The greatness of the conjuncture, the delightful climate, his sanguine
temperament, combined, however, to sustain him. As he traversed his
delicious mountains, with their terraces of mulberries, and olives, and
vines, lounged occasionally for a short time at the towns on the coast,
and looked in at some of his creditors to chatter charming delusions,
or feel his way for a new combination most necessary at this moment,
his blood was quick and his brain creative; and although he had ridden
nearly two hundred miles when he arrived at the 'Holy City,' he was
fresh and full of faith that 'something would turn up.' His Egyptian
friend, awfully punctual, was the first figure that welcomed him as
he entered the divan of Besso, where the young Emir remained in the
position which we have described, smoking interminable nargilehs while
he revolved his affairs, until the conversation respecting the arrival
of Tancred roused him from his brooding meditation.
It was not difficult to avoid Scheriff Effendi for a while. The
following morning, Fakredeen passed half a dozen hours at the bath, and
then made his visit to Eva with the plot which had occurred to him the
night before at the divan, and which had been matured this day while
they were shampooing him.
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