an unprotected female at the pyramids-第6章

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that　she　was　prepared　to　be　fallen　in　love　with　by　M。　Delabordeau；　even
if　there　should　ultimately　be　any　readiness　on　the　part　of　that
gentleman　to　perform　the　role　of　lover。　　With　Mr。　Ingram　the　matter　was
different；　nor　was　she　so　diffident　of　her　own　charms　as　to　think　it
altogether　impossible　that　she　might　succeed；　in　the　teeth　of　that
little　chit；　Fanny　Damer。　　That　Mr。　Ingram　would　join　the　party　up　the
Nile　she　had　very　little　doubt；　and　then　there　would　be　one　place　left
for　her。　　She　would　thus；　at　any　rate；　become　commingled　with　a　most
respectable　family；　who　might　be　of　material　service　to　her。

Thus　actuated　she　commenced　an　earnest　attack　upon　Mr。　Damer。

〃Stupendous！〃　she　said　again；　for　she　was　fond　of　repeating　favourite
words。　　〃What　a　wondrous　race　must　have　been　those　Egyptian　kings　of
old！〃

〃I　dare　say　they　were；〃　said　Mr。　Damer；　wiping　his　brow　as　he　sat　upon
a　large　loose　stone；　a　fragment　lying　on　the　flat　top　of　the　Pyramid；
one　of　those　stones　with　which　the　complete　apex　was　once　made；　or　was
once　about　to　be　made。

〃A　magnificent　race！　so　gigantic　in　their　conceptions！　　Their　ideas
altogether　overwhelm　us　poor；　insignificant；　latter…day　mortals。　　They
built　these　vast　Pyramids；　but　for　us；　it　is　task　enough　to　climb　to
their　top。〃

〃Quite　enough；〃　ejaculated　Mr。　Damer。

But　Mr。　Damer　would　not　always　remain　weak　and　out　of　breath；　and　it
was　absolutely　necessary　for　Miss　Dawkins　to　hurry　away　from　Cheops　and
his　tomb；　to　Thebes　and　Karnac。

〃After　seeing　this　it　is　impossible　for　any　one　with　a　spark　of
imagination　to　leave　Egypt　without　going　farther　a…field。〃

Mr。　Damer　merely　wiped　his　brow　and　grunted。　　This　Miss　Dawkins　took　as
a　signal　of　weakness；　and　went　on　with　her　task　perseveringly。

〃For　myself；　I　have　resolved　to　go　up；　at　any　rate；　as　far　as　Asouan
and　the　first　cataract。　　I　had　thought　of　acceding　to　the　wishes　of　a
party　who　are　going　across　the　Great　Desert　by　Mount　Sinai　to
Jerusalem；　but　the　kindness　of　yourself　and　Mrs。　Damer　is　so　great；　and
the　prospect　of　joining　in　your　boat　is　so　pleasurable；　that　I　have
made　up　my　mind　to　accept　your　very　kind　offer。〃

This；　it　will　be　acknowledged；　was　bold　on　the　part　of　Miss　Dawkins；
but　what　will　not　audacity　effect？　　To　use　the　slang　of　modern
language；　cheek　carries　everything　nowadays。　　And　whatever　may　have
been　Miss　Dawkins's　deficiencies；　in　this　virtue　she　was　not　deficient。

〃I　have　made　up　my　mind　to　accept　your　very　kind　offer；〃　she　said；
shining　on　Mr。　Damer　with　her　blandest　smile。

What　was　a　stout；　breathless；　perspiring；　middle…aged　gentleman　to　do
under　such　circumstances？　　Mr。　Damer　was　a　man　who；　in　most　matters；
had　his　own　way。　　That　his　wife　should　have　given　such　an　invitation
without　consulting　him；　was；　he　knew；　quite　impossible。　　She　would　as
soon　have　thought　of　asking　all　those　Arab　guides　to　accompany　them。
Nor　was　it　to　be　thought　of　that　he　should　allow　himself　to　be
kidnapped　into　such　an　arrangement　by　the　impudence　of　any　Miss
Dawkins。　　But　there　was；　he　felt；　a　difficulty　in　answering　such　a
proposition　from　a　young　lady　with　a　direct　negative；　especially　while
he　was　so　scant　of　breath。　　So　he　wiped　his　brow　again；　and　looked　at
her。

〃But　I　can　only　agree　to　this　on　one　understanding；〃　continued　Miss
Dawkins；　〃and　that　is；　that　I　am　allowed　to　defray　my　own　full　share　of
the　expense　of　the　journey。〃

Upon　hearing　this　Mr。　Damer　thought　that　he　saw　his　way　out　of　the
wood。　　〃Wherever　I　go；　Miss　Dawkins；　I　am　always　the　paymaster　myself；〃
and　this　he　contrived　to　say　with　some　sternness；　palpitating　though　he
still　was；　and　the　sternness　which　was　deficient　in　his　voice　he
endeavoured　to　put　into　his　countenance。

But　he　did　not　know　Miss　Dawkins。　　〃Oh；　Mr。　Damer；〃　she　said；　and　as
she　spoke　her　smile　became　almost　blander　than　it　was　before；　〃oh；　Mr。
Damer；　I　could　not　think　of　suffering　you　to　be　so　liberal；　I　could
not；　indeed。　　But　I　shall　be　quite　content　that　you　should　pay
everything；　and　let　me　settle　with　you　in　one　sum　afterwards。〃

Mr。　Damer's　breath　was　now　rather　more　under　his　own　command。　　〃I　am
afraid；　Miss　Dawkins；〃　he　said；　〃that　Mrs。　Damer's　weak　state　of　health
will　not　admit　of　such　an　arrangement。〃

〃What；　about　the　paying？〃

〃Not　only　as　to　that；　but　we　are　a　family　party；　Miss　Dawkins；　and
great　as　would　be　the　benefit　of　your　society　to　all　of　us；　in　Mrs。
Damer's　present　state　of　health；　I　am　afraidin　short；　you　would　not
find　it　agreeable。And　therefore〃　this　he　added；　seeing　that　she　was
still　about　to　persevere〃I　fear　that　we　must　forego　the　advantage　you
offer。〃

And　then；　looking　into　his　face；　Miss　Dawkins　did　perceive　that　even
her　audacity　would　not　prevail。

〃Oh；　very　well；〃　she　said；　and　moving　from　the　stone　on　which　she　had
been　sitting；　she　walked　off；　carrying　her　head　very　high；　to　a　corner
of　the　Pyramid　from　which　she　could　look　forth　alone　towards　the　sands
of　Libya。

In　the　mean　time　another　little　overture　was　being　made　on　the　top　of
the　same　Pyramid；an　overture　which　was　not　received　quite　in　the　same
spirit。　　While　Mr。　Damer　was　recovering　his　breath　for　the　sake　of
answering　Miss　Dawkins；　Miss　Damer　had　walked　to　the　further　corner　of
the　square　platform　on　which　they　were　placed；　and　there　sat　herself
down　with　her　face　turned　towards　Cairo。　　Perhaps　it　was　not　singular
that　Mr。　Ingram　should　have　followed　her。

This　would　have　been　very　well　if　a　dozen　Arabs　had　not　also　followed
them。　　But　as　this　was　the　case；　Mr。　Ingram　had　to　play　his　game　under
some　difficulty。　　He　had　no　sooner　seated　himself　beside　her　than　they
came　and　stood　directly　in　front　of　the　seat；　shutting　out　the　view；
and　by　no　means　improving　the　fragrance　of　the　air　around　them。

〃And　this；　then；　Miss　Damer；　will　be　our　last　excursion　together；〃　he
said；　in　his　tenderest；　softest　tone。

〃De　good　Englishman　will　gib　de　poor　Arab　one　little　backsheish；〃　said
an　Arab；　putting　out　his　hand　and　shaking　Mr。　Ingram's　shoulder。

〃Yes；　yes；　yes；　him　gib　backsheish；〃　said　another。

〃Him　berry　good　man；〃　said　a　third；　putting　up　his　filthy　hand；　and
touching　Mr。　Ingram's　face。

〃And　young　lady　berry　good；　too；　she　give　backsheish　to　poor　Arab。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　a　fourth；　preparing　to　take　a　similar　liberty　with　Miss
Damer。

This　was　too　much　for　Mr。　Ingram。　　He　had　already　used　very　positive
language　in　his　endeavour　to　assure　his　tormentors　that　they　would　not
get　a　piastre　from　him。　　But　this　only　changed　their　soft　persuasions
into　threats。　　Upon　hearing　which；　and　upon　seeing　what　the　man
attempted　to　do　in　his　endeavour　to　get　money　from　Miss　Damer；　he
raised　his　stick；　and　struck　first　one　and　then　the　other　as　violently
as　he　could　upon　their　heads。

Any　ordinary　civilised　men　would　have　been　stunned　by　such　blows；　for
they　fell　on　the　bare　foreheads　of　the　Arabs；　but　the　objects　of　the
American's　wrath　merely　skulked　away；　and　the　others；　convinced　by　the
only　arguments　which　they　understood；　followed　in　pursuit　of　victims
who　might　be　less　pugnacious。

It　is　hard　for　a　man　to　be　at　once　tender　and　pugnaciousto　be
sentimental；　while　he　is　putting　forth　his　physical　strength　with　all
the　violence　in　his　power。　　It　is　difficult；　also；　for　him　to　be　gentle
instantly　after　having　been　in　a　rage。　　So　he　changed　his　tactics　at
the　moment；　and　came　to　the　point　at　once　in　a　manner　befitting　his
present　state　of　mind。

〃Those　vile　wretches　have　put　me　in　such　a　heat；〃　he　said；　〃that　I
hardly　know　what　I　am　saying。　　But　the　fact　is　this；　Miss　Damer；　I
cannot　leave　Cairo　without　knowing。　　You　understand　what　I　mean；　Miss
Damer。〃

〃Indeed　I　do　not；　Mr。　Ingram；　except　that　I　am　afraid　you　mean
nonsense。〃

〃Yes；　you　do；　you　know　that　I　love　you。　　I　am　sure　you　must　know　it。
At　any　rate　you　know　it　now。〃

〃Mr。　Ingram；　you　should　not　talk　in　such　a　way。〃

〃Why　should　I　not？　　But　the　truth　is；　Fanny；　I　can　talk　in　no　other
way。　　I　do　love　you　dearly。　　Can　you　love　me　well　enough　to　go　and　be
my　wife　in　a　country　far　away　from　your　own？〃

Before　she　left　the　top　of　the　Pyramid　Fanny　Damer　had　said　that　she
would　try。

Mr。　Ingram　was　now　a　pr