an unprotected female at the pyramids-第8部分

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unkind　to　an　unprotected　female；　and　his　heart　misgave　him。　　And　yet　it
would　have　misgiven　him　more　had　he　allowed　himself　to　be　entrapped　by
Miss　Dawkins。

〃I　am　quite　ready；　papa；〃　said　Fanny；　running　up　to　himfor　it　may　be
understood　that　there　is　quite　room　enough　for　a　young　lady　to　run　on
the　top　of　the　Pyramid。

〃I　am　sure　I　don't　know　where　you　have　been　all　the　time；〃　said　Mr。
Damer；　〃and　where　are　those　two　boys？〃

Fanny　pointed　to　the　top　of　the　other　Pyramid；　and　there　they　were；
conspicuous　with　their　red　caps。

〃And　M。　Delabordeau？〃

〃Oh！　he　has　gone　down；　I　think；no；　he　is　there　with　Miss　Dawkins。〃
And　in　truth　Miss　Dawkins　was　leaning　on　his　arm　most　affectionately；
as　she　stooped　over　and　looked　down　upon　the　ruins　below　her。

〃And　where　is　that　fellow；　Ingram？〃　said　Mr。　Damer；　looking　about　him。
〃He　is　always　out　of　the　way　when　he's　wanted。〃

To　this　Fanny　said　nothing。　　Why　should　she？　　She　was　not　Mr。　Ingram's
keeper。

And　then　they　all　descended；　each　again　with　his　proper　number　of　Arabs
to　hurry　and　embarrass　him；　and　they　found　Mr。　Damer　at　the　bottom；
like　a　piece　of　sugar　covered　with　flies。　　She　was　heard　to　declare
afterwards　that　she　would　not　go　to　the　Pyramids　again；　not　if　they
were　to　be　given　to　her　for　herself；　as　ornaments　for　her　garden。

The　picnic　lunch　among　the　big　stones　at　the　foot　of　the　Pyramid　was
not　a　very　gay　affair。　　Miss　Dawkins　talked　more　than　any　one　else；
being　determined　to　show　that　she　bore　her　defeat　gallantly。　　Her
conversation；　however；　was　chiefly　addressed　to　M。　Delabordeau；　and　he
seemed　to　think　more　of　his　cold　chicken　and　ham　than　he　did　of　her　wit
and　attention。

Fanny　hardly　spoke　a　word。　　There　was　her　father　before　her　and　she
could　not　eat；　much　less　talk；　as　she　thought　of　all　that　she　would
have　to　go　through。　　What　would　he　say　to　the　idea　of　having　an
American　for　a　son…in…law？

Nor　was　Mr。　Ingram　very　lively。　　A　young　man　when　he　has　been　just
accepted；　never　is　so。　　His　happiness　under　the　present　circumstances
was；　no　doubt；　intense；　but　it　was　of　a　silent　nature。

And　then　the　interior　of　the　building　had　to　be　visited。　　To　tell　the
truth　none　of　the　party　would　have　cared　to　perform　this　feat　had　it
not　been　for　the　honour　of　the　thing。　　To　have　come　from　Paris；　New
York；　or　London；　to　the　Pyramids；　and　then　not　to　have　visited　the　very
tomb　of　Cheops；　would　have　shown　on　the　part　of　all　of　them　an
indifference　to　subjects　of　interest　which　would　have　been　altogether
fatal　to　their　character　as　travellers。　　And　so　a　party　for　the
interior　was　made　up。

Miss　Damer　when　she　saw　the　aperture　through　which　it　was　expected　that
she　should　descend；　at　once　declared　for　staying　with　her　mother。　　Miss
Dawkins；　however；　was　enthusiastic　for　the　journey。　　〃Persons　with　so
very　little　command　over　their　nerves　might　really　as　well　stay　at
home；〃　she　said　to　Mr。　Ingram；　who　glowered　at　her　dreadfully　for
expressing　such　an　opinion　about　his　Fanny。

This　entrance　into　the　Pyramids　is　a　terrible　task；　which　should　be
undertaken　by　no　lady。　　Those　who　perform　it　have　to　creep　down；　and
then　to　be　dragged　up；　through　infinite　dirt；　foul　smells；　and　bad　air；
and　when　they　have　done　it；　they　see　nothing。　　But　they　do　earn　the
gratification　of　saying　that　they　have　been　inside　a　Pyramid。

〃Well；　I've　done　that　once；〃　said　Mr。　Damer；　coming　out；　〃and　I　do　not
think　that　any　one　will　catch　me　doing　it　again。　　I　never　was　in　such　a
filthy　place　in　my　life。〃

〃Oh；　Fanny！　I　am　so　glad　you　did　not　go；　I　am　sure　it　is　not　fit　for
ladies；〃　said　poor　Mrs。　Damer；　forgetful　of　her　friend　Miss　Dawkins。

〃I　should　have　been　ashamed　of　myself；〃　said　Miss　Dawkins；　bristling
up；　and　throwing　back　her　head　as　she　stood；　〃if　I　had　allowed　any
consideration　to　have　prevented　my　visiting　such　a　spot。　　If　it　be　not
improper　for　men　to　go　there；　how　can　it　be　improper　for　women？〃

〃I　did　not　say　improper；　my　dear；〃　said　Mrs。　Damer；　apologetically。

〃And　as　for　the　fatigue；　what　can　a　woman　be　worth　who　is　afraid　to
encounter　as　much　as　I　have　now　gone　through　for　the　sake　of　visiting
the　last　resting…place　of　such　a　king　as　Cheops？〃　　And　Miss　Dawkins；　as
she　pronounced　the　last　words；　looked　round　her　with　disdain　upon　poor
Fanny　Damer。

〃But　I　meant　the　dirt；〃　said　Mrs。　Damer。

〃Dirt！〃　ejaculated　Miss　Dawkins；　and　then　walked　away。　　Why　should　she
now　submit　her　high　tone　of　feeling　to　the　Damers；　or　why　care　longer
for　their　good　opinion？　　Therefore　she　scattered　contempt　around　her　as
she　ejaculated　the　last　word；　〃dirt。〃

And　then　the　return　home！　　〃I　know　I　shall　never　get　there；〃　said　Mrs。
Damer；　looking　piteously　up　into　her　husband's　face。

〃Nonsense；　my　dear；　nonsense；　you　must　get　there。〃　　Mrs。　Damer　groaned；
and　acknowledged　in　her　heart　that　she　must；either　dead　or　alive。

〃And；　Jefferson；〃　said　Fanny；　whisperingfor　there　had　been　a　moment
since　their　descent　in　which　she　had　been　instructed　to　call　him　by　his
Christian　name〃never　mind　talking　to　me　going　home。　　I　will　ride　by
mamma。　　Do　you　go　with　papa　and　put　him　in　good　humour；　and　it　he　says
anything　about　the　lords　and　the　bishops；　don't　you　contradict　him；　you
know。〃

What　will　not　a　man　do　for　love？　　Mr。　Ingram　promised。

And　in　this　way　they　started；　the　two　boys　led　the　van；　then　came　Mr。
Damer　and　Mr。　Ingram；　unusually　and　unpatriotically　acquiescent　as　to
England's　aristocratic　propensities；　then　Miss　Dawkins　riding；　alas！
alone；　after　her；　M。　Delabordeau；　also　alone；the　ungallant　Frenchman！
And　the　rear　was　brought　up　by　Mrs。　Damer　and　her　daughter；　flanked　on
each　side　by　a　dragoman；　with　a　third　dragoman　behind　them。

And　in　this　order　they　went　back　to　Cairo；　riding　their　donkeys；　and
crossing　the　ferry　solemnly；　and；　for　the　most　part；　silently。　　Mr。
Ingram　did　talk；　as　he　had　an　important　object　in　view；that　of
putting　Mr。　Damer　into　a　good　humour。

In　this　he　succeeded　so　well　that　by　the　time　they　had　remounted；　after
crossing　the　Nile；　Mr。　Damer　opened　his　heart　to　his　companion　on　the
subject　that　was　troubling　him；　and　told　him　all　about　Miss　Dawkins。

〃I　don't　see　why　we　should　have　a　companion　that　we　don't　like　for
eight　or　ten　weeks；　merely　because　it　seems　rude　to　refuse　a　lady。〃

〃Indeed；　I　agree　with　you；〃　said　Mr。　Ingram；　〃I　should　call　it　weak…
minded　to　give　way　in　such　a　case。〃

〃My　daughter　does　not　like　her　at　all；〃　continued　Mr。　Damer。

〃Nor　would　she　be　a　nice　companion　for　Miss　Damer；　not　according　to　my
way　of　thinking；〃　said　Mr。　Ingram。

〃And　as　to　my　having　asked　her；　or　Mrs。　Damer　having　asked　her！　　Why；
God　bless　my　soul；　it　is　pure　invention　on　the　woman's　part！〃

〃Ha！　ha！　ha！〃　laughed　Mr。　Ingram；　〃I　must　say　she　plays　her　game　well；
but　then　she　is　an　old　soldier；　and　has　the　benefit　of　experience。〃
What　would　Miss　Dawkins　have　said　had　she　known　that　Mr。　Ingram　called
her　an　old　soldier？

〃I　don't　like　the　kind　of　thing　at　all；〃　said　Mr。　Damer；　who　was　very
serious　upon　the　subject。　　〃You　see　the　position　in　which　I　am　placed。
I　am　forced　to　be　very　rude；　or〃

〃I　don't　call　it　rude　at　all。〃

〃Disobliging；　then；　or　else　I　must　have