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296 the ladies of the house, and the neighbors who were with them. They received me very kindly, but with a little shyness. One said to me, "I hope you have made a good dinner—we have nothing here fit to offer you—we are only simple people, and can not serve you as we should like to do." I said, "I very much enjoyed that which your hands—peace be upon them—prepared so nicely; but I should have enjoyed it still more if you, O my sisters, had eaten with us." They seemed quite amused at the idea, and some of them blushed and laughed heartily. One of the elder women said seriously, "It is not our custom, O my daughter, to eat with men—it would be a shame for us." And a young girl exclaimed, "O lady, the bread and meat would choke us, if we took it in the midst of a company of men." I took leave of the women, and returned to the divan, and at about eight o'clock the guests separated, for genuine Oriental dinner-parties are never late entertainments.

Daûd Tannûs gathered his finest roses and carnations for us, and we walked home through the narrow streets, attended by lantern-bearers and several friends. In the mean time, preparations had been made for my journey to Jerusalem. The Consul, Mr. Finn, had sent his Hebrew dragoman and his head kawass to fetch me, that my brother might be free to follow Kamîl Pasha, without anxiety, wherever he might go. It was expected that the Pasha would visit all the rebellious villages, and perhaps besiege some of them, in which case he might be absent from Nablûs for many days. Under these circumstances, I had no alternative, and immediately made ready for starting early on the morrow.

Till a late hour, friends and neighbors, of all sects and classes, came in to take leave of me, and to wish me a prosperous and safe journey. The Moslems especially marveled that I could venture to travel so far without my brother. They said, "May God make a straight path for you on his earth!"