THE ORIGIN OF THE SUEZ CANAL. 113 



already received three wounds, engaged in a hand-to- 

 hand struggle with one of the rioters, she had the 

 courage to make a spring at him, bury her nails in his 

 face, and bite him in the arm until he dropped his 

 weapon, which M. Emerat was then able to pick up 

 and use against fresh assailants, until at last he fell 

 exhausted and bleeding. Mdlle. Eveillard had her 

 cheek cut open by a yatagan, and had sunk to the 

 ground. The assailants, thinking that they were both 

 despatched, proceeded to pillage the house, and Mdlle. 

 Eveillard covered herself and the bodies of her parents 

 with the cushions of the divan in the hope that they 

 would all escape notice. Soon after a fresh band of 

 rioters came into the room, and seeing legs emerging 

 from the coverings of the divan, gave several sword- 

 thrusts at them to see if the bodies to which they 

 belonged were really lifeless. Mdlle. Eveillard had 

 the fortitude to make no movement, and the men went 

 away. But even then her sufferings were not over, 

 for the men came back, and in order to see if a large 

 cupboard, at the foot of which she was lying under the 

 cushions, contained any valuables, four or five of these 

 wretches stood upon them. It may be imagined what 

 her agony of body and mind must have been. At 

 length this band of savages, drunk with blood and 

 pillage, made off. 



" There then arrived a young negro, who had been 

 sent to her rescue by the ladies of an adjoining harem 

 to whom Madame Eveillard and her daughter had a 



