CH. xvn.] Two Gentlemen of Palmyra. 19 



must wait at least for tlie caravan which is s^oins: 

 to-moiTow. I will send for the chief men in it, and 

 they shall be answeral^le for your safety." — Wilfrid, 

 " Unfortunately our camels have already marched, 

 and if we do not set out soon we shall not overtake 

 them." — Huseyn (to his servants). " Send for the 

 Tudmuri, and tell them to come to me at once." 



The Tudmuri appeared. There were two of 

 them, respectable, well-to-do people, if one could 

 judge by their clothes ; the elder, a man of fifty,. 

 ■with a handsome, but, as I thought, foxy face : the 

 other, a very fine-looking young fellow, with an 

 out-spoken manner which impressed us fiivourably. 

 They said it was quite impossible their caravan 

 could be ready to-day ; but to-morrow they would 

 be at the Pasha's orders. Wilfrid, however, insisted 

 that at least we must join our camels ; and, after a 

 long argument and a private conversation between 

 Huseyn and the Tudmuri, the younger man was 

 sent to fetch his mare and told to accompany us, as. 

 soon as we had had breakfast. This was perhaps 

 not quite what we wanted ; but, as we were really 

 in the Pasha's hands about going at all, Wilfrid did 

 not think it prudent to make any further objec- 

 tions ; so, after a last meal and the usual farewells 

 and good wishes exchanged, we rode away for the 

 second time from Deyr, with a strange mixture of 

 gratitude to Huseyn for his kindness, and of resent- 

 ment at his interft-rence with our plans. It was a 

 great thing however to be gone ; and, in spite o£ 



