant view of Cairo, which was so 

 beautiful, is half shut out by new houses. The garden remains, as 

 always, an unchanging refuge. 



" Mohammed Abdu has given me an account of all that has happened 

 during the summer. The chief incident has been an escapade of Sheykh 

 Ali Yusuf's, in which the Khedive has been mixed up. The Khedive, 

 ever since his first visit to London and the acquaintance he made with 

 our King, has taken to a life of amusement with ladies of doubtful 

 character, and has surrounded himself with boon companions. Sheykh 

 Ali Yusuf, whose connection with the Court was originally a literary 

 one, but who is a pleasant fellow, has been adopted into this set, and, 

 though no longer young, has put on the garments of youth in the 

 Khedive's company. Among other ladies honoured by His Highness 

 was a daughter of the Sheykh El Saadat, whom her father from mer- 

 cenary motives had not allowed to marry, though she is now twenty- 

 seven, his high position as head of the Moslem nobility putting it into 

 his power to exact rich presents from suitors for her hand, to whom 

 he afterwards refused consent. The young lady, however, has been 

 furious at the delay, and through the connivance of the Sheykh el 



