4 6 RECOLLECTIONS OF FORTY YEARS. 



ings of devotion towards the prince, who has since 

 his boyhood honoured me with his friendship, are 

 appreciated by the person who would be best able to 

 divine their nature, for gifted women have an almost 

 supernatural instinct for picking out, almost without 

 having seen them, the friends or the enemies of those 

 to whom they are attached. Their views are rarely 

 mistaken ; and there is no man, of those blessed with 

 a faithful and disinterested companion, who has not 

 occasionally had cause to regret not having followed 

 the advice or given heed to the presentiments to which 

 his vanity prevented him from paying attention. 



" i The Viceroy deigned to speak to me, during our 

 voyage to the Soudan, of the high opinion which he 

 had of the clear and straightforward judgment of his 

 august spouse. This gives me a reason the more for 

 rejoicing in the confidence which she is pleased to 

 place in the sincerity of my attachment for a prince 

 who may count upon ever receiving from me the free 

 and respectful affection which his goodness of heart 

 and, as I may venture to call it, his fraternal affection 

 cannot fail to elicit.' ' 



Note to His Highness the Viceroy. 



"MiT-BiKE, March 9, 1857. 



"As I count upon returning very shortly to 

 Egypt, I would ask of your Highness to provide 

 Linant Bey and Mougel Bey with the means for con- 

 tinuing the preparatory works upon the sweet-water 



