154 RECOLLECTIONS OF FORTY YEARS. 



was the impossibility of taking the initiative of a 

 work to be executed in Egypt, where the Viceroy 

 alone had the right to decide what should be done. 



" This being the case, I must shelve for a time my 

 memorandum on the subject, and I am going to see 

 about the construction of a model farm upon a property 

 which my mother-in-law, Madame Delarnalle, has 

 recently purchased." 



To the same. 



" LA CHENAIE, September 15, 1854. 



"I was busy with my masons and carpenters, who 

 are building an additional story to the old manor- 

 house of Agnes Sorel, when the postman appeared in 

 the courtyard with the Paris letters. They were 

 handed up to me by the workmen, and what was my 

 surprise to learn of the death of Abbas Pasha, and the 

 accession to power of our early friend, the intelligent 

 and sympathetic Mohammed Said ! I at once came 

 down from the building, and lost not an hour in writ- 

 ing to the new Yiceroy to congratulate him on his 

 accession. I reminded him that the course of political 

 events had left me idle, and that I should take 

 advantage of my liberty to go and present him my 

 homage, if he would let me know the time of his 

 return from Constantinople, where he was to go for 

 investiture. 



" He replied to me at once, and fixed the beginning 

 of November for me to meet him at Alexandria. I 



