in　our　markets　for　twenty…four　hours。　　If　it　were　made；　the　freights
  would　be　too　heavy　to　allow　of　merchandise　passing　through。　　The　heavy
  goods　would　all　go　round；　and　as　for　passengers　and　mails；　you　don't
  expect　to　get　them；　I　suppose；　while　there　is　a　railroad　ready　made　to
  their　hand？〃
  〃Ye　vill　carry　all　your　ships　through　vidout　any　transportation。　　Think
  of　that；　my　friend。〃
  〃Pshaw！　　You　are　worse　than　Ingram。　　Of　all　the　plans　I　ever　heard　of
  it　is　the　most　monstrous；　the　most　impracticable；　the　most〃　　But　here
  he　was　interrupted　by　the　entreaties　of　his　wife；　who　had；　in　absolute
  deed　and　fact；　slipped　from　her　donkey；　and　was　now　calling　lustily　for
  her　husband's　aid。　　Whereupon　Miss　Dawkins　allied　herself　to　the
  Frenchman；　and　listened　with　an　air　of　strong　conviction　to　those
  arguments　which　were　so　weak　in　the　ears　of　Mr。　Damer。　　M。　Delabordeau
  was　about　to　ride　across　the　Great　Desert　to　Jerusalem；　and　it　might
  perhaps　be　quite　as　well　to　do　that　with　him；　as　to　go　up　the　Nile　as
  far　as　the　second　cataract　with　the　Damers。
  〃And　so；　M。　Delabordeau；　you　intend　really　to　start　for　Mount　Sinai？〃
  〃Yes；　mees；　ve　intend　to　make　one　start　on　Monday　week。〃
  〃And　so　on　to　Jerusalem。　　You　are　quite　right。　　It　would　be　a　thousand
  pities　to　be　in　these　countries；　and　to　return　without　going　over　such
  ground　as　that。　　I　shall　certainly　go　to　Jerusalem　myself　by　that
  route。〃
  〃Vot；　mees！　you？　　Would　you　not　find　it　too　much　fatigante？〃
  〃I　care　nothing　for　fatigue；　if　I　like　the　party　I　am　with；nothing　at
  all；　literally。　　You　will　hardly　understand　me；　perhaps；　M。
  Delabordeau；　but　I　do　not　see　any　reason　why　I；　as　a　young　woman；
  should　not　make　any　journey　that　is　practicable　for　a　young　man。〃
  〃Ah！　dat　is　great　resolution　for　you；　mees。〃
  〃I　mean　as　far　as　fatigue　is　concerned。　　You　are　a　Frenchman；　and
  belong　to　the　nation　that　is　at　the　head　of　all　human　civilisation〃
  M。　Delabordeau　took　off　his　hat　and　bowed　low；　to　the　peak　of　his
  donkey　saddle。　　He　dearly　loved　to　hear　his　country　praised；　as　Miss
  Dawkins　was　aware。
  〃And　I　am　sure　you　must　agree　with　me；〃　continued　Miss　Dawkins；　〃that
  the　time　is　gone　by　for　women　to　consider　themselves　helpless　animals；
  or　to　be　so　considered　by　others。〃
  〃Mees　Dawkins　vould　never　be　considered；　not　in　any　times　at　all；　to　be
  one　helpless　animal；〃　said　M。　Delabordeau　civilly。
  〃I　do　not；　at　any　rate；　intend　to　be　so　regarded；〃　said　she。　　〃It　suits
  me　to　travel　alone；　not　that　I　am　averse　to　society；　quite　the
  contrary；　if　I　meet　pleasant　people　I　am　always　ready　to　join　them。
  But　it　suits　me　to　travel　without　any　permanent　party；　and　I　do　not　see
  why　false　shame　should　prevent　my　seeing　the　world　as　thoroughly　as
  though　I　belonged　to　the　other　sex。　　Why　should　it；　M。　Delabordeau？〃
  M。　Delabordeau　declared　that　he　did　not　see　any　reason　why　it　should。
  〃I　am　passionately　anxious　to　stand　upon　Mount　Sinai；〃　continued　Miss
  Dawkins；　〃to　press　with　my　feet　the　earliest　spot　in　sacred　history；　of
  the　identity　of　which　we　are　certain；　to　feel　within　me　the　awe…
  inspiring　thrill　of　that　thrice　sacred　hour！〃
  The　Frenchman　looked　as　though　he　did　not　quite　understand　her；　but　he
  said　that　it　would　be　magnifique。
  〃You　have　already　made　up　your　party　I　suppose；　M。　Delabordeau？〃
  M。　Delabordeau　gave　the　names　of　two　Frenchmen　and　one　Englishman　who
  were　going　with　him。
  〃Upon　my　word　it　is　a　great　temptation　to　join　you；〃　said　Miss　Dawkins；
  〃only　for　that　horrid　Englishman。〃
  〃Vat；　Mr。　Stanley？〃
  〃Oh；　I　don't　mean　any　disrespect　to　Mr。　Stanley。　　The　horridness　I
  speak　of　does　not　attach　to　him　personally；　but　to　his　stiff；
  respectable；　ungainly；　well…behaved；　irrational；　and　uncivilised
  country。　　You　see　I　am　not　very　patriotic。〃
  〃Not　quite　so　much　as　my　friend；　Mr。　Damer。〃
  〃Ha！　ha！　ha！　an　excellent　creature；　isn't　he？　　And　so　they　all　are；
  dear　creatures。　　But　then　they　are　so　backward。　　They　are　most　anxious
  that　I　should　join　them　up　the　Nile；　but；〃　and　then　Miss　Dawkins
  shrugged　her　shoulders　gracefully；　and；　as　she　flattered　herself；　like
  a　Frenchwoman。　　After　that　they　rode　on　in　silence　for　a　few　moments。
  〃Yes；　I　must　see　Mount　Sinai；〃　said　Miss　Dawkins；　and　then　sighed
  deeply。　　M。　Delabordeau；　notwithstanding　that　his　country　does　stand　at
  the　head　of　all　human　civilisation；　was　not　courteous　enough　to　declare
  that　if　Miss　Dawkins　would　join　his　party　across　the　desert；　nothing
  would　be　wanting　to　make　his　beatitude　in　this　world　perfect。
  Their　road　from　the　village　of　the　chicken…batching　ovens　lay　up　along
  the　left　bank　of　the　Nile；　through　an　immense　grove　of　lofty　palm…
  trees；　looking　out　from　among　which　our　visitors　could　ever　and　anon
  see　the　heads　of　the　two　great　Pyramids；that　is；　such　of　them　could
  see　it　as　felt　any　solicitude　in　the　matter。
  It　is　astonishing　how　such　things　lose　their　great　charm　as　men　find
  themselves　in　their　close　neighbourhood。　　To　one　living　in　New　York　or
  London；　how　ecstatic　is　the　interest　inspired　by　these　huge　structures。
  One　feels　that　no　price　would　be　too　high　to　pay　for　seeing　them　as
  long　as　time　and　distance；　and　the　world's　inexorable　task…work；　forbid
  such　a　visit。　　How　intense　would　be　the　delight　of　climbing　over　the
  wondrous　handiwork　of　those　wondrous　architects　so　long　since　dead；　how
  thrilling　the　awe　with　which　one　would　penetrate　down　into　their
  interior　cavesthose　caves　in　which　lay　buried　the　bones　of　ancient
  kings；　whose　very　names　seem　to　have　come　to　us　almost　from　another
  world！
  But　all　these　feelings　become　strangely　dim；　their　acute　edges
  wonderfully　worn；　as　the　subjects　which　inspired　them　are　brought　near
  to　us。　　〃Ah！　so　those　are　the　Pyramids；　are　they？〃　says　the　traveller；
  when　the　first　glimpse　of　them　is　shown　to　him　from　the　window　of　a
  railway　carriage。　　〃Dear　me；　they　don't　look　so　very　high；　do　they？
  For　Heaven's　sake　put　the　blind　down；　or　we　shall　be　destroyed　by　the
  dust。〃　　And　then　the　ecstasy　and　keen　delight　of　the　Pyramids　has
  vanished　for　ever。
  Our　friends；　therefore；　who　for　weeks　past　had　seen　from　a　distance；
  though　they　had　not　yet　visited　them；　did　not　seem　to　have　any　strong
  feeling　on　the　subject　as　they　trotted　through　the　grove　of　palm…trees。
  Mr。　Damer　had　not　yet　escaped　from　his　wife；　who　was　still　fretful　from
  the　result　of　her　little　accident。
  〃It　was　all　the　chattering　of　that　Miss　Dawkins；〃　said　Mrs。　Damer。
  〃She　would　not　let　me　attend　to　what　I　was　doing。〃
  〃Miss　Dawkins　is　an　ass；〃　said　her　husband。
  〃It　is　a　pity　she　has　no　one　to　look　after　her；〃　said　Mrs。　Damer。　　M。
  Delabordeau　was　still　listening　to　Miss　Dawkins's　raptures　about　Mount
  Sinai。　　〃I　wonder　whether　she　has　got　any　money；〃　said　M。　Delabordeau
  to　himself。　　〃It　can't　be　much；〃　he　went　on　thinking；　〃or　she　would　not
  be　left　in　this　way　by　herself。〃　　And　the　result　of　his　thoughts　was
  that　Miss　Dawkins；　if　undertaken；　might　probably　become　more　plague
  than　profit。　　As　to　Miss　Dawkins　herself；　though　she　was　ecstatic　about
  Mount　Sinaiwhich　was　not　presentshe　seemed　to　have　forgotten　the
  poor　Pyramids；　which　were　then　before　her　nose。
  The　two　lads　were　riding　races　along　the　dusty　path；　much　to　the
  disgust　of　their　donkey…boys。　　Their　time　for　enjoyment　was　to　come。
  There　were　hampers　to　be　opened；　and　then　the　absolute　climbing　of　the
  Pyramids　would　actually　be　a　delight　to　them。
  As　for　Miss　Damer　and　Mr。　Ingram；　it　was　clear　that　they　had　forgotten
  palm…trees；　Pyramids；　the　Nile；　and　all　Egypt。　　They　had　escaped　to　a
  much　fairer　paradise。
  〃Could　I　bear　to　live　among　Republicans？〃　said　Fanny；　repeating　the
  last　words　of　her　American　lover；　and　looking　down　from　her　donkey　to
  the　ground　as　she　did　so。　　〃I　hardly　know　what　Republicans　are；　Mr。
  Ingram。〃
  〃Let　me　teach　you；〃　said　he。
  〃You　do　talk　such　nonsense。　　I　declare　there　is　that　Miss　Dawkins
  looking　at　us　as　though　she　had　twenty　eyes。　　Could　you　not　teach　her；
  Mr。　Ingram？〃
  And　so　they　emerged　from　the　palm…tree　grove；　through　a　village　crowded
  with　dirty；　straggling　Arab　children；　on　to　the　cultivated　plain；
  beyond　which　the　Pyramids　stood；　now　full　before　them；　the　two　large
  Pyramids；　a　smaller　one；　and　the　huge　sphynx's　head　all　in　a　group
  together。
  〃Fanny；〃　said　Bob　Damer；　riding　up　to　her；　〃mamma　wants　you；　so　toddle
  back。〃
  〃Mamma　wants　me！　　What　can　she　want　me　for　now？〃　said　Fanny；　with　a
  look　of　anything　but　filial　duty　in　her　face。
  〃To　protect　her　from　Miss　Dawkins；　I　think。　　She　wants　you　to　ride　at
  her　side；　so　that　Dawkins　mayn't　get　at　her。　　Now；　Mr。　Ingram；　I'll　bet
  you　hall…a…crown　I'm　at　the　top　of　the　big　Pyramid　before　you。〃
  Poor　Fanny！　　She　obeyed；　however；　doubtless　feeling　that　it　would　not
  do　as　yet　to　show　too　plainly　that　she　preferred　Mr。　Ingram　to　her
  mother。　　She　arrested　her　donkey；　therefore；　till　Mrs。　Damer　overtook
  her；　and　Mr。　Ingram；　as　he　paused　for　a　moment　with　her　while　she　did
  so；　fell　into　the　hands　of　Miss　Dawkins。
  〃I　cannot　think；　Fanny；　how　you　get　on　so　quick；〃　said　Mrs。　Damer。
  〃I'm　always　last；　but　then　my　donkey　is　such　a　very　nasty　one。　　Look
  there；　now；　he's　always　trying　to　get　me　off。〃
  〃We　shall　soon　be　at　the　Pyramids　now；　mamma。