an unprotected female at the pyramids-第2部分

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darkest　shade　of　brown；　and　was　always　worn　in　bandeaux；　very　neatly。
She　appeared　generally　in　black；　though　other　circumstances　did　not
lead　one　to　suppose　that　she　was　in　mourning；　and　then；　no　other
travelling　costume　is　so　convenient！　　She　always　wore　a　dark　broad…
brimmed　straw　hat；　as　to　the　ribbons　on　which　she　was　rather
particular。　　She　was　very　neat　about　her　gloves　and　boots；　and　though
it　cannot　be　said　that　her　dress　was　got　up　without　reference　to
expense；　there　can　be　no　doubt　that　it　was　not　effected　without
considerable　outlay；and　more　considerable　thought。

Miss　DawkinsSabrina　Dawkins　was　her　name；　but　she　seldom　had　friends
about　her　intimate　enough　to　use　the　word　Sabrinawas　certainly　a
clever　young　woman。　　She　could　talk　on　most　subjects；　if　not　well；　at
least　well　enough　to　amuse。　　If　she　had　not　read　much；　she　never　showed
any　lamentable　deficiency；　she　was　good…humoured；　as　a　rule；　and　could
on　occasions　be　very　soft　and　winning。　　People　who　had　known　her　long
would　sometimes　say　that　she　was　selfish；　but　with　new　acquaintance　she
was　forbearing　and　self…denying。

With　what　income　Miss　Dawkins　was　blessed　no　one　seemed　to　know。　　She
lived　like　a　gentlewoman；　as　far　as　outward　appearance　went；　and　never
seemed　to　be　in　want；　but　some　people　would　say　that　she　knew　very　well
how　many　sides　there　were　to　a　shilling；　and　some　enemy　had　once
declared　that　she　was　an　〃old　soldier。〃　　Such　was　Miss　Dawkins。

She　also；　as　well　as　Mr。　Ingram　and　M。　Delabordeau；　had　laid　herself
out　to　find　the　weak　side　of　Mr。　Damer。　　Mr。　Damer；　with　all　his
family；　was　going　up　the　Nile；　and　it　was　known　that　he　had　room　for
two　in　his　boat　over　and　above　his　own　family。　　Miss　Dawkins　had　told
him　that　she　had　not　quite　made　up　her　mind　to　undergo　so　great　a
fatigue；　but　that；　nevertheless；　she　had　a　longing　of　the　soul　to　see
something　of　Nubia。　　To　this　Mr。　Damer　had　answered　nothing　but　〃Oh！〃
which　Miss　Dawkins　had　not　found　to　be　encouraging。

But　she　had　not　on　that　account　despaired。　　To　a　married　man　there　are
always　two　sides；　and　in　this　instance　there　was　Mrs。　Damer　as　well　as
Mr。　Damer。　　When　Mr。　Damer　said　〃Oh！〃　Miss　Dawkins　sighed；　and　said；
〃Yes；　indeed！〃　then　smiled；　and　betook　herself　to　Mrs。　Damer。

Now　Mrs。　Damer　was　soft…hearted；　and　also　somewhat　old…fashioned。　　She
did　not　conceive　any　violent　affection　for　Miss　Dawkins；　but　she　told
her　daughter　that　〃the　single　lady　by　herself　was　a　very　nice　young
woman；　and　that　it　was　a　thousand　pities　she　should　have　to　go　about　so
much　alone　like。〃

Miss　Damer　had　turned　up　her　pretty　nose；　thinking；　perhaps；　how　small
was　the　chance　that　it　ever　should　be　her　own　lot　to　be　an　unprotected
female。　　But　Miss　Dawkins　carried　her　point　at　any　rate　as　regarded　the
expedition　to　the　Pyramids。

Miss　Damer；　I　have　said；　had　a　pretty　nose。　　I　may　also　say　that　she
had　pretty　eyes；　mouth；　and　chin；　with　other　necessary　appendages；　all
pretty。　　As　to　the　two　Master　Damers；　who　were　respectively　of　the　ages
of　fifteen　and　sixteen；　it　may　be　sufficient　to　say　that　they　were
conspicuous　for　red　caps　and　for　the　constancy　with　which　they　raced
their　donkeys。

And　now　the　donkeys；　and　the　donkey　boys；　and　the　dragomans　were　all
standing　at　the　steps　of　Shepheard's　Hotel。　　To　each　donkey　there　was　a
donkey…boy；　and　to　each　gentleman　there　was　a　dragoman；　so　that　a
goodly　cortege　was　assembled；　and　a　goodly　noise　was　made。　　It　may　here
be　remarked；　perhaps　with　some　little　pride；　that　not　half　the　noise　is
given　in　Egypt　to　persons　speaking　any　other　language　that　is　bestowed
on　those　whose　vocabulary　is　English。

This　lasted　for　half　an　hour。　　Had　the　party　been　French　the　donkeys
would　have　arrived　only　fifteen　minutes　before　the　appointed　time。　　And
then　out　came　Damer　pere　and　Damer　mere；　Damer　fille；　and　Damer　fils。
Damer　mere　was　leaning　on　her　husband；　as　was　her　wont。　　She　was　not　an
unprotected　female；　and　had　no　desire　to　make　any　attempts　in　that
line。　　Damer　fille　was　attended　sedulously　by　Mr。　Ingram；　for　whose
demolishment；　however；　Mr。　Damer　still　brought　up；　in　a　loud　voice；　the
fag　ends　of　certain　political　arguments　which　he　would　fain　have　poured
direct　into　the　ears　of　his　opponent；　had　not　his　wife　been　so
persistent　in　claiming　her　privileges。　　M。　Delabordeau　should　have
followed　with　Miss　Dawkins；　but　his　French　politeness；　or　else　his　fear
of　the　unprotected　female；　taught　him　to　walk　on　the　other　side　of　the
mistress　of　the　party。

Miss　Dawkins　left　the　house　with　an　eager　young　Damer　yelling　on　each
side　of　her；　but　nevertheless；　though　thus　neglected　by　the　gentlemen
of　the　party；　she　was　all　smiles　and　prettiness；　and　looked　so　sweetly
on　Mr。　Ingram　when　that　gentleman　stayed　a　moment　to　help　her　on　to　her
donkey；　that　his　heart　almost　misgave　him　for　leaving　her　as　soon　as
she　was　in　her　seat。

And　then　they　were　off。　　In　going　from　the　hotel　to　the　Pyramids　our
party　had　not　to　pass　through　any　of　the　queer　old　narrow　streets　of
the　true　CairoCairo　the　Oriental。　　They　all　lay　behind　them　as　they
went　down　by　the　back　of　the　hotel；　by　the　barracks　of　the　Pasha　and
the　College　of　the　Dervishes；　to　the　village　of　old　Cairo　and　the　banks
of　the　Nile。

Here　they　were　kept　half　an　hour　while　their　dragomans　made　a　bargain
with　the　ferryman；　a　stately　reis；　or　captain　of　a　boat；　who　declared
with　much　dignity　that　he　could　not　carry　them　over　for　a　sum　less　than
six　times　the　amount　to　which　he　was　justly　entitled；　while　the
dragomans；　with　great　energy　on　behalf　of　their　masters；　offered　him
only　five　times　that　sum。

As　far　as　the　reis　was　concerned；　the　contest　might　soon　have　been　at
an　end；　for　the　man　was　not　without　a　conscience；　and　would　have　been
content　with　five　times　and　a　half；　but　then　the　three　dragomans
quarrelled　among　themselves　as　to　which　should　have　the　paying　of　the
money；　and　the　affair　became　very　tedious。

〃What　horrid；　odious　men！〃　said　Miss　Dawkins；　appealing　to　Mr。　Damer。
〃Do　you　think　they　will　let　us　go　over　at　all？〃

〃Well；　I　suppose　they　will；　people　do　get　over　generally；　I　believe。
Abdallah！　　Abdallah！　why　don't　you　pay　the　man？　　That　fellow　is　always
striving　to　save　half　a　piastre　for　me。〃

〃I　wish　he　wasn't　quite　so　particular；〃　said　Mrs。　Damer；　who　was
already　becoming　rather　tired；　〃but　I'm　sure　he's　a　very　honest　man　in
trying　to　protect　us　from　being　robbed。〃

〃That　he　is；〃　said　Miss　Dawkins。　　〃What　a　delightful　trait　of　national
character　it　is　to　see　these　men　so　faithful　to　their　employers。〃　　And
then　at　last　they　got　over　the　ferry；　Mr。　Ingram　having　descended　among
the　combatants；　and　settled　the　matter　in　dispute　by　threats　and
shouts；　and　an　uplifted　stick。

They　crossed　the　broad　Nile　exactly　at　the　spot　where　the　nilometer；　or
river　guage；　measures　from　day　to　day；　and　from　year　to　year；　the
increasing　or　decreasing　treasures　of　the　stream；　and　landed　at　a
village　where　thousands　of　eggs　are　made　into　chickens　by　the　process
of　artificial　incubation。

Mrs。　Damer　thought　that　it　was　very　hard　upon　the　maternal　hensthe
hens　which　should　have　been　maternalthat　they　should　be　thus　robbed
of