i/8 Hafiz Awwad [1907 



man, and we have discussed every phase of the Egyptian question. On 

 this he is thoroughly sound, representing Mohammed Abdu's views 

 more completely than any other I have met. Of the Khedive he gives 

 a hopeful account. ' The experience of the last year,' he says, ' has 

 made His Highness once more serious, and though quite alive to his 

 faults and his hereditary ill tendencies, he thinks he can now be fairly 

 well relied on to work with the National Party. Two years ago the 

 Khedive had despaired of politics, and had given himself up solely to 

 pleasure and money-making, but the events of Akabah and the demon- 

 strations about Denshawai had shown him that he would find support 

 in the country if the hour of resistance to English rule should come. 

 Even if he should fail them, Hafiz is confident the Egyptians could 

 work out their National salvation without him. Talking of Cromer's 

 resignation, he said, as they all do, that the Sultan's popularity in 

 Egypt came as a surprise to Cromer, and entirely upset his calculations. 

 Denshawai was an act of anger, alarm, and disappointment, a supreme 

 folly which had ruined his position in Egypt. Cromer had not quite 

 understood how entirely this was the case till his return to Cairo last 

 autumn. Then he had attributed the sudden unanimity of feeling 

 against him to the Khedive's intrigues, and he had tried to get Abbas 

 deposed. It was the refusal of the English Government to go with him 

 to that extreme extent that had led him to resign. Hafiz does not think 

 the Khedive knew of the resignation before it was announced. His 

 Highness was on the point of making one of his desert journeys from 

 Alexandria when he heard the news, and hastened to Cairo out of 

 politeness, expecting to find Cromer really ill, but when they met it 

 was only to receive a violent scolding on account of an allowance Abbas 

 had made to a certain religious Sheykh, an itinerant preacher whom 

 Cromer accused him of putting forward to foment sedition. 



" As to Gorst, Hafiz is very sceptical of his proving any great change 

 for the better. As far as Nationalist hopes are concerned, he might 

 well be in some ways worse. He is anxious I should, if possible, see 

 the Khedive and encourage him to hold fast to his patriotic principles, 

 but Abbas was very weak. 



" Of Mustapha Kamel he talked reasonably, said he could be relied 

 on as honest and patriotic, but he was vain and impatient of competi- 

 tion, and jealous of being considered the one National Leader. He had 

 acquired great influence, and his ability was great. 



" i$th Aug. — Drove to Storrington to call on Miss Petre and Father 

 Tyrrell. Her * Home for the Unhappy ' is a charming old eighteenth- 

 century house in the village street opposite the Black Horse Inn, inside 

 and outside perfect, rooms panelled and white painted, all scrupulously 

 clean, with a semi-conventual primness, but prettier than convents are. 

 The door was opened by a demure maid, very neatly dressed, with 



